The Annual Vocab Weight-Lifting Competition

About

Emotionally charged writing requires a certain level of physically fit language to do all the heavy lifting. These well-defined (putting the "abs" in Vocabs) elevate the text by giving it more punch!

Sometimes a work is meant to be impersonal and clinical, especially a more formally presented piece or when trying for an objective or outsider perspective. Then there are times when intensity is key. You want the reader to truly experience the events not just read them. You want more powerful vocabulary, able to do double or even triple-time in the implication/denotation department.

Most of these words are simply more precise while still being simple and direct. If readers have to stop and concentrate on the text because the words are wholly unfamiliar you lose the pace set which breaks the moment. But it helps if the words have some flavor to them; you don't want to use bland, common language that has been distilled by usage. So you have to aim for something in the middle.

Obviously a big contribution is vocabulary that describes specific emotions, but remember that this isn't the only strongman on your team. Physical markers often indicate further emotion and should help support your main theme. And not simple things like "grin" rather than "smile" or "giggle" over "laugh". If a scene is set at a frenzied pace don't waste the time running quickly room from room when you could be bolting up the stairs, sliding down the hall, and bursting into the kitchen. Even your adjectives should match up and play an important role. There is no reason in the middle of a poetic reflection on the beauty of nature to have a bright blue lake when you could use the midday sun to turn it into an iridescent pool, the sun's own mirror as it watched itself rise about the Earth, creating such a brilliant glistening effect on the water's surface that it shone and shivered the way oasis do right before they disappear. It's all in the strength of your word choice.