Words matter. Whether you are writing a dissertation or a short story, you must choose your words carefully.
Why?
In this the Information Age, we are drowning in text (much of which is searchable). Organizations of every stripe (commercial, educational, or non-profit) launch Web sites, often with blogs, and what they desire most is eye-catching, original content. Newer Web-based channels have supplemented and sometimes supplanted traditional publication channels (e.g., large book publishing houses and print newspapers and journals). For example, some writers self-publish through Amazon (and elsewhere), and others have launched e-journals and news blogs.
EVERYONE must produce text on a regular basis (e.g., twitter, Facebook, and tumblr). Professionals with any kind of audience (e.g., actors, musicians, and writers) generally create twitter and Facebook accounts and Web sites dedicated to their professional endeavors (in addition to whatever they may produce for friend consumption). We are constantly trying to garner attention and advertise ourselves (personally if not professionally). Once upon a time, only famous authors and musicians and academics needed to “publish or perish.” That’s no longer true. Now, to some extent, we must all “publish or perish,” where perish means to find ourselves drowned out by the sea of voices clamoring for attention. Even worse, we must often do so under word and character restrictions.
What can we do to increase our chances of being heard and valued?
Obviously our ideas should be innovative. But ideas alone won’t make us ‘clickworthy’. We need to articulate those ideas in the best way possible. Our writing must be concise (using as few words as possible to convey our thoughts), colorful, and fairly straightforward.
Here are a few tips to set yourself apart and sustain your audience’s interest.
1. Don’t use intensifiers (e.g., really, truly, or very). Instead, choose a more intense word.
Very sad: heart-wrenching, haunting, poignant
Really careful: meticulous, punctilious, fastidious
Truly scary: terrifying, intimidating, menacing
2. Avoid the construction X is/was Y.
Original: The client was so nervous that she moved around in her seat throughout the session.
Revision: The client fidgeted nervously throughout the session.
3. Avoid there is/are and it is/are constructions.
Original: There were 20 participants in the study.
Revision: Twenty subjects participated in the study.
Original: It was this idea that won Galileo the greatest fame.
Revision: This idea won Galileo the greatest fame.
Original: It is expected that the wealth gap will double by 2020.
Revision: The wealth gap will likely double by 2020.
4. Avoid the passive voice.
Original: This study was conducted by Emerson.
Revision: Emerson conducted this study.
5. Avoid throwaway words (I put more concise versions in parentheses).
Absolutely essen
tial (essential)
At the present time (now)
A total of 23 participants (23 participants)
By means of (through)
Despite the fact that (although)
Due to the fact that (because)
For the purpose of (for)
Have a tendency to (tend to)
In a situation where (when)
In the event that (if)
In order to or for (to or for)
Is able to (can)
It is important/crucial/necessary that we (we must/should)
Prior to (before)
Subsequent to (after)
Summarize briefly (summarize)
6. Wherever possible, eliminate possessive phrases
The major responsibility of nurses (nurses’ major responsibility)
The purpose of the study (the study’s purpose)
7. Use synonyms
Cause: engender, induce, render
Choose: decide, determine, resolve
Do: achieve, accomplish, act, conduct, create, execute, explore, perform
Find: discover, observe
Have: enjoy, hold, maintain, possess
Get: accumulate, accrue, acquire, earn, garner, obtain, procure, secure, win
Provide: furnish, offer, proffer,
Say/tell: affirm, articulate, assert, assure, explain, inform, reveal, remark, state
See: note, notice, observe, perceive
Show: demonstrate, establish, illustrate, indicate, present, prove
Start: begin, commence, initiate, launch
Try: aim, attempt, endeavor, seek, undertake