1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: tip is to find a better word. When you choose 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: the right word, that word can do more heavy lifting 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: than if you go with the first word you think of. 6 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: This week, I am sharing some of my favorite writing tips. 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: Even if you don't write for a living, you might 8 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: write reports or emails or articles for industry publications. Certain 9 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: strategies can help make your writing more compelling and clear. 10 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: Writing first drafts is hard. We just need to get 11 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: the ideas down. But once you have done that, you 12 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: can go through and make the writing better. Earlier this week, 13 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: we talked about cutting words. If you aim to cut 14 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: ten to fifteen percent off your word count, you will 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: need to weigh each word and sentence. Doing so will 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: help you think through the best way to say what 17 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: you need to say. Part of that is choosing words 18 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: that do a lot of work. Rather than having someone 19 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: run very quickly, you have them sprint or dash or race. 20 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: These words are all a little different, but one is 21 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: likely closer to the right word. Even if you don't 22 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: save on your word count, you might get closer to 23 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: what you're trying to say. It is different to sob 24 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: than to cry, or to whimper, or to wail. It 25 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: is different to linger versus lolligag. Of course, it is 26 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: not always easy to come up with the right word 27 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: off the top of your head. So if you find 28 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: yourself stabbing around trying to come up with the right one, 29 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: do this, look the word you did use up in 30 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: the dictionary. No, not the thesaurus. A thesaurus lists lots 31 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: of words with similar meanings, but does not always make 32 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: clear which words have different connotations or mean slightly different things. 33 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: I took a writing class in college where the professor 34 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: John McPhee mentioned that he preferred to use the dictionary 35 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: to find better words. That's because the dictionary is trying 36 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: to help you find the precise meaning of something, so 37 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: the various words suggested or mentioned are more likely to 38 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: be close to the meaning you desire. It doesn't take 39 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: long to do this, and you don't have to do 40 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: it for every word. But whenever you see a word 41 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: in your writing that feels tired or imprecise or cliched, 42 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: find a better one. See if you can find one 43 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: with a more exact meaning and the right connotation. If 44 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: you can't think of one, look the word up in 45 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: a dictionary and see what else gets suggested. Maybe you 46 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: will find a better word there, or maybe not. One 47 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: reason people sometimes resort to foreign language phrases is that 48 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: English doesn't have an exact right word for everything. But 49 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: if you are listening to this in English, well just 50 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: know that English is a vast, varied and colorful language. 51 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: A better word just might be out there. By taking 52 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: the time to find it, you can make your writing 53 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: more clear and more fun for the reader too. In 54 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 55 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 56 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 57 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 58 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 59 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me 60 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. 61 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: That before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 62 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 63 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 64 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app. Apple podcasts, or wherever 65 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.