A beta reader once said to me, she didn't like my use of "big words". She felt they detracted from the story because she always had to stop reading and look them up.
I think I began loving the Regency/Historical romance genre because they did, in fact use big words.
implaccable gloaming penury quiescent louring obliquy
I now have a list of 25 cent words, like those above, that I tuck into my stories here and there.
Tell me -- Do you use big words in your stories or do you stick with the regular ones? Do you think writers are "showing off'" by using them? Do you like learning new words as you read? Tell me some of your "big words".
2 comments:
Hmmm? I like to 'use' big words, but don't like reading big words. An editor told me that my big words slowed the flow. I say, if your character would use the words, use them. I don't read novels to learn words...history info yes.
"Big" words are only out of place if they are out of character for the POV character of a scene. Personally, I like to write smart characters, and I would never dream of dumbing down my language for the sake of the readers. I think that would be condescending.
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