If you can't think of the word you want to use. . . |
~ The web site ~ ~ To feed your creative muse ~ ~ Has got to be www.VisualThesaurus.Com ~ Need another word for that word you keep using over and over? Know the general idea you want, but can't think of the exact word? Need a softer or harder variation/implication of the word? Writers face all sorts of dilemmas when chosing words to convey meaning. Whether creating a work of fiction, or listing facts and figures for public consumption, all writers eventually face a situation where the word they want to use won't come to them. The old thesaurus book may be stored away with your dictionary, and perhaps out of reach at your computer. Jump on the Internet because there are several sources for assistance at your fingertips. At www.VisualThesaurus.com, you will be dazzled by free floating words, congregated in three dimensional webs. Terms related to your search word will appear, and text expands to include associated words. With your mouse, you can drag groups of words across the web page in order to view the entire listing of vocabulary. Clicking on a single word in the group will pop up a new "word ring", which can be fully scanned, and then these words can be clicked for even more variations of the word with which you are working. VisualThesaurus gives the writer an interesting way to search for words. It's as if words are dancing across your page, each offering themselves as servants to do your bidding. I've found myself totally distracted from my original word search task when an unknown catches my eye. This site can keep you busy with words for hours. The challenge is remembering the word you started with! VisualThesaurus is an amusing, three-dimensional playroom for the writer to muse over word choice. After your initial introduction, you will be offered the opportunity to join and pay for access to this unique word hunt tool. Students will find VisualThesaurus valuable in developing word use skills. However, if the webs of words aren't appealing to your search style, you can always visit www.m-w.com, and enter your search word in the box designated as thesaurus, located directly below the dictionary box. The final result should be the same. It's just the journey that's different. Which ever way you use to find your most precise word, know that there are increasing options to help writers out there in cyberspace. . . if you have the time and curiosity to research. sunflower |