Every once in a while, we get stuck. We just are not satisfied with what translates from brain to screen. The sentiment in our minds does not take its place in the draft as we would like. With that in mind, I wanted to share a tool with you that I have been using. Honestly, I have been using the “trial” version (allows for 3 submissions then boots you out) for a year. I finally broke down and purchased the year subscription. I am glad I did.

Visual Thesaurus is an interactive dictionary and thesaurus. It gives you an illustrative representation of a word which, in turn, can assist you in formulating exactly the sentiment you are going for. It’s a search tool. Put in a word, hit submit and a garden of words blossom before you in a word map. In the center, you will find the word searched which then scatters into new offshoots of relevant words with similar meanings and even the antonyms (opposite meanings). Hover over the specific word branches and visual thesaurus will show you the definition of that specific word.

Really. Check it out. If you write marketing materials, corporate communications, a blog, techinical manuals, your memoirs, anything… you will have a use for this tool. Is there a student in your house? This is a great tool to improve their vocabulary and writing.

Good luck and happy penning!

http://www.visualthesaurus.com

One of the most popular features is the ability to read the news, blogs, search the internet, ect. anytime and anywhere via 3G network. There is one BIG problem, though. The international audience will NOT be able to use the internet feature if they are not in the US. Is it too cost prohibitive for Amazon to offer at the higher all access internet rates? Sounds like the Kindle may not become all the rage on the other side of the pond.