ANyone have any suggestions on a good writer friendly thesaraus? Probably not unlike many of you, the thesaraus is a GREAT friend, rivaled only by a really BIG dictionary.
I do not believe a writer should limit himself, or herself, and should atke advantage of such tools when encountered with a situation in which they must...find the right word, if you will.
If you do your writing away from the Internet, Roget's International is probably the standard desk reference. I prefer it to any other I've used. Unless you're writing the kind of fiction that relies on 20th (or future sci-fi) vocabulary, you can pick up an older edition at a used bookstore and not be missing anything.
For more fun, you can read authors like Edgar Allen Poe, Jack Vance, and Gene Wolfe, who have a Chaucer-like talent for making up words, or modifying old words and putting them to new and interesting uses.
I love English most for that reason; it's just so gosh-darned plastic. If you absolutely can't find the perfect word, you make one up and let context fill in the definition.
[This message has been edited by ccwbass (edited February 19, 2004).]
Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :
Definitely Roget's. I also have a Sisson's Word and Expression Locator, which should only be gotten in addition to Roget's. Generally, I've found it relatively unhelpful. Maybe that's too harsh. It does, after all, do what it says it's meant to do in its "How to Use This Book" segment, which is to be "an index to an unabridged dictionary and to other sources of the more obscure and unusual words and phrases...."
If you're in the market for big, obscure words -- He took out his employee promptuary for a listing of paid holidays. -- Sisson's is the book. For most writing, though, it's a bit pleonastic.
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited February 19, 2004).]
Posted by ccwbass (Member # 1850) on :
Hey - I *am* in the market for big words (I'm on Jack Vance kick at the moment). Thanks for the head's up.
...aaaaaand, guess who just found a copy for $1.00 (um, but for like $4.00 in shipping, dang it)?
[This message has been edited by ccwbass (edited February 19, 2004).]
Posted by JBShearer (Member # 9434) on :
I have a Rogets, but personally I use dictionary.com. It's quick and convenient and VERY good.
Also, Word has one built in, but it's not very good. I use Wordperfect, it's is a lot better, and there is always a pop-up box next to the word that your cursor is on that has suggested alternates.
