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Craft Chat How to write descriptively -TED Ed talk

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It is difficult to use the word "ghost" without it sounding flat, because the word has been used and over-used. Ghost-quiet is not bad.
 
It is difficult to use the word "ghost" without it sounding flat, because the word has been used and over-used. Ghost-quiet is not bad.

Ghost-quiet makes me think of white misty stillness of another world. But I would not have used the word quiet- maybe silent? But Ghost-silent does not sounds right. Also 'ghost-silent' sounds eerily. Not what the writer was going for I think. Also as you say, the word 'ghost' is over-used.

There are almost an infinite number of word combinations to choose from in writing, but it does depend on the writer's style too I guess. But when words are put together well, they can really invoke the feeling the writer wants to convey. It takes a lot of skill, but learning the skill is fun and also frustrating when it doesn't sound right to your ears. :P
 
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Ghost-quiet makes me think of white misty stillness of another world. But I would not have used the word quiet- maybe silent? But Ghost-silent does not sounds right. Also 'ghost-silent' sounds eerily. Not what the writer was going for I think. Also as you say, the word 'ghost' is over-used.

There are almost an infinite number of word combinations to choose from in writing, but it does depend on the writer's style too I guess. But when words are put together well, they can really invoke the feeling the writer wants to convey. It takes a lot of skill, but learning the skill is fun and also frustrating when it doesn't sound right to your ears. :p
Word combinations are indeed tricky. It may be judicious to combine or associate ideas before speaking of a spider-elephant as an example for a monster. Tolkien has the excellent "witch-king" word combination for one of Sauron's near servants. It also seems to me that he uses the word "ghost" very powerfully in saying the sun looked "like a pale ghost", but I can no longer find that passage.
 
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