: Re: Should I avoid "big words" when writing to a younger audience? I was writing the other day and I used the word "ubiquitous". While I don't think "ubiquitous" is the most egregious example

I don't have any writing experience, but I have extensive reading experience as a child , and I have a 6 year old who loves reading more than chocolate.

Don't TRY to be wordy, but:

Don't dumb it down. Don't explain.

If the word fits the flow of the story, include it. Any kid who loves reading also loves words, and they can infer an astonishing amount from context.

From my own POV some of my most well loved books were the ones where I didn't understand everything at the time; but they always conjured an atmosphere. Then on re-reading and re-reading I'd get more and more and the story would take on further meaning. There are still words I, at 45, "know" the meaning of from childhood but in a very atmospheric and non-definable sense.

My little girl loves learning big words for things. She is very into the word "perplexed" at the moment, and "miniscule" was another fave. Her school has a "word of the week" too, and she was very into "magnificent" particularly. I have started reading her Calvin and Hobbes and she loves that - she also loves space, so the C&H comic about the Universe being "incomprehensibly vast" ticked a lot of boxes.

On the other hand, a lot of C&H strips are just a bit TOO scattered with adult words and concepts for her to follow at all - so, moderation for your audience is definitely required to a certain extent.

TLDR; Enthusiastic readers are enthusiastic about individual words. If the long word fits perfectly then include it; if on reading back it's just there for show, don't.

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: Re: Should I avoid "big words" when writing to a younger audience? I was writing the other day and I used the word "ubiquitous". While I don't think "ubiquitous" is the most egregious example

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: Hi all, I am Secespitus and I would love to serve as a moderator on our lovely site to keep it as clean and thriving as it is now. I am participating in lots of community moderation activities,

: If the sparrows aren't sentient or human-like (such as the animals in Aesop's fables) but normal animals, then I think it would be more appropriate to go with option #2. Describe the scene

: My pen jams up every minute or so whenever I write, what could cause this? I've been having an issue for the past few months where I'm writing along merrily and then my pen stops up and

: What is the literary device/technique called where something familiar is presented so it seems foreign? The device or technique I'm looking for is used to describe something mundane or ordinary

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