How to use adjectives

Hi and non-contact high-five to you!

Combining school and work has been something, but I am sure my body will adjust at some point.

It always does!

How has your week been?

I have had this collaborative writing challenge thing on LinkedIn most of the week, you can see the last post here.

Gotten some great tips from a couple of folks. I plan to publish the piece next week, so if you have any tips for snackable writing, please jump on the next post or one of the old ones and share them with me.

Today, we’ll be talking about using adjectives when you write

Adjectives are elegant. Risky. Complicated.

Adjectives can destroy your writing. They slow readers down because they make sentences longer.

But adjectives can be entertaining, too. Almost magical.

Because they can help your prospect feel or picture what you are trying to describe; and the ability to do that makes your writing compelling, credible, potent, and memorable.

So how do you know whether an adjective is boring or magical?

Boring adjectives don't have a natural meaning: Corporate speak like best-in-class, market-leading, or cutting-edge.

Never use such words in your writing.

Emotional or sensory adjectives are magical. Like crappy, creepy, or stupid. And vibrant, dazzling, or fuzzy.

How can you erase lifelessness from your writing?

• Use words like enchanting or delightful rather than nice

• Make the word sensory; choose stinky or rough rather than bad

• Delete an adjective if it doesn't change the meaning of your sentences

Now, go create magic!

M‍y biggest takeaway this week 🚀

The opposite of a good idea is another good idea. Rational thinking assumes that everything is binary. In reality, humans are more complex and irrational than we make them be.

Therefore, except you are dealing with machines, most issues are never binary!

What I’m thinking about?

Hope is not a strategy.

Do the work!

Thanks for reading this far. I am grateful!

Stay safe & sane,

Dozie

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