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Step away from the thesaurus!!!
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I think it depends on how many people have to hunt for it. I had a beta reader circle the word "askance" because she'd never seen it before, and yet it never occurred to me that it was unusual.
I have a large vocabulary, large enough that one of my former beaus was spotted carrying a dictionary so he could look stuff up. (Awww.)
I will look in a dictionary to double-check meaning, but I won't look in a thesaurus. I don't believe I own one. They usually lead me in false directions, and I waste a lot of time.
I will look in a dictionary to double-check meaning, but I won't look in a thesaurus. I don't believe I own one. They usually lead me in false directions, and I waste a lot of time.
Depends on why you reached for the thesaurus in the first place.
Sometimes I know that I know the right word, it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it so I'll use the thesaurus to remind myself of what I already know. If you're reaching for the thesaurus just to put a ten-dollar word down on paper, then I agree, that's the wrong reason. Odds are if you found the word for the first time in the thesaurus, you're going to use it incorrectly because you don't understand all the nuances.
Sometimes I know that I know the right word, it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it so I'll use the thesaurus to remind myself of what I already know. If you're reaching for the thesaurus just to put a ten-dollar word down on paper, then I agree, that's the wrong reason. Odds are if you found the word for the first time in the thesaurus, you're going to use it incorrectly because you don't understand all the nuances.
Never use a twenty-dollar word when a ten-center will do. Um...how does Barney feel about King's statement? (My words are more expensive that IT's.) 
This is the only reason I ever use a thesaurus. Well, and I suppose sometimes I'll use it to avoid using the same word twice in a paragraph. But usually I already have a word in mind and just can't think of what it should be.
I'll use the thesaurus function in MS Word from time to time, but only to check if there's another word that works better. It's useful about half the time. I suspect my vocabulary's pretty small, though, in comparison to other writers.
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Ditto -- it's cause the word is sitting there and the grey matter just can't locate it in the mental card catelogue, It's just for the nudge (cause some of us have more grey matter than others!!)
The first word you reach for will be your most honest, the one you meant the best. Stephen King's right.
I own several dictionaries which I use in everyday life, and which are across the house from where I write. I don't use them. I don't even know where my thesaurus is. I don't need of it.
Something else Stephen King said, "As the hooker said to the bashful sailor, 'honey it ain't size that counts, but how you use it." And here he was referring to being embarassed by your vocabulary, because it's not as big as H.P. Lovecraft's was naturally. So what? Use what you have. What you have will build naturally over time. Use what you gain, too.
I own several dictionaries which I use in everyday life, and which are across the house from where I write. I don't use them. I don't even know where my thesaurus is. I don't need of it.
Something else Stephen King said, "As the hooker said to the bashful sailor, 'honey it ain't size that counts, but how you use it." And here he was referring to being embarassed by your vocabulary, because it's not as big as H.P. Lovecraft's was naturally. So what? Use what you have. What you have will build naturally over time. Use what you gain, too.
He probably brings this up because lots of people think they can expand their vocabulary with a thesaurus. This is not the case, and people who are using a thesaurus specifically for that purpose (and not as a tool to be used when the mind goes *fizzle plop*) pick the wrong word like 90% of the time, and it makes no sense. Or, they pick a nice big word that actually does manage to make sense, but doesn't flow with the rest of the 3rd grade vocabulary in the text.
Ex: Author original: "Jane runs down the street. Spot runs down the street. Spot finds a lot of bones on the street."
Thesaurus version: "Jane runs down the street. Spot runs down the street. Spot finds a plethora of bones on the street."
Ex: Author original: "Jane runs down the street. Spot runs down the street. Spot finds a lot of bones on the street."
Thesaurus version: "Jane runs down the street. Spot runs down the street. Spot finds a plethora of bones on the street."
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I use Word's thesaurus or online ones for the word my brain can't locate. However, I do make use of my big honkin' thesaurus when I am trying hard not to repeat the same few words too near each other. It's not that I seek a big fancy word, but other words with faintly different nuances in their meanings--something for which paperbound, Word's, and online thesauruses are worthless.
Only today I didn't want to use "love life" and "sex life" in the same section. The big Roget's helped me out--and gave my arm a wee workout, too!
Maryn, fan of the right thesaurus (nice biceps, huh?)
Only today I didn't want to use "love life" and "sex life" in the same section. The big Roget's helped me out--and gave my arm a wee workout, too!
Maryn, fan of the right thesaurus (nice biceps, huh?)
What about that poor left thesaurus? It seems sad and lonely. Much like Pete did in high school.
I found a bunch of synonyms for "Rllgthunder," but they were all in the Roget Complete List of Diseases.
Back OT: I use the thesaurus in the same way, Maryn. In that instance, it only makes good sense.
I love thesaurus.com dearly, and Stephen King can go bound leap jump in a lake. Having said that, I don't use it to look for words I've never heard of -- I look for words that fit better than the one I've typed.
I'll never believe that "walk" is a better word than "meander" just because it has less syllables. And your little dog, too!!
I'll never believe that "walk" is a better word than "meander" just because it has less syllables. And your little dog, too!!
I saw that King quote today as well, and I am with those who have to respectfully disagree. I use a thesaurus all the time when I can't quite remember that word I wanted to use. WHAT was it again?
Similarly, I use it when I need one word with a double connotation. IE, I don't want say, "John was greedy and saved all of his money." I would say "John was miserly." I KNOW the word miserly, but I can't always get my brain to regurgitate it when I need it.
Similarly, I use it when I need one word with a double connotation. IE, I don't want say, "John was greedy and saved all of his money." I would say "John was miserly." I KNOW the word miserly, but I can't always get my brain to regurgitate it when I need it.
But, walk and meander imply two different types of motion. Unless you modify walk with an adverb, meander could be the word you want if your character is not moving in a willful, distinct manner.
RT's right, they're different.
And the whole point was that if you look for a word that "fits better," then the word you use is less honest than the word that originally came to mind. It's not always about augmenting your sentences. It's about honesty. So much depends on that in particular. That's what Stephen King was getting at.
And the whole point was that if you look for a word that "fits better," then the word you use is less honest than the word that originally came to mind. It's not always about augmenting your sentences. It's about honesty. So much depends on that in particular. That's what Stephen King was getting at.
Just hanging this here. Because.
I've had to use certain words in lieu of walk in one of my novels, for a specific reason. For the characters 'walk' doesn't work for them. But, it has been limiting in what action I can use. So, I go to the thesaurus for a better word, just to keep from repeating the action constantly.
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