Language

Use a range of vocabulary

A wide range of vocabulary demonstrates a strong command of language and makes your writing more lively, engaging and interesting to read. Be creative with your vocabulary and avoid .

Keep a list of new words that you encounter and use them in your writing. Endeavour to make sophisticated vocabulary choices where you can.

A thesaurus or dictionary can be useful for expanding your vocabulary. However, always check the meanings of unfamiliar words and find out how best to use them in a sentence.

Example: ‘The petite feline devoured its daily nourishment.’

or ‘The small cat ate its food.’

Which do you think conveys its meaning most effectively?

Use figurative language

Figurative language offers depth and colour to your fiction writing. Literal language states things as they are, whereas figurative language implies more layers of interpretation. You can use a range of literary devices to add depth to your fiction writing. Here are a few suggestions:

Literary device	Definition	Example
Simile	Comparing one thing to another using ‘like’ or ‘as’.	The cat was as fat as a barrel. / She felt like she was trapped in a box.
Metaphor	Using one thing to represent another.	His coat was a museum, stuffed with bus ticket memories and forgotten button dreams.
Alliteration	Repetition of the initial consonant sound in a series of words.	Kate kicked the cupboard door and cried.
Personification	Giving human attributes to non-human things.	The door reached open, inviting him in.
Onomatopoeia	Words that sound like the noise they signify.	The bell clanged and clattered through the house.

Literary device	Simile
Definition	Comparing one thing to another using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Example	The cat was as fat as a barrel. / She felt like she was trapped in a box.

Literary device	Metaphor
Definition	Using one thing to represent another.
Example	His coat was a museum, stuffed with bus ticket memories and forgotten button dreams.

Literary device	Alliteration
Definition	Repetition of the initial consonant sound in a series of words.
Example	Kate kicked the cupboard door and cried.

Literary device	Personification
Definition	Giving human attributes to non-human things.
Example	The door reached open, inviting him in.

Literary device	Onomatopoeia
Definition	Words that sound like the noise they signify.
Example	The bell clanged and clattered through the house.

Aim to match your language to the mood of your piece. For example, if you are writing about a topic that is sad or sinister, 'the clouds gathered conspiringly overhead, the rumbles of thunder like whispers between them’ would be more convincing than ‘the clouds above me floated by, each as fluffy as a marshmallow.’

Include the senses

Senses represented by a sea view, bowl of purple hyacinths, cat with blue eyes, a peacock feather and blueberry cake.

Using senses in your writing is a good way to engage your reader.

As well as the visual aspects of a scene, you can include sounds, smells, feelings and (where appropriate) tastes to really bring your writing to life.

Compare these two descriptions:

I walked through the forest. The trees were tall. The branches were green.

I walked through the forest, crunching the leaves underfoot. The tall trees oozed a smell of summer – fresh and sweet. The branches, covered in moss, were soft and green.

Notice how the second version becomes more vivid with the inclusion of all the senses.

Use your imagination to put yourself in the place or next to the person you want to describe. Appeal to all the senses as you write.

Show, don’t tell

In real life we learn about people from their clothes and belongings as well as from the things they tell us. We understand someone’s mood from their facial expressions, movements and tone of voice – we don’t need someone to tell us they are in a bad mood…we can usually figure it out from the way they are shouting!

It is the same when you read. Instead of telling your readers everything about a character or place, try to show them instead.

For example:

Telling - The woman walked into the room looking intimidating and angry.

Showing - The woman stormed into the room, her black coat flying behind her. Her scowl was fierce as she scanned the room. Her piercing eyes settled on Sarah.

Telling - It was midnight and she walked out to the garden.

Showing - The sky was cloudless and the stars filled every inch of it. The moon glowed on the roses, turning them silvery white as she tiptoed out into the dark.

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Writing fiction - EdexcelLanguage