Pet Words

Everyone has them—those words you use over and over in conversation and in writing. You love those words. They roll off your tongue and the tips of your fingers. They’re descriptive, relatable and effective.

I asked fellow writers about their pet words. One well-established author, who will remain nameless, told me her editor caught one word used dozens of times throughout her novel. Though unique and expressive, the word slowed the reader’s progress because of its quirky nature. The reader had to stop and think about the action. Maybe even giggle.

Time's up

Did you guess correctly? The answer was snorted. Hilarious, right?

My pet word is ran. The characters in my book ran all over the place—across parking lots, through fields, up hills, down stairs, behind dumpsters. Those guys stayed out of breath.

But reading the word ran gets boring . . . and inaccurate. Sometimes, they’re not at a full run. Because I write in past tense, I swap out the word ran with jogged, hurried and rushed. If the distance from Point A to Point B is short, they have sprinted, darted, dashed and bolted. Longer distances call for pelted, raced and sped.

A writer’s job is to paint a picture in her reader’s mind of a scene’s action. This can’t be achieved with generic words. We must take the time to pinpoint perfect words that help our readers imagine they’re inside the minds of our main characters.

After you finish your writing project, I recommend you check for pet words by reading it aloud (you’ll find lots of errors this way, especially in dialogue). Or better yet, ask a trusted friend or family member to proof your document for potential pet words.

HOT TIP: If an adjective or verb is used more than once (except for said), access the Edit/Find feature on your navigation bar to scan your entire document. You might be surprised to discover how much you’ve overused a word. At this point, highlight the word, then click on Edit/Writing Tools/Look up in Dictionary and Thesaurus. You’ll be amazed at the more-exacting alternatives in the thesaurus.

What is your pet word?