Tag Archives: Vocabulary

Writer’s Rule Number Three

Improve Your Vocabulary

By Annette Rey

These rules are basic to our very existence as writers and you may tend to ignore them. But any flower needs water to blossom, to grow to its full potential, to bring its beauty to the world.

Your brain needs the type of food to expand your writing skills and the basic blocks that build a sentence are words. The more words you know (and their definitions) the more beautiful the sentences you can build. Like a flower in its bloom, your writing should captivate and enthrall, capture and entertain, charm and enchant your readers.

Let’s look at a plan to be intentional in improving your vocabulary.

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Insouciant, What a Word!

From the Writer’s Toolbox

By Annette Rey

I love this word – insouciant.

I heard it used in a 1953 radio program rebroadcast in 2019 describing a private eye. That spoke to me of the probable education level of the 1950s radio-listening population.

I surmise that in current times, fifty percent of the population has never heard the word before, much less are able to define it, or spell it, or would have recognized it as it was quickly spoken over the air. Hearing it took me aback for a couple of moments. I said to myself, “What did he say? Insouciant? What a good word!” The usage of the word in this context excited me and drifted me to that era of the 1950s where I imagined a more educated populace, where people sat with one ear glued to their radio, where their minds were engaged in the exploits of their favorite character. In that moment, the word worked on my imagination and transported me. I had escaped the present.

This is exactly the effect you want your readers to experience. Words are the transport vehicles you must supply them to take them along the journey you are designing. And before I go on, insouciant means – more than having a carefree attitude, the person who is insouciant couldn’t care less.

Hearing the scriptwriter’s word choice told me he was familiar with it, felt comfortable with it, and used it correctly. The writer didn’t fear using the word and didn’t expect the word to be too obscure. He did not underestimate his listener. This is a good lesson for the writer of today. Do not feel you are speaking above your reader and do not ever talk down to him. Expect he will appreciate your words.

Writers need to have a wide vocabulary for obvious reasons like enriching their prose and enticing their readers. But words mean more than that, and should mean more than that. Words should be open doors to new thoughts, deeper thoughts, extensive descriptions, insights and feelings beyond the pictures that common words bring to our minds. Replace mundane words with richer words that challenge and excite and maybe even educate your readers. Bring flavor to your work. Transport your reader.

I’d rather tag along with an insouciant gumshoe than to be associated with a mere don’t﷓give-a-damn character. Words make your creations really alive. Breathe life into them.

Insouciant – I love this word.

Woe to the Careless Writer

Vocabulary is Important!

By Annette Rey

Language does evolve and we should be thankful for that – to a point. I mean, we aren’t burdened with having to say “Dost thou desire a respite before partaking dinner?” We just say, “Wanna take a nap?”

But in this modern age where almost everyone has a keyboard, and they are using them, their writing should reflect some competence with the language.

I give you this example that recently showed up on social media.

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A Helpful Site for Writers

A Wealth of Information

By Annette Rey

Don’t let this site intimidate you. I say this because on first glance you might be insulted and say, “This is not for me. I’m an adult. This is for children.” And I say, no this site is great for adult writers to use.

Let me explain.

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