*~Summer'sAngel~*

I am having such a hard time thinking of different words that mean the same thing. In this story I'm working on, I say "walk" and "look" a lot. I hate saying those two so much. I try to use like "glance" "gaze" and everything, but I still end up saying "look" in the sentence.

It's the same with "walk" I say that so much. I tried to think of other words, but for some reason I can't.
Can some maybe give me some words that mean walk?

MisterL

Hi. For all your synonym needs, try www.thesaurus.com.
these are it's entries for the verb walk:

accompany, advance, amble, ambulate, ankle, boot, canter, escort, exercise, file, foot it, go, hike, hoof it, knock about, lead, leg, locomote, lumber, march, meander, pace, pad, parade, patrol, perambulate, pitter-pattern, plod, prance, promenade, race, roam, rove, run, saunter, scuff, shamble, shuffle, slog, stalk, step, stride, stroll, strut, stump, toddle, tour, traipse, tramp, traverse, tread, trek, troop, trudge, wander

Also, you can avoid having to use any of these words on many occasions. People can 'move into the kitchen' or say something 'as they approached the door', or they could be 'across the room before he could finish the sentence', all of which describe movement without using the word walk or any of its synonyms. There are many ways in which you can avoid having to repeatedly describe the physical actions your characters make, by inferring them using other means.
Personally, I too used to have a big problem with 'look'. I used it so much that I got pissed of with myself for doing so, and switched to using 'gaze'. I realised that wasn't the answer when one of my friends got pissed off with my characters for gazing at each other all the time.
I can't find my way out of this one as easily as with 'walk' (although thesaurus.com helps) so I try to use it in more original ways. Characters might catch a glance and toss it back, or their eyes mirror each other's concern, or radiate fury at each other.
Also, when my characters are being casual about things, they seem to have a habit of checking things out. They check over their shoulders, check to see whether anyone is coming, check out the chick with the chicken sticks, that kind of thing. The important thing to do is just make sure you don't overuse anything. If you start to suspect it's getting old, change it quick.
Hope this helps.

Kimahri

I agree with MisterL. I use a thesaurus all the time when I write especially when I first began writing. Now however I just write and if I don't like a word or I feel I am over using it I make a note to go back and change it when I begin editing the book.

kimahri

__________________
Faithful Until Death

suzakugaiden

I'm not particularly fond of synonyms. While crash, collide, hit, and strike basically mean the same thing, they don't sound the same. People form different schemas around them. Different connotations.

galt

I keep a list with common, over-used words.
For example, I have a list for the words Bored, Walk, Said, Look, Bad, Stupid, Good, Big, and Small.
I actually assembled the lists for speech; I thought it would be a good idea to say words that articulated what I meant more precisely; instead of saying, This is a good restaurant, which is what any Joe Blow would say, I could remember the words on my list under 'Good' and say, This restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere. Sounds much better, neh?
So anyway, you can make a list for the words you're stuck on.
Next time you read a book, pay attention to the words the author uses in place of Look and Walk, and when you come across a good one, write it down.
Wordsmyth is my fav thesaurus; but sometimes Thesauri don't help. Sure you can say "perambulate" instead of walk, but who would understand that, neh?

Here are a few extemporaneous synonyms:
Walk:
Stepped
Strode
Paced
Went

Look:
Eyed
Glanced
Watched
Appraised
Peered at
Stared
Glared

suzakugaiden

Okay, so apparently I'm the only person that's bothered by using synonyms randomly.

Aimless

I see what you mean, but I'm not particularly bothered by it. But then I'm a pretty indifferent person. I'll argue the case anyway.

You should look for the most fitting word, not just one you haven't used in a while in hope of mixing things up. Attentive readers won't fall for it, and it might even confuse them if the chosen word doesn't sit well with the rest of the writing.

A lot of the time 'walk' will be fine, but if you want to add a certain nuance to the movement you could try something a little more precise. To me, 'strode' gives the action a more authoritative feel, whereas 'paced' might imply the movement is anxious or ill-tempered. Similarily, 'stepped' suggests trepidation or tentativeness.

Again, 'look' makes a nice umbrella term, but if you want to go that little bit extra your character could stare in disbelief, glare in annoyance, glance distractedly, appraise with scrutiny, eye suspiciously, peer attentively...

__________________
In the name of Harman.

Anarkos

Thesaurus? Huh?

...you think that's a good idea?

If a word's not part of your normal vocabulary, and you pick it out of a book, it will stand out like a sore thumb...especially if you misuse it, as many do.

__________________
My latest work: Bags - The Hooker - Going Rogue - Flashing Out - The Problem with Being a Grifter
I always appreciate fair criticism, and will endeavor to reciprocate.

Raith

thesaurus is like, god of similiar words, i use it frequently.

__________________
'What we do in life echoes in eternity'

-Maximus, Gladiator

suzakugaiden

I use a thesaurus to find words with certain conotations if I have the gist of what's happening down. However, I either already KNOW what the word is and I'm just not recalling it for some reason, or it enters my normal vocabulary soon after.

That, or I'm just in the mood to mess with my English teacher's head.

"Eleemosynary" is an example of me picking up a word from random thesaurus diving in an attempt to confuse/annoy teachers, which has since SORT OF entered my normal vocabulary :3 I say sort of because I use it if I ever have an opportunity to do so, which is almost never.

CroZ

For word all you need to do is right cllick the word you want to change and hold the mouse over the synomyns tab, a selection of similiar phrases will slide out, its basically just a thesaurus on you pc so you dont have to go rooting through the book.