Any of my editing clients can tell you that I often comment “use more vivid language,” “use vivid verbs,” “let your readers SEE what your characters are experiencing,” “let your readers FEEL what your characters are feeling.”
But how do we find those vivid words? How do we make sure we aren’t repeating the same words over and over, or resorting to clichés?
Well, we could just use a regular thesaurus, like the tried and true Roget’s, or one of the thesauri (trust me, that’s the plural) online. OR, as I often suggest to my editing clients, we can consult the many collections of words that Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have put together.
These books (available as print books or ebooks) are specifically designed for writers, and they target areas that writers often find challenging.
There is a thesaurus for practically anything and everything that a writer might be puzzled by, with more coming out as the authors complete them. Their offerings include The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus as well as The Negative Trait Thesaurus and such in-depth subjects as The Emotional Wounds Thesaurus, The Symbolism and Motif Thesaurus, and The Talent and Skill Thesaurus, plus many more. You can read about them and learn where to purchase them on Angela and Becca’s website.
But that’s not all these two powerhouse writers and resource people offer to their fellow writers. Their website is a treasure trove of information, tips, advice; a blog that covers practically anything a writer might want to learn; two newsletters packed with tips; tools like setting planners, checklists and exercises or character questionnaires; webinars and workshops and more. Take some time to check out their website, Writers Helping Writers, and bookmark it for future reference. You’ll be glad you did!