Smart Ways to Elevate Your Vocabulary & Empower Your Writing!

1. Use a thesaurus (No, it's not a supposed ancient reptile.) Writers, especially beginners, tend to use the same words over and over. Boring, repetitious wording does not keep the reader engaged.

2. Use dictionaries! Have you noticed how many different types of dictionaries exist now?

3. Learn from other writers. As you read books and works by other authors, pay attention to the words they use and the context in which they are employed.

4. Use figurative language.

Metaphors: A comparison that does not include the words "like" or "as".

Similes: A comparison that includes the words "like" or "as".

Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration used to make a point.

Personification: The act of giving human qualities to animals or inanimate objects.

Idioms: An expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of its individual words.

5. Schedule time to educate yourself. Once a week or everyday, set aside some time to study grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and spelling.

6. Keep a notebook (tangible or digital) to make notes while you study. Note those things you need to improve and keep a section for new words to utilize.

7. To identify areas of improvement, read your writing aloud! Your ears will hear and process what you read differently than your eyes only.

Do you have suggestions? Drop me a line or leave a comment.