A quote from Dwight V. Swain. "A story is words strung onto paper."
Absolutely a correct thing to say but the stringing of these words is more than a random selection. One can always write lists of words one after another but what they say makes no sense. Words need to be chosen with care.
How does someone find the right words to string together to make a story. There are a number of ways to learn. Words in a horror story are different that words in a romance. So the writer needs to be aware of their genre, even when combining genres in a book.
The writer must look at their characters to help in choosing the right words. People have careers, backgrounds and education. All of these can be plumbed to make a coherent string of words.
The historical period of the story should be considered. Different words form a story of a historical or a modern tale. The area where a story is set also brings different words into play. City versus country, today versus some time in the future, All these things need to be considered when you look at your string of words.
What are your characters doing is another thing to consider. Are they solving a mystery? Are they chilling with friends? These come into play. A nurse might use different words depending on what she is doing at the time.
What do their senses tell them? Using the senses as seen through the characters five senses can help the writer find the right words.
So hoose your words after looking at the possible ways to bring the story to life.
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