Does anyone find that, when reading, they see a new word and instead of thinking - “oh! A new word! What’s the definition?”
You think - “…you totally used a thesaurus for that word…”
Then the author will use that word at LEAST 3 times throughout the book and it pings in your head everytime.
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I know I’m being way critical. Considering I don’t write nor am I published. And I should be grateful I learned a new word today!
But I’ve gone 33yrs without seeing “Maudlin” and now I’ve seen this used 3 times to describe the same character.
Other words occurr of course but “Maudlin” is what made me roll my eyes this morning.
And “Disgorged”
The definition is clear from the word itself but c’mon… you don’t need to use it twice in the same chapter to describe both a Carriage uploading passengers and a microwave opening up for food.
It just feels fake 😅
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I mean people like what they like I guess. People are just as critical with music and most people who consume it don’t create music.
Personally I’m very picky with writing style. I DNF a book quickly if I don’t like the way the author presents their work. To each their own. It’s not like we have to read anything (outside of the context of school). Read what you like and skip what you don’t. It’s for pleasure after all.
Sorry, I’m on the bandwagon of “neither of these words are that rare or difficult”. Your vocabulary is probably smaller, which isn’t an insult or anything
Genuinely curious: Do you tend to stay within your comfort zone when you read or interact with the world?
I have known the word ‘maudlin’ since… well, we won’t go into that, but my point is, part of my joy in reading is learning new things - like words.
I would not find it to be too critical to care about good word choice, though I would disagree with using uncommon words as a major problem and it somehow making the writing fake.
For me it is far more often a problem that the author clearly didn’t use a thesaurus and use words with the wrong connotations and ends up using a word which somewhat similar meaning to the concept they are trying to express and therefore could express themselves better by using a different word.
Languages don’t have true synonyms and good writing uses the right word even if the word isn’t the most commonly used synonym in the english language.
For disgorge the first one is probably one of the most commonly used constructions and the second one also seems fine. What are the connotations of the second as disgorge has connotations of violent movement, lack of control and general negative associations?
Rather that coming from a place of judgement (“Yeah, you totally pulled out the thesaurus here”—which, as a professional writer, I do often, unashamedly), try probing the word and your reaction to it. In every case, there’s a simpler, more general term that would carry the same basic message, why did the author choose that particular one? What nuance does it bring? Stories are made of sentences and sentences are made of words, none of then accidental. Words are just tools; why did the craftsman pull that particular one out here? It’s just much more rewarding to ask “why?” Every sentence (effective or no) has something to teach, you just have to be willing to listen.
Those aren’t terrible words, but as someone who writes, I do hate people putting in fancy words to try to sound smart. If your readers don’t understand the word, you shouldn’t use it. A big part of writing is clarity, and having something be unclear can make a person stop reading to look it up, and that kills momentum. Personally, I don’t want people to put down my book once, if I can help it.
I love learning new words. A good writer will make it clear from context approximately what the word means. That’s how I increase my vocabulary.
I was delighted when Ann leckie wrote her Ancillary series. Many years before I had used that word in a report at work and my boss asked me what it meant. I was surprised he didn’t know because I thought it was a common word, having run across it in my reading.
Would it feel more authentic if they went back to the thesaurus every time they needed that adjective? Sure, they might start with sentimental, but eventually they are going to use lachrymose and then there is going to be a fight.
What you are experiencing is the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon or Frequency Illusion, a rather interesting cognitive quirk which now that you are aware of, you might see people mentioning a lot.
I’ve been lucky to live all over the US and spent several years overseas as well. This taught me that vocabulary changes by region. Sometimes the level of education has an impact, but I find the community has more influence.