10-26-2014, 05:23 PM
Hi Buggy Girl! I do occasionally use a Thesaurus when I write my stories as I'm fully aware that there may be the odd word or phrase which does crop up more regularly than what's perhaps needed. In my own case I tend to find it's in conversations as there’s only so many times you can say 'said' or 'replied' before it becomes rather repetitive. I have tried to get around this in the past by not giving as much opportunity for talking within the story and perhaps writing it into plot rather than putting the plot across in conversation (if that makes sense...).
However as already stated, sometimes if you use them extensively you can end up with some very odd words mixed into sentences and paragraphs which may not necessarily work. You have to know what would and wouldn't work without simply sticking something into a sentence for the sake of it. We have to remember that the vast majority of writers who do post up stories here are not professional writers and/or may have no intention on making a career of it - myself included. I suspect most are merely gifted amateurs who are doing it in their own free time and in goodwill. Time of which may be limited.
My own advice would be to use a Thesaurus sensibly and in moderation, rather than something to use expensively to make up a story. I'm currently writing up my next Fpreg story and will happily say I've used it on four or five occasions so far - for exactly the reasons you point out. No doubt it'll be used on at least a couple more occasions before it’s finished too.
What I do find helps to improve a story is if you proof-read it to yourself before actually posting it. I know it sounds like such a basic thing to suggest but it's clear when reading some stories that this hasn't been done. In the past I've found myself not just improving basics such as grammar here and there, but adding/removing entire sentences and paragraphs where I feel it would improve the flow of the story. I'm a little unorthodox in how I write my own stories. I tend to write them up in 'chunks' which aren't necessarily in order and sometimes it needs work afterwards to knit these random 'chunks' together. A proof-read is brilliant to pick up potential faults. In the past I've re-written entire sections to make it work. I can actually think of one story I've posted where the starting six or seven paragraphs were actually the last part to be written simply because when I read the original draft back to myself, it just didn't seem to fit!
Please don't take any of that the wrong way, though. It's really good advice in general and I would largely agree with you. When used sensibly, a Thesaurus can indeed improve the depth to a story. I just wanted to make a constructive point in addition, though!
All the best!
However as already stated, sometimes if you use them extensively you can end up with some very odd words mixed into sentences and paragraphs which may not necessarily work. You have to know what would and wouldn't work without simply sticking something into a sentence for the sake of it. We have to remember that the vast majority of writers who do post up stories here are not professional writers and/or may have no intention on making a career of it - myself included. I suspect most are merely gifted amateurs who are doing it in their own free time and in goodwill. Time of which may be limited.
My own advice would be to use a Thesaurus sensibly and in moderation, rather than something to use expensively to make up a story. I'm currently writing up my next Fpreg story and will happily say I've used it on four or five occasions so far - for exactly the reasons you point out. No doubt it'll be used on at least a couple more occasions before it’s finished too.
What I do find helps to improve a story is if you proof-read it to yourself before actually posting it. I know it sounds like such a basic thing to suggest but it's clear when reading some stories that this hasn't been done. In the past I've found myself not just improving basics such as grammar here and there, but adding/removing entire sentences and paragraphs where I feel it would improve the flow of the story. I'm a little unorthodox in how I write my own stories. I tend to write them up in 'chunks' which aren't necessarily in order and sometimes it needs work afterwards to knit these random 'chunks' together. A proof-read is brilliant to pick up potential faults. In the past I've re-written entire sections to make it work. I can actually think of one story I've posted where the starting six or seven paragraphs were actually the last part to be written simply because when I read the original draft back to myself, it just didn't seem to fit!
Please don't take any of that the wrong way, though. It's really good advice in general and I would largely agree with you. When used sensibly, a Thesaurus can indeed improve the depth to a story. I just wanted to make a constructive point in addition, though!
All the best!
