Tips for Word Thieves

I have a new habit I'd like to share with you. Maybe it's lame, and maybe it's short-lived, but I'm loving it. It started with the nonfiction book FIRE LOVER, and now I'm doing it with WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. I've become a bona fide word thief. Here's my looting strategy:

1. When reading a book, I keep a slip of blank paper tucked between the pages, and a pencil close by.
2. When I come across an amazing word, one I would've ignored in a thesaurus, I jot it down on the slip of paper.
3. I struggle with adding sound, so when I come across a great "sound" word, I add it to the list.
4. If the word is used in an unusual context, I write down the entire phrase.
5. When my slip of paper is full, or when I've finished my reading session, I transfer the words to a computer document. I've given them easy peasy file names, such as NOTES FOR FIRE LOVER.
6. I type the words in alphabetical order, avoiding duplicates.

The pro of doing this is that I've unearthed amazing words that I'd normally ignore, and I've sprinkled them in my manuscript. As we all know, certain words evoke a specific mood, and if you're writing a scene with the same mood, you've got a supply of relevant words to work with. The con of doing this is slower reading time.

So tell me, are you a partner in crime? Do you steal words from amazing books, and if you do, what's your system?

(Funny side note...when I was searching for a photo for this post, I discovered there was a game called Word Thief. I had no idea! It sounds like fun, though.)

Fueling Fiction with Nonfiction

My novel involves arson, and my agent suggested I read the nonfiction book, FIRE LOVER, by Joseph Waumbaugh. I'm not an avid nonfiction reader, and I approached this assignment with trepidation. After finishing the book, I realized how effectively nonfiction can strengthen our fiction. Here's how:

• It goes well beyond the cursory internet search. Yes, we can gather information from Google, but a biography or real-crime thriller delves deeper into motive, personality, and childhood issues.
• Word choice bonanza. Holy cow. This book was a treasure trove of unique words regarding my book's subject. I plucked out great words, and now I'm sprinkling them in my manuscript. I found slang, synonyms, and words with more zing. Clever words changed the whole tenor of the book.
• World building. My husband is a firefighter, so I thought I knew all there was to know about arson and the firefighting world. I was wrong. After finishing this book, I realized I only knew surface information.
• Nonfiction deepens character. What motivates someone to start a fire? Or rob a bank? Or abuse a child? Or commit suicide? Nonfiction explores the why, and helps a writer create complex & believable characters.
• It teaches how to distribute important information. Nonfiction is full of valuable details, but if the writer did their job, it's layered, built upon, and interesting. FIRE LOVER read like a novel, avoiding information dumps. Even though I knew the outcome of the true story, I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes scoop.

Reading this book took precious time, something writers have little of, but for me it was time well spent. My hope is that it'll enrich my story.

Have you ever read nonfiction to support your fiction? Did it help?

photo credit