What exactly do I mean?
Words have power, weight and emotional context. They can
make us feel or think different things on a subconscious level. Think about it.
When you are describing clouds moving across the sky, you could say the clouds
slipped across the moon, or you could say the clouds drifted across the moon or
you could say the clouds scudded across the moon. Only one word changes each
time but the emotional context and weight of the scene changes dramatically.
Slipped has an almost otherworld quality to it. Drifted is dreamlike, and the
character might be questioning the validity of the situation. Scudded is much
darker and ominous, hinting at danger lurking in the shadows. One word can make
all the difference.
And this isn’t just the case with verbs. It’s in our
descriptions too. We feel different about the colors chartreuse, emerald and
sage, even though they are all different ways to describe shades of green. By
using deep character point of view we can pick out words that resonate with our
characters to create fresh descriptions. A Navy Seal and a preschool teacher
are not going to have the same reaction when they get their hand slammed in a
car door. Likewise they will picture, describe, think and see things through
the lens of their own experiences. For my paranormal Hunter in my Steampunk who’s been raised in the
western frontier, he looks at things from a hunting point of view.
As the dark beast entered the edge of the yellow oil lamp light, Colt could make out the massive shoulders and ridge of raised black hair along the hellhound's back. More importantly, he could see the grizzly bear-sized mouth full of bared glistening dagger-like teeth just beneath the scarlet eyes, which flickered with the glow of red hot coals in a camp fire. The thing was the size of a buffalo, black as night and as angry as a pissed off mama bear. It stalked them slowly and deliberately laying down one massive paw in front of the other, dark curving nails clacking against the rock floor as it made a beeline in their direction.
As a bonus the
word choices you make because of the way your character views the world as a
result of their backstory is another subtle way of introducing that backstory
to your readers without beating them over the head with it. From this example you get a very clear feeling of what this man may have experienced in their past. It’s
obvious he’s obviously stalked prey, he’s seen a grizzly bear and a buffalo, and spent time around a camp fire.
Word placement can make a difference too. Where you place
a key word can either flatten you prose or enhance it. By placing the most
powerful words at the end of your sentences and paragraphs, you’re giving your
writing a power punch that lasts with readers.
Why put it at the end? Human psychology is wired so
whatever is last is remembered most.
Take this sentence:
The hand-scrawled page from Diego’s
safety-deposit box was right over her heart, burning a hole in her shirt
pocket.
The hand-scrawled page from Diego’s safety-deposit box
was burning a hole in her shirt pocket right over her heart.
As a word is pocket or heart more powerful? The sentence
still conveys the same information, but it does it with more punch when the
most powerful word in the sentence is at the end. Alternatively I could have
chosen to put the word burn at the end of the sentence, but I chose heart
because of the context of the scene where she’s not trusting her heart to
another Hunter. Since her heart is what is truly at risk, it becomes the most
powerful word in the sentence to emphasize.
Even when it comes to marketing ourselves as writers,
word choice is critical. It shows in how our cover blurbs are written on the
backs of our books. It shows in the taglines you see as part of an author’s
branding on their website. Choosing words that are powerful, convey the
specific meaning and that have the right emotional weight, are important when
influencing people to buy our books.
There’s a reason Edward Bulwer-Lytton originally put the
now famous line “The pen is mightier than the sword” in his play. It’s true.
Words have power.
Author bio:
A former book publicist, an American Title II finalist, and now a full-time writer, Theresa has seen multiple facets of the industry on her path to becoming a multi-published romance author. She currently writes paranormal romances for Harlequin Nocturne, steampunk romances for Kensington and urban fantasy and contemporary romances for Entangled Publishing.
I hope you will join my class
Writing Back Cover Blurbs That Sell
Hosted by
Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers
This 2 WEEK class starts October
8th
For more information click HERE
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