Nerdology 101: Word Choice
Hey, hey! How are you, my lovely little nerds? If you’re new here, welcome to Nerdology 101. I’m Maria Levato. I’m an indie author, anime-lover, mood gamer, regular reader, and a load of other random stuff. This is my blog, Nerdology 101, where I talk about whatever nerdy topic comes to mind. This week, that topic is word choice. So, let’s get into some Nerdology!
What is Word Choice?
Word choice refers to the selection of words for the purpose of amplifying a story. In some cases, this is a line-level tool that keeps the reader engaged. After all, how boring would a romance be if the MMC only ever called the FMC beautiful instead of lovely, ethereal, gorgeous, luscious, etc. In other cases, though, particularly in fantasy, word choice can also act as an immersion mechanism that reinforces world-building. That’s more so what I’m going to focus on today.
Common Alterations in Fantasy Writing
Perhaps the most common instance you see what I’m referring to is when characters say "gods” instead of “god” or “by the gods” instead of “oh my god” because the dominant religion in the fantasy world is polytheistic and therefore common language would have developed to represent that. We also see iterations of this pretty commonly in fantasy where goddesses are centered where language might be altered to say “my goddess” or “by the goddesses” to be represent the world the author is writing in. These choices are important. While world-building certainly requires some thought on the giant, prominent aspects, it’s the decisions like this that make it feel like the world is fundamentally different. If this world abides by different overall norms, that has to be reflected in the small stuff because a world totally different from our own would lead to beings who think and speak differently from how we do. So, sometimes, world-building requires some adjustments on the word choice front.
In My Writing
One decision I made for my The Islands of Rune series early on was that I’d use “hel” instead of “hell” because the dominant religion and magic system were based in Norse mythology. Hel, in Norse mythology, is a goddess who rules over Helheim, one of the nine realms. Hell, in Norse mythology, doesn’t exist. So, in order to accurately reflect the world I was writing in, hel was the better word choice.
I also applied that to common phrases. We say “come hell and highwater” in regards to loyalty and standing by someone even when it’s difficult to do. I could have just changed it to “through hel and highwater” and that would have been fine, I suppose, but I wanted to put in the effort to think about it a little bit more because I felt like I could come up with something more impactful for that phrase than simply dropping an L. So, I used “come Niflheim or Ragnarök”. Granted, I think I only used it once in the book it came up in because it’s not a phrase I needed to use all that often, but using it once in a relevant scenario and using it well was an effective reinforcement of the world and culture I wanted to depict.
Okay, so how did you make those decisions?
Well, in examples like what I mentioned above, I searched the culture for equivalents that worked for the context of I was trying to use it in. I do this for words, phrases, and terms of endearment. Seshen, used in my most recent book, The Fate of Angels and Demons, is sourced from ancient Egypt, which is what that character’s culture was based on. There’s another nickname, used in one of my WIPs, that sourced a term of endearment from the Greek language so it more accurately represented the character I was writing would use. Whenever you need a word and it’s for the purpose of representing the world, look to the source material. Search the mythology, etymology, modern language, and whatever other source material there is on the place that inspired you to create that world. Fantasy is almost always based on the past. Your answers are probably there somewhere.
Other Reasons for Doing This
On top of being an effective writing tool, this also acts as a way to show respect to the culture that inspired you. The difference between appropriation and appreciation often lies in conscious effort. Asking questions like “how does this belief system effect how language develops?”, “How do people in this place refer to this thing?”, “Is there something from the source culture I can use to adjust this and make it more accurate or real?”, and “What terms are actually used in this culture to express the idea I want to base this on?” is a pretty good sign that you’re actually thinking about and admiring the culture your writing is based on, rather than just using it for your own gain without proper consideration for it. Making those small, conscious decisions let people know that even if you did get something wrong—which you will likely do at some point—it wasn’t because you didn’t care enough to try.
Of course, this isn’t to say everyone who doesn’t do this is appropriating a culture. It’s just to say that this is one way of paying homage to a culture that inspired you.
Anyway, that’s about it for this segment of Nerdology 101. I hope you enjoyed it (and that it gave you some additional perspective on word choice). See ya back next week for whatever rant I come up with next. Until then, have a nerdy week!
