First, get yourself a good dictionary.
Any writer worth his salt, or wanting some day in the bright future to be worth anything at all, must own a good dictionary and keep it close-at-hand. That's not as easy as it might seem anymore these days what with 'political correctness' attacking the very lifeblood of the language, directly through the review boards of the largest English dictionaries in existence, in this case. The 'dumbing down' of America continues unabated, too, so dictionaries are crafted for an increasingly stupid--and destined to stay that way or get worse--population.
A good used dictionary may be best.
Hike over to the nearest used book store and buy yourself one of those hard-to- heft fat dictionary volumes, the ones with the faded yellow pages, and roughed up covers. Make sure it was printed sometime before the 1960s when the dreaded ghouls and goblins of 'correctness' started to pervert our language without regard to beauty or natural meaning. A good dictionary, of the size and heft that might appear on a podium in the reference area of a library, is the lifeblood of any screenwriter. One of excellent variety can be had used for $20 or so.
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While you're at the used bookstore, check around for some books that might help you become a
better wordsmith. One example is A Book of English by Charles Harlow Raymond (The Athenaeum
Press, Ginn and Company, 1936). Small, almost the size of a pocket book, this little treasure
claimed to cover all 'the essentials of secondary-school English.' He 'emphasizes the
necessity of the homely virtues of thinking, of work, and even of some drudgery.' He essentially
reacquaints us with what we should already know to become capable writers. Book One is
entitled 'Understanding Thought' and Book Two 'Expressing and Appreciating Thought', reminding us
that good writing stems from good thinking. May you find a guide equally as good.
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If you get a new dictionary, get a good one.
Otherwise, get over to the biggest bookstore you can find and buy the best dictionary on the shelves there. Perhaps something like The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
. Or perhaps
the The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
.
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The best dictionary in the world.
There's no real question anymore as to the best dictionary available in the English language anywhere, it just may be a little 'overkill' for what you need. The one and only champion of English language dictionaries worldwide is . .
It sports 500,000 word entries in 20 volumes and gives an etymological history for each word entry.
'The greatest dictionary in any language', according to the Daily Telegraph, is available in a smaller format, requiring a high-power magnifying lens to use, and abbreviated versions. It also comes on CD-ROM, or via online subscription. Or you can get it in a number of abbreviated versions available today, or just use it at your local library when absolutely necessary.
Whichever dictionary you choose, keep it handy. Refer to it under just two circumstances: 1) when you're not certain you know what a word means; and 2) when you ARE certain you know what a word means.
Then get yourself a Thesaurus.
Older versions of Roget's International Thesaurus
, from the
1960s say, grouped words around ideas rather than listing them alphabetically; a tremendous aide to
the literary mind. Find one of these in a used bookstore.
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Consider wordsmithing resources available online.
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