By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

One of the biggest challenges for a writer is developing a vocabulary. We become comfortable in how we converse, until we grapple for just the right/write word. We become frustrated in our search and wish we hadn’t waited so long to enlarge our knowledge of words and how they are used.

Understanding the power of words can make or break our writing career. Whether we write fiction or nonfiction, we choose our words based on genre, research, setting, author’s voice, our audience, and time period as in historical or contemporary.

This list will give you solid ways to increase your vocabulary organically.

1. Read every day—fiction and nonfiction. Concentrate on what you are reading. Why are you interested or not interested in the piece?
2. Subscribe to an online word-a-day. This takes less than five minutes to read the word, note how it is pronounced, its meaning, and how it’s used in a sentence.
3. Play word games online and hard copy. Need a stress reliever? Mind games make us smarter and give us a sense of satisfaction.
4. Explore a thesaurus and/or a synonym finder. Understand their value and use them. How exciting when we find just the right word to make our writing explode onto the page.
5. Listen to what others are saying, how they say it, and their word choice. Take notes!
6. Understand yourself and your personality. Find words that distinctly express you. When we know ourselves, then we are on the road to understanding others—and writing about them.
7. Designate time to study daily the world of words and their derivatives. Where did the word originate? How has the word evolved?
8. Keep a file of words that appeal to you or would suit a unique character, genre, or setting. When a character or situation arises in your writing, this is a go-to file.
9. Learn to love words, their rhythm, the emotions surrounding them, and possible body language that expresses their meaning.
10. Practice speaking and writing new words in their proper context. The way to success is to pursue our goal of expanding our knowledge of words.

By moving ahead with the ten tips above, you will develop a more extensive vocabulary. But what is more exciting—your word power will continue to grow.

What tips are you already using to build your vocabulary?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com