Be fresh and precise

"The search for the mot juste is not a pedantic fad but a vital necessity. Words are our precision tools. Imprecision engenders ambiguity and hours are wasted in removing verbal misunderstandings before the argument of substance can begin."

Anonymous civil servant

Writers are snipers.

Because, we fire exactly and purposefully. We don't use shotguns hoping that one of the many shades of literary bullet will do the job.

We look for precise words, with precise meanings.

Good writers develop a curiosity for words and their exact meanings because words are shades of sentiment. Plumping for one over another will change the writing's colour.

You've got to care about words enough to spend time rooting around for the right one. But don't just root around in your own head.

Just as calculators are shunned for simple maths, dictionaries are shunned for simple literacy.

But I often look up basic words. For example, how does careful differ from prudent?

Careful

• Attentive
• Action now
• Round
• Familiar
• Loving
• Full of care
  
  

Prudent

• Aversion to risk
• Preparation for the future
• Sharp
• Financial
• Calculating
• Prepared
  
  

One of these words might better suit my meaning. One might have a more memorable rhythm. One might have a finer tone.

Either way sniper, they don’t mean or feel exactly the same.

Don't be scared to remind yourself of a word's colour. There might be a shade that works better.

And how to find all the shades of meaning?

I often plug my first attempt at capturing an idea into the thesaurus, using it as the first in a line of dominoes that leads to its more suitable replacement.

The word you reach for first is good enough for a first draft. But let's roll the dice on those words again.

The danger of the thesaurus is in forcing intellectual replacements for perfectly fine, short, plain words in an attempt to impress your readers.

Definitely don’t do that.

Instead use it as inspiration. A list of possibilities beyond the ready reach of your mind.

The alternative is to let your first thought be your final thought and let a lazy sea of clichés and ubiquitous phrasing flood your copy, softening the crispness and drowning the impact.

The dictionary helps you stay precise.

The thesaurus help you stay fresh.