If you are a word-lover like I am, sometimes you get frustrated in finding one that conveys your exact meaning. I find this especially true in my writing. So many words spill out of my fingers that at some point I’m throwing down the first word that comes to mind, but it often isn’t the right word.
Long ago, in my early writing days, I thought it was cheating to use a thesaurus. I convinced myself that “real” writers discovered the right word in their own heads. Of course, that was before my brain went on overload with three children and all their details—and before I hit that age where remembering didn’t come as easily!
Enter The Synonym Finder. I love this book! It’s a thesaurus on steroids and one of the best investments I made when I finally let go of the pride of being able to say I didn’t consult a thesaurus. Now I can almost always find the right word—or at least the more right word than the one that popped into my mind first! As you can see, my copy is well-loved.
This is just one of my favorite writing tools. What are some of yours?
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5 comments:
I love this book. It's a gem.
Sometimes I look through The Romance Writer's Phrase Book for inspiration, too.
Thanks, Anne!
Anne, I'm similarly fond of The Flip Dictionary (Kipfer). When you can't think of a word, check this book and it will tell you.
Example, medicine for insomnia: soporific
marker of stone heap: cairn
It, too, is sort of a thesaurus, and someday you'll be old enough to appreciate its ability to help you find that term that's dancing just outside your memory.
Great suggestions, Suzie and Doc! I love that there are tools that can help us retrieve those elusive words!
How big/thick/obnoxious is this book? Is it something relatively small to keep on my desk at work?
Thinking of picking up this great resource for the occasional brainstorming session, but not looking for a huge tome.
Thanks!
Sorry, Steve. It's not a small book by any means. I guess that's why it's so much more helpful than a regular thesaurus! But if you are looking for compact, this isn't it. :(
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