Tag: Writerly Tips

This is part two of my Synonym Series! The first part talked about using ‘said’ in dialogue and offered a graphic of synonyms. You can find that here. This part talks about going places.

This is an easy one to tackle on the line edit and it’ll do wonders to liven up your Work In Progress. Do a word search for all instances of “walk” in your manuscript. Sometimes, “walk” will be just fine. Don’t try and shoehorn a more complicated phrase when a simple one works best. However, a red flag, should be when “walk” is followed by an adverb.

“She walked quickly” can become, “she raced” or, “she darted”. Both are much more succinct and dynamic examples to describe the action.

Similarly, “she walked slowly” can become, “she lumbered” or “she ambled”. You can see how it adds another dimension to your phrase: “lumbered” suggests that she has the weight of the world on her, like every step is heavy. Whereas, “ambled” is a little lighter, like she is aimless. That’s the beauty of a stronger word. It can convey so much more than “she walked slowly” ever could!

Here’s a handy little infographic of synonyms to help you on your way!

Happy Writing, Writerly Friends.x

There is so much conflicting advice out there for when to use ‘said’ in dialogue. Should you use it? Shouldn’t you use it? Some people say never; others say always. It can become confusing and overwhelming. I say this, because I have been both confused and overwhelmed.

The aim of the game is to produce imaginative and flowing prose. This means you have to use all the tools at your disposal.

It is true, that ‘said’ should be used in the first instance. The thing about this little word is that is disappears. Think about this the next time you are reading dialogue. Do you really notice the ‘saids’? Your brain is most likely glossing over them, focussing on the dialogue and using them as an anchor to know who’s speaking.

So when do you use synonyms?

A great tip is to go through your manuscript, search for ‘said’ and see if there is an adverb following it. If there is, the likelihood is a synonym will be more dynamic. For example, if you’ve written, ‘she said quietly’ then, ‘she whispered’ is better effective. Or, ‘she said loudly’ becomes, ‘she shouted’.

Just to throw a spanner in the works: there is room in the writerly world for adverbs. I know that some people think they are the devil, but I love them. And when used carefully, can produce a great voice to your work. As I said earlier: use ALL the tools in your arsenal.

Here’s some synonyms to help you on your writerly way:

Happy Writing, Writerly Friends.x