Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of article writing and editing for clients. I have been pulling out my thesaurus a lot, which always makes me think about times I’ve seen words in sentences where they don’t belong.
I have spent a fair amount of time in online writing communities and writing-based roleplay communities. For some reason, in many of these groups, the need to sound “smarter” tends to become highly valued. A lot of the writing eventually evolves into over-written, flowery prose that is both difficult to read and often the synonyms are used incorrectly. Big words don’t always elevate the quality of your writing, and if they are used incorrectly, they actually might make you look more like an amateur.
This is why I advocate for using words you are familiar with when you are looking for a synonym. There is something to be said for using a simple word, rather than a complicated one.
Good writing should be both descriptive and accessible. Synonyms are often words with similar meanings, but that does not mean they are completely interchangeable. So it’s something to watch out for, as you try to find the right words for your writing. More flowery words, or bigger words, does not necessarily mean better.
If you do have a “big” word that you love, you can make it understandable by ensuring that the sentence it is in has contextual cues so that your reader can figure out its meaning. Imagine if you read a book where you either had to constantly re-read paragraphs or pick up the dictionary every other paragraph. It would take you out of the magic and deeply impact your love of the story.
By sticking to the words you know and trying to make your writing accessible, you will find you are able to offer a seamless experience to your readers.
The Taming of the Muse 
“Accessible” is key. As a former creative writing teacher, this was my pet peeve – too many fancy words overshadowing meaning. K.I.S.S. Great post!