I enjoy when language is used playfully and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The sky doesn’t always have to be blue. The air can feel goopy. Think abstractly. You create your own worlds. How do the clouds taste? Like acid, honey, coffee, toothpaste? Sometimes writing about worlds and feelings that are unrealistic (and/or surrealistic) can be the best ways to get an atmosphere or vibe across.Â
Sometimes language that semantically makes the least sense has the best desired effect. I’ve been enjoying toying with language that makes the cogs in our minds churn, go “wait - what?” and try to dismantle it. There’s no right or wrong, good or bad with language. It’s okay to be experimental and actively try to shift the semantics of a word to fit your voice. Sometimes I use language not because semantically it fits, but the phonology of a word can accurately shape the surrounding language to get a particular message across.Â
Think about your adjectives, your verbs, your adverbs. Think about word play and how it sounds on your tongue. It’s okay to be simplistic. It’s okay to be excessive. Don’t think only about image - but about rhymes and the psychology behind your word choices. Why should particular words/phrases be repeated/exaggerated? (or why not?) What connotations of words and worlds are you trying to get across? Think about semantic fields. About metaphorsÂ
If you have characters think about their individual speech patterns, their individual word/language choices and how/why they would use this. Are your characters around family? Perhaps they’d use different language than they would around their lover. Where are they? What is their purpose for speaking what they say?  What terminology have they brought with them from their childhood?Â
Language and word order is fun. Play with it. Explore new words and see what you can do with them.Â
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