Word Choice Change Up Tips?

So I am noticing I am using a lot of the same descriptions, adverbs, etc, in my writing. I was wondering if any other author has noticed that they do that too, and what do you do to change up the word choices? Short of reading a thesaurus or something? How do you basically jazz up how you describe things so you're not getting repetitive for using the same words in every story?

I type in the word I'm overusing and the word "synonym" into Google. You'll get a hundred other possibilities. Yeah, it's lazy, but the goal is the best possible story, right?

I don't have the link to it now as I'm on my phone but I like to use an online tool that goes through your twenty most frequently used words, 2-word phrases and 3-word phrases. That helps reduce frequency during a single story at least, combined with googling synonyms like Ensorceled mentioned.

Reading novels helps in that area as well, inspiring how you approach certain descriptions and such.

I notice this in my stories too. If I can't come up with a different word or phrase pretty quick I use the thesaurus feature in WORD. Occasionally I'll do a complete re-write if it still doesn't feel right. I think every story i have posted here has at least one repetitive descriptor even after i edit strenuously.

Agree with Carlton too, the more you read the more your own vocabulary builds.

Use metaphors to illustrate (and deepen) your descriptions. Also, contrary to the advice above, perhaps it's a lesser crime to reuse the same basic plain-spoken descriptors than it is to go out of your way to avoid it by substituting flowery esoteric language that draws far much attention to itself and interrupts the flow of the narrative.

Quote by Just_A_Guy_You_Know

Use metaphors to illustrate (and deepen) your descriptions. Also, contrary to the advice above, perhaps it's a lesser crime to reuse the same basic plain-spoken descriptors than it is to go out of your way to avoid it by substituting flowery esoteric language that draws far much attention to itself and interrupts the flow of the narrative.

Indeed. I have been a fan of H. P. Lovecraft's work (less so the man) for decades but, wow, someone really needed to hide his thesaurus. The guy could be the living definition of "flowery esoteric language" when in the right mood.

Being someone with a bad tendency to edit on the fly, I will often catch and fix overused language as I go. No thesaurus involved usually, unless I am really stuck for an alternative. Often, I can ditch a word or two in places, or reword things. But I don't really have a method, just a tendency to catch things as I edit.

Quote by Just_A_Guy_You_Know

Use metaphors to illustrate (and deepen) your descriptions. Also, contrary to the advice above, perhaps it's a lesser crime to reuse the same basic plain-spoken descriptors than it is to go out of your way to avoid it by substituting flowery esoteric language that draws far much attention to itself and interrupts the flow of the narrative.

Yeah I was worried about this extreme too. I mean I like using poetic metaphors etc, but there is a fine line between 'purple prose' and 'trying too hard to sound a certain type of way when just using the same adverb you always use would do the trick just fine' cos I mean after all we are basically all writing porn on this website, but like I'm a nerd that likes to think of erotica writing as an artform that i can always get better at.

I feel you on this — I tend to fall back on the same collection of descriptions. I don't have a good answer for you. I've tried the thesaurus answers others have suggested. I've also gone on research journeys, where I keep a document open and copy/paste interesting phrases that other writers use to help spark my brain. Mixed success on that front.

The best advice I can give you is to find a beta reader you trust and give them a heads-up that you're looking to reduce repeated words and phrases.

Merriam-Webster's has a slider at the top of the page that switches you from Dictionary to Thesaurus. I use it when I've run out of ways to say wicked/devilish/impish or coy/demure/coquettish or laughed/chuckled/giggled.

Also interested in this.

My approach has been to embrace common, non-intrusive descriptive terms. You can get away with keeping them short and to the point if you wrap them around interesting dialogue.

I must use a thesaurus often, search the web, and use one you find. Occasionally, Grammarly notices I have overused a word. However, the more words I write, and if I leave a few days between writing... this is when the trouble starts.

Quote by AmuseBouche

However, the more words I write, and if I leave a few days between writing... this is when the trouble starts.

I sometimes need to have my recent stories open in other tabs so I can CTRL+F and figure out where I used a word that I know I used somewhere .

Quote by Chet_Morton

I sometimes need to have my recent stories open in other tabs so I can CTRL+F and figure out where I used a word that I know I used somewhere .

Hmm that's an idea, do the find and replace thing to see how often I used a word in general, maybe its not as often as I think it is but at the same time it could also help with like an over use of conjunctions or transitional words that I learned I use too much of, when I was writing a piece for the last comp and had to shave words down to meet wordcount, cos it was over 10k words and I got it down by cutting a lot of words like 'and' 'then' 'but' etc. It was actually kind of fun, but gotta be careful I didn't trim it too sparse and kill the imagery or poetry of a description or scene. so that's the balance in a way. Leave enough meat on the bone so to speak

Quote by LuceDevlin
Leave enough meat on the bone

So that's been my problem. The tacos might be made to order, but the bone just ain't there.

If you change all the words, you could end up with a whole new story.

Quote by Ensorceled

I type in the word I'm overusing and the word "synonym" into Google. You'll get a hundred other possibilities. Yeah, it's lazy, but the goal is the best possible story, right?

This is exactly what I do after using the Word thesaurus. However, it is essential to read the story afterwards to make sure you have not changed the meaning of what you are trying to say. That is very easy to do. 🙄