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.

Worked at a chain bookstore in the late 90s, so I spent a lot of time ripping the covers off of paperbacks for return. It was painful for a book lover.