Creative Writing - Vocabulary

Good Bad Nice Happy Sad

We all have a tendency to resort to simplistic words when we are talking to our friends
or family, but when we are creating a short story, we need to ensure our vocabulary is
powerful, potent and effective at engaging our readers.

Look at the five commonly-used words above.

For each one, find a replacement or synonym.

For instance, good -> excellent.
Write out some sentences for your short story
using your synonyms.
Write out a short description of character or
setting you could use for your short story.
Learning outcomes
• To describe how we can improve our
vocabulary in our creative writing
• To explain how one writer uses
vocabulary for effect in their own creative
writing
• To evaluate our use of vocabulary in our
own creative writing using success criteria
Here are just some of the synonyms you could
use for the common words we upgraded
Good Admirable Tremendous Fantastic Nice Pleasant Enjoyable Pleasurable

Exceptional Marvellous Wonderful Agreeable Delightful Charming

Magnificent Outstanding Splendid Inviting Courteous Welcoming

Superb Laudable Praiseworthy Commendable Gracious Genial

Bad Poor Terrible Miserable Happy Cheerful Ecstatic Upbeat

Unfavourable Deplorable Woeful Joyous Joyful Thrilled

Inept Atrocious Appalling Pleased Jubilant Elated

Abysmal Chronic Awful Merry Overjoyed Gleeful

Sad Bitter Despairing Disconsolate

Pessimistic Forlorn Morose

Sorrowful Melancholy Gloomy

Glum Low Sombre

Choosing vocabulary carefully is one key different
between an ordinary writer and a wonderful writer

The The ghost’s

ghost’s scream was
scream screeching,
was noisy,
scary and spine-
evil. chilling and
demonic.
What do we need to consider when
introducing a new character to our readers?

Discuss: As a
writer, what
do you need
to think
about and
consider
when
introducing a
new
character?
There are many aspects do consider when
introducing a new character to your readers

How do they talk?

How do they sound?
What do these
aspects tell you about
the character?
How do they act?
What do they do?
How do these actions
help us understand
the character?
What clothes do they
wear? What do these
clothes tell you about
the character’s
personality?
How will you
introduce them? Will
they speak? Will you
describe them? Will
you learn about them
from another
character?
Now, let’s read a description of one of the characters
when they are introduced to us for the first time

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” Choose three words from

A thin and reedy voice muttered
these words behind me. Quickly, I
spun around and saw the dark
outline of a short and narrow
figure, dressed in a expensive-
looking suit that seemed far too
large for him, and an overcoat that
served to expand the presence of
his unimpressive shoulders, but it
looked almost comical on such a
diminutive individual.
this description that you
think work particularly
well in describing the
character.
Explain your reasons for
choosing those three
words.
Evaluate how the writer’s
use of vocabulary helps to
engage the reader with
the new character.
Now, let’s read a description of one of the characters
when they are introduced to us for the first time

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,”
A thin and reedy voice muttered
these words behind me. Quickly, I
spun around and saw the dark
outline of a short and narrow
figure, dressed in a expensive-
looking suit that seemed far too
large for him, and an overcoat that
served to expand the presence of
his unimpressive shoulders, but it
looked almost comical on such a
diminutive individual.
The writer has chosen a wide range
of adjectives to describe the
character’s voice, clothing and
physical appearance, all of which
act to give us the impression of
someone very different, small but
trying to make themselves appear
powerful.
Additionally, the writer has
employed an array of verbs to
describe the character’s actions,
Moreover, the writer uses different
nouns to zoom in on a number of
elements that make up the
character and their appearance.
Now, let’s write a description of
one of our characters
Positive adjectives: amazing, awesome, Size adjectives: broad, deep, heavy, narrow,
incredible, marvellous, stunning, surprising, shallow, short, thin, thick, wide, colossal, immense,
unbelievable, wonderful, delightful, fantastic, vast, microscopic, tiny, gigantic, substantial,
peaceful, pleasant, thrilling, joyful, alluring, mammoth, extensive, bulky, booming, restricted,
appealing, charming, dazzling, elegant, exquisite, limited
gorgeous, graceful, grand, handsome,
magnificent, pleasing, splendid, superb, breath-
taking, outstanding, sublime, admirable, Success criteria:
exceptional
1) Use a wide range of adjectives to
describe your character
Negative adjectives: disgusting, sickening, 2) Use a wide range of nouns and verbs to
repulsive, abominable, awful, distasteful, describe your character and their actions
gruesome, hateful, horrific, loathsome, nasty,
objectionable, obnoxious, odious, outrageous,
Bonus success criterion:
repugnant, scandalous, shocking, vile, vulgar,
foul, gross, nauseating, revolting, stinking,
detestable, frightful, ghastly, hideous, horrid, 3) Use a range of sentence openers within
lousy, monstrous, offensive, repellent, rotten your description
 Plenary: PIN peer assessment
• Success criteria:
Use a wide range of adjectives to
describe your character
Use a wide range of nouns and verbs
to describe your character and their
actions
• Bonus success criterion:
3) Use a range of sentence openers
within your description
Using our success criteria, we are
now going to PIN peer assess our
descriptions.
P = Praise
I = Improvement
N = Now
• To describe how we can improve our
vocabulary in our creative writing
• To explain how one writer uses
vocabulary for effect in their own
creative writing
• To evaluate our use of vocabulary in
our own creative writing using
success criteria
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©EC Publishing Ltd 17/03/23
©Lead Practitioner English
17/03/23

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