Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #5

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #5

The distinction between these two words is minimal, but the word essential is more often used when a stronger meaning is required.

If a doctor tells you that quitting smoking is necessary for your good health, you would probably take notice. 

If that same doctor tells you that quitting smoking is essential to your good health, I would hope you would throw your tobacco products away and take heed.

Having ripe tomatoes is necessary for making flavorful soups, but having ripe tomatoes is essential for making tomato soup.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #4

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #4

• Ingenious is from the Latin ingenium meaning inborn talent or natural quality.
• Ingenuous is from the Latin ingenuus meaning simple, honest, childlike, or trusting.

One way to remember the distinction between these two words is to note that the word ingenious sounds like the word genius while the word ingenuous sounds like the word genuine.

The inventor created an ingenious device to cut raw onions.
The party room was filled with laughing, ingenuous children.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #3

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #3

Stationery is the word to use for notebooks, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, and other necessary writing materials.

Stationary is the word for standing still.

It is often difficult to remember how to spell these two words, but a teacher I had in elementary school gave me a trick that I still remember after all these years. 

The "e" in stationery stands for "envelope."

I wrote the letter on flowered stationery.

I am going to exercise on a stationary bicycle.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #2

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #2

Prescribe means to lay down a rule or to write a script for medication.

Proscribe means to forbid.

To use these words correctly, think of prescribe as "to dictate" and proscribe as "to prohibit."

The doctor is going to prescribe a medication for my headaches.

The law proscribes discrimination based on race or gender.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #1

Get Your Word's Worth and Say Exactly What You Mean

Word Choice Creative Writing Tip #1

Infectious is from the Latin inficere and means to taint. (An infectious disease is spread by agencies such as air and water.)

Contagious is from the Latin tangere and means to touch. (A contagious disease is transmitted by touching.)

When considering the figurative uses of these words, infectious suggests that something is irresistible and contagious places an emphasis on quickness and speed.

• His laughter was infectious and soon we were laughing with him.
• Shots rang out and a contagious fear spread through the theatre.

I hope this post helps you choose the word that will express exactly what you wish to say.

Thanks for reading,