“Read some of the great Puritan authors and some of the mystics. Read and memorize good poetry. Observe how these writers express themselves. Become word conscious. Pay attention to words and the effect they have. Get a good dictionary and use it often. Whenever I come across a word I’m not familiar with, I look it up immediately and study it. With a large vocabulary, you are able to be precise in what you are saying. Nothing takes the place of using the right word. [Gustave] Flaubert (1821 – 1880) used to say there are no synonyms. Find the right word and use it.”

– A.W. Tozer, from “The Life of A.W. Tozer” chapter by James L. Snyder in The Pursuit of God

Published by Grayson Pope

Hey, there. My name is Grayson. I’m a husband and father of four. I serve as a writer and editor with Prison Fellowship and as the Managing Web Editor of Gospel-Centered Discipleship.