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Subjective Language


Huskerdust
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So this is something I think about quite often while writing, especially while writing alone. Language is a funny thing. We feel like certain words have a certain universal appeal or repulsion, so to more effectively evoke certain feelings from our readers, we choose to use language that will help present this. BUT, there are words that have unexpectedly different connotations to people, personal connotations that take people right out of the scene. 

 

A common word most people seem to hate is moist. So if you want to use it effectively, it's best used in a scene meant to repulse people. Talking about how moist a creep's hands are or how moist a monster's particular body parts are will probably get you a lot further than talking about some woman moistening her lips. You might be going for sexy with the latter description but it will probably turn off at least some of your readers because of the negative connotation typically connected to the term moist. Unless you're talking about a cake. Somehow, that gets a pass. 

 

For me, a term that immediately takes me out is the word chuckled. To most of the world, this is just another word for laughed. But I heard the hard sound of CHUCK and it makes the laugh sound less attractive and more obnoxious. If that's what you're going for, you hit the nail on the head. If you just wanted to convey your character's amusement... it has a very specific sound to me and it jars me when used in conjunction with characters where "chuckled" doesn't fit in my head. 

 

That's part of what makes writing such a difficult art form, but I suppose ALL art comes with the blinders of subjectivity. When we read, we make it a part of ourselves. When we look at a piece of art, we interpret it in our own way. A song can mean something to one person and something else entirely to another person. 

 

I just wanted to discuss some of these subjective words with the RPC. What kinds of words ring true for you, what words make you think of something pretty specific and maybe even personal? Since we all have different experiences, word usage is as varied as language itself. It's pretty fascinating. 

 

(I also got to thinking this about smut and how some language is laughable, some repellent, and some a turn on, but that's for another topic.)

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I think this is a fascinating topic and I'm instantly intrigued. It's also something I think about often, and I will lean heavily on my thesaurus at times. Not simply because I want to fluff up my RP posts with fancy SAT words, but because there are moments when I need a little help finding the perfect word for a situation. "Yell" may be sufficient for what I want to say, but "bellow" would be more accurate and have a different connotation, therefore lending a different vibe to the sentence in which it resides.

 

I learned this lesson about language subjectivity when I was taking a creative writing course in community college (this was maybe ten plus years ago now but for some reason this small event sticks out for me). I had written a short story and presented it for a class round table critique. Although I don't remember at all what the story was about, I remember once specific detail where I had described how a character had shielded her baby from the rain with a blanket or coat or whatever, thereby leaving the baby "unmolested" by the water. At the time, I thought nothing of including that specific wording as--to me--it described a small, insignificant detail.

 

Oh, boy, did I learn that a lot of people had strong opinions about that wording. I recall nothing about the critique other than a number of people intensely disagreed with the usage of the word "unmolested" and suggested I use pretty much anything else. Although I didn't really agree at the time, I relented and changed the wording because I didn't want people to focus on what was just supposed to be a passing detail, nor did I think it proper to evoke such a visceral reaction in that moment. In retrospect, I understand why so many individuals harbored issues with the wording. Very dark things are associated with the word, and my usage of it was flippant at best. While I still think it's absolutely possible to use the word neutrally, it's just one of those words that is best used sparingly unless you're looking to inspire that uncomfortable, dark feeling.

 

At the end of the day, we can never fully predict the way someone will respond to our writing. We can carefully choose each and every word with the utmost meticulousness and still, someone will read our work and interpret it in their own unique way, free of the writer's intent. Despite this, I do think it's important as a writer to be cognizant of the words I choose and to do my best to evoke specific emotions and reactions from my readers and RP partners. 

 

Whew. What an excellent topic, @Zozma. Posts like this are why I think RPC is such an interesting community. Thanks for the brain exercise!

 

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