Author's favourite words

[Overlord]

So, have you ever been reading a book and realised that an author really, really likes a certain word? I bet you have! There's nothing wrong with this and, in fact, it can make you feel a little closer to them. It can help you detect their voice and be comforted by the fact it's truly them writing.

Two I have noticed:

Trudi Canavan: 'Shrugged' - they must have large, noticeable shoulders in Kyralia because everybody shrugs before answering a question

Sam Sykes: 'Retorted' - kind of sums Sam Sykes up Based on the style and tone of his books, retorted is the perfect word to be slotted in there numerous times.

[Richard Ford]

As an author, my favourite words are 'large' and 'advance'. But that's not really what you meant is it.

[Idlewilder]

Joe Abercrombie seems to say 'grimaced' a lot.

[Lor]

Joe Abercrombie seems to say 'grimaced' a lot.

To be fair, if I lived in the world Abercrombie has created for his characters, I'd probably grimace a lot too.

[Jian]

In my first book (the worst thing ever written), my sister kept mocking me for my use of the word 'chuckle'. I haven't used that word more than two times in the current book I'm writing, and I've reached 250 pages. (Yes, I am bragging since I'm SOOOO happy about that achievement. xD )

Now, I seem to use the word 'smirk' a lot.

[DDRRead]

I read a ton of Conan stories, on the bounce, and Howard seems keen on thews (often mighty) and sward. Noticably keen. To be fair though the pulps had a quick turn around, and I assume he worked with a variety of editors. That much sward, and thew would probably have been picked up on by a single editor if they were all in one novel.

Also: sward. It is a most excellent word.

[Francis Knight]

I seem to go through phases of loving a word and overusing it (then taking most out in edits, hopefully) before I find a new favourite word.

In one books it was gouts, as in gouts of blood. In another it was capricious. Just because it's a really nice word that rolls off the tongue and it fitted a character perfectly.

Jim Butcher used to (not sure of he still does) have a fondness for people's mouths quirking. Or was it eyebrows? Can't recall, but there was a lot of quirking.

[Nyki Blatchley]

Lovecraft had loads, but my favourite of them is "eldritch".

[Jian]

Lovecraft's was sepulcher, for sure. It was a requirement, really, for his stories to be epic. xD

[Fallen One]

Lovecraft had loads, but my favourite of them is "eldritch".

 ... And "unspeakable".

  And "horror"

[Richard Ford]

Don't forget squamous!

[stevenpoore]

Janny Wurts has a fondness for overusing - and misusing - the word "decimate". I get to screaming whenever an army is decimated incorrectly....

[EvieManieri]

In my final draft - after my editors had called me out on a few others - I discovered that I had used some form of the word 'crackle' 17 times. That is a *hell* of a lot of crackling going on in a world where breakfast cereals have yet to be invented!

I changed a lot of them, but I still left four or five in...

[redwall_hp]

I think George R. R. Martin likes a certain word far too much...

[Fallen One]

I think George R. R. Martin likes a certain word far too much...

 You mean the "F" one, no doubt?