: Use of 'nigh' in fiction First post here. Some background first: I write follow ups to my Pathfinder table session from the perspective of my character. These are shared, and read along with

@Murphy332

Posted in: #Fiction #SentenceStructure #Vocabulary

First post here.

Some background first: I write follow ups to my Pathfinder table session from the perspective of my character. These are shared, and read along with other player's own contributions.

I would like to create emphasis on the peril of the current situation. Here is my sentence:


Where there are many, violence is nigh guaranteed.


I really like the use of nigh, but worry that it simply does not fit along side guarantee. Should I stop trying to fit a square into a circular hole?

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@Tiffany377

@Tiffany377

The short answer here is yes, but the long answer is that 'nigh' could be replaced with better words ('all but guaranteed' is my personal edit here).

Being frank, you should never shape your style around a 'favourite word' or 'word of the month'. There's a reason Twilight is so roundly mocked for its overuse of the word 'chagrin'; a discerning reader can see that Stephenie Meyer clearly liked the word, and thus overused it with childish glee, even when (or especially when) it was inappropriate.

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