Tired of using the same word

[k.lee]

I am in the midst of editing my romantic fantasy novel, and the world is heavily built upon elemental magic. I'm tired of using the word "magic" to describe everything, though, and I can't seem to find a good synonym. It's not sorcery, or charm, or witchcraft. It's magic, but I'm tired of saying it's magic. I want to describe the magic without continuously using the word. And here I am providing a great example of how often I use the word. *eye roll*

Examples:
"The world's magic..."
"The magical properties..."
"... magic infused into..."
"...a land of magic..."

Help would be appreciated!

 

[pmmg]

Give the magic its own name.

If you call it, the eternal shimmer, it would look like.


"The world's Shimmer..."
"The Eternal Shimmer..."
"... the Shimmer was infused into..."
"...a land of Shimmer..."

 

[skip.knox]

In this as with pretty much all other "what's another word for..." questions, I suggest temporarily stop looking.

Instead, look at the phrases you have. Start with those four. For example, when you have "a land of magic" what are you trying to impart at that point in the story? Is it a land where unicorns fly in bomber formations? Then say that and you don't need to say magic. We'll get it.

Is magic infused into something? Describe what is happening. A glow forms around the object. The little dog gradually transforms into a cat. Again, no need to say magic.

I suggest that, if you do this, you'll eliminate most places where the word is used because in most cases the word isn't really needed but is being used as a shortcut. I suggest this with confidence because I do this alot (another shortcut word (which isn't really a word but should be a lot (but still should be replaced by something sharper))) echoes of Smalltalk).

I do it most often in draft when I'm careening my way through scenes and plot, just getting stuff entered into the monitor's pale glare. In edit I have to keep a sharp eye out and force myself to think through what's actually happening or how it actually appears. Which requires thinking and work, which I'm adept at avoiding. I'm not lazy, I'm just otherwise focused.

I'll add this, which may prove useful. Come up with the invented word or derived word, per pmmg but restrict its use. Does your story have foreigners or dwarves or werewolves or some such? Let the invented word be part of their dialect or patois. Be restrained; treat it as you would an accent or dialect, and use it only in dialogue not in narrative, but it can offer a bit of variety.

 

[ThinkerX]

And this was why I picked up a couple of olde Thesaurus's.

Roget's Thesaurus's synonyms for 'Magic' include:

sorcery, witchery, glamour, spell, legerdemain, plus mystic, occult, and enchanting.

In your case, glamour, legerdomain, and enchantment might be suitable, with legerdemain being archaic.

In my settings, I use wizardry, sorcery, and magic interchangeably. Lower-class characters often use 'hoodoo' or 'witchcraft' to describe magic. One race of aliens (who genetically imbued the magician's ancestors with enhanced PSI ability) refers to spellcasters as 'Operants.'

 

[pmmg]

Hmmm...whats another word for thesaurus?

 

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm... what's another word for thesaurus?

Dictionary? Though I also use an English/Latin book.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Could be worse. Could be "tongue." There is no sexy way to get around the fact that "tongue" is the only erotic option available.

 

[Prince of Spires]

By searching for synonyms you're looking in the wrong place.

Firstly, because in the end few synonyms are actually true synonyms. Rather, they mean roughly the same thing. However, there are clear differences between magic, sorcery, and witchcraft (for instance), which means you just can't swap one for the other and keep the same tone and meaning.

What direction you could take instead is to simply show me what happens. Why is something a land of magic? What does that actually mean? What happens there that's magical? If it's a land of unicorns and floating birthday cakes with candles that light themselves, then say that instead.

Do note that showing takes more words, which impacts your length but also your pacing.

Secondly, stop thinking of magic as magic, and rather consider it more like you would technology. Now, I don't mean that you need to add an appendix to your book where you give me the 10 different laws of your magic system and describe in detail what does and doesn't work like Sanderson does. Nothing like that in fact. Rather, what I mean is that in a world where magic is real, people would consider it very differently, similar to how we consider technology and its effects.

When I turn on my laptop to go browse the internet, I don't think I'll go technology a bit with my laptop and surf through the lands of technology. Or similarly, I don't technology on the light in the room. I just turn on the light without even considering the magic that is technology behind it. Do something similar to the people in your world. Don't have them Do Magic. Instead, just have them live their lives and use magic while doing so.

 

[Mad Swede]

Could be worse. Could be "tongue." There is no sexy way to get around the fact that "tongue" is the only erotic option available.

Might I recommend Jim Colville's translation of " الروض العاطر في نزهة الخاطر " ("The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight")? I'm sure you'll find any number of alternatives ways of expressing those sorts of things...