: Re: How find an appropriate vocabulary I'm a newbie reader and often find myself needing to open the dictionary at least once every few pages. Although I'm a newbie, my vocabulary is at least of

@Carla500

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Write for your audience plus a little.

If you're writing a book for five-year-olds, you don't want to use "sesquipedalian," but there's nothing wrong with "lengthy." Part of how we expand our vocabularies is by seeing new words in context (and looking them up if we have to). I remember learning guerdon (a reward or gift) and gravid (pregnant) from Anne McCaffrey novels.

You are correct in thinking that too many unusual words may break the reader's flow, so unless it's jargon (all the various terms for horse accessories or armor, for example), try not to overdo it. But the occasional stretch word is a good thing.

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