Is there a better word than ...

[BobbyLaker]

How hard is it to avoid dropping your fave word into your latest creation, despite the risk of appearing to be something of a one trick pony?

Examples and strategies please.

My starter for ten is ... sphincter

Ta muchly

 

[ElectricBlue]

Drop your text into a word cloud generator, which will show you the most used words in the story.

If you find you can't resist using a particular word, at least you'll find out if you use it to excess.

I use this site: Word Cloud Generator

 

[BobbyLaker]

Drop your text into a word cloud generator, which will show you the most used words in the story.

If you find you can't resist using a particular word, at least you'll find out if you use it to excess.

I use this site: Word Cloud Generator

Great tip - thank you.

Is there a word that you struggle to avoid using too frequently?

I'm tending to use biological terms mostly so, for now at least, a penis tends to be a 'penis' rather than a 'throbbing sword of Damocles'.

 

[BobbyLaker]

My favorite word, much to the chagrin of the people who would prefer me to be more ladylike, is "fuck." I'm not too worried about using it too generously on an erotica site. I won't use "make love" that term feels wrong in my stories.

I couldn't agree more and 'make love' sounds a little tame for Erotica (Romance category notwithstanding).

'Fuck' is so versatile too like it's wicked sister ... C**t; a personal favourite though not yet deployed herein.

 

[AlinaX]

I like to use it in unusual contexts, like, "She fell to her knees and made love to his cock with her mouth, adoring every inch of his hard blah blah blah..."

 

[MrPixel]

My favorite word, much to the chagrin of the people who would prefer me to be more ladylike, is "fuck." I'm not too worried about using it too generously on an erotica site. I won't use "make love" that term feels wrong in my stories.

I use both, but I write stories with both casual and romantic sex. One I'm working on right now is a swinger tale where the romp is going full throttle, but the MMC and FMC draw away from the crowd to seek a moment of seclusion to express their feelings for each other in a "love break".

 

[MrPixel]

My starter for ten is ... sphincter

Well... there are dozens of sphincters in the body controlling flows of fluids and semi-fluids. The anus is butt one.

 

[BobbyLaker]

I like to use it in unusual contexts, like, "She fell to her knees and made love to his cock with her mouth, adoring every inch of his hard blah blah blah..."

Mmm ... but 'blah blah blah' is some euphemism for his 'throbbing sword of Damocles'

Seriously; "made love to his cock with her mouth ..." sounds good.

 

[BobbyLaker]

Well... there are dozens of sphincters in the body controlling flows of fluids and semi-fluids. The anus is butt one.

Boom ... Tish!

 

[Altissimus]

My favorite word, much to the chagrin of the people who would prefer me to be more ladylike, is "fuck." I'm not too worried about using it too generously on an erotica site. I won't use "make love" that term feels wrong in my stories.

But 'Fuck' is such a versatile word. A noun, a verb, an adverb, an adjective...

And, as Errol Flynn supposedly once said, "If it moves fuck it, if it doesn't move fuck it 'til it does." I mean, what a great line.

 

[Britva415]

Is there a word that you struggle to avoid using too frequently?

Like "like" y'know?

 

[Euphony]

I try to match words to context so if anything but an incredibly common word appears frequently, I start to worry I'm writing similar context, substituting "new" characters to delude myself into believing I'm not formulaic in my writing.

I've been accused (sometimes rightfully) of using 5 words when 2 will do or throwing in "flourishes" where they can seem out of place (necessary descriptions of humdrum events to keep the thing steady on rails)

I aspire to the best I've seen in other writers. Not to stand out or "appear" a certain way but to shepard readers along the path while never giving them a feeling of being guided at all.

 

[LexxRuthless]

But 'Fuck' is such a versatile word. A noun, a verb, an adverb, an adjective...

And, as Errol Flynn supposedly once said, "If it moves fuck it, if it doesn't move fuck it 'til it does." I mean, what a great line.

I had a senior NCO in the navy who probably would have struggled to form a sentence if he wasn't allowed to use the word "fuck." We occasionally joked that he spoke "fluent Vulgarian." One morning, he came down to address us and...damn, I wish I could remember precisely what he said now. I believe it started, "I don't know what the fuck you motherfuckers fucking thought you were fucking doing, but fucked if I'm going to fucking let you fucking fuckheads..."
When he finished speaking, I said, "Wow."
That earned me a sharp look. "What?" he asked.
"That was impressive," I replied. "You just used 'fuck' thirteen times in one sentence, and as every part of speech."
He looked at me for a long moment through narrowed eyes, and then said, "Fuck you. Get to work."

He wasn't even mad! That was just how he talked.

 

[PrincessArianrhod]

I've been accused (sometimes rightfully) of using 5 words when 2 will do or throwing in "flourishes" where they can seem out of place

The beauty of English is its versatility... of grammatic construction and vocabulary. It's uniquely capable of flourishing; seems a shame to not make use of the tools available at any and indeed every opportunity.

My favourite word is quite possibly 'vicissitude', ever since I first encountered it during a random perusal of the dictionary one day, many years ago. I have never used it in a story of any kind, erotica or aught else. Nor am I likely to in all honesty; it's ridiculously archaic but I shall remain fond of it nonetheless.

 

[Euphony]

The beauty of English is its versatility... of grammatic construction and vocabulary. It's uniquely capable of flourishing; seems a shame to not make use of the tools available at any and indeed every opportunity.

The troubles arise from the definition of "opportunity." Some authors are convinced a thick veneer of verbosity and esoteric language validate a piece as "literary" proving it as a higher level work.

As with any tool, overuse or improper use causes more troubles than it ever solves.

My favourite word is quite possibly 'vicissitude', ever since I first encountered it during a random perusal of the dictionary one day, many years ago. I have never used it in a story of any kind, erotica or aught else. Nor am I likely to in all honesty; it's ridiculously archaic but I shall remain fond of it nonetheless.

We all have our words. And you should use yours. The trick is considering the more esoteric as esteemed dinner guest you need to prepare for.

So long as you build your context, it absolutely has a place at the table. It's the ramrodding that does writers in.

Vicissitude feels like a word you have to earn the company of but were I so fond of it, I'd slave over my menu enough to have the rare pleasure of its unique dinner company.

 

[PrincessArianrhod]

The troubles arise from the definition of "opportunity." .........

I like the cut of your jib.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Realise and its variants.

Oh, and as for strategies, understanding why you use that word too much. Sometimes overuse of a word can be indicitave of other issues, eg use of passive voice or over telling. Other times it's just a word you fall back to.

 

[MrPixel]

I'll admit I overuse "coitus". Maybe it's the Sheldon Cooper in me, but it rolls off the tongue and in my mind implies a gentle intimate joining. Though I use it all the time, "fuck" is too violent and too raw; used mostly in matter-of-fact dialog. "Intercourse" is clinical, but OK. I've used "copulate" a couple of times in narrative, but that's even more clinical and detached than "intercourse". "Screw" is handy on occasion, mostly in dialog between non-romantic fuckbuddies.

 

[Euphony]

I like the cut of your jib.