As stated earlier, definite specific words are more effective than general words.  Also, words that are particularly effective are words whose very sounds suggest their meaning.  Such words are called imitative words, as: buzz, crackle, splash, and wail.

HINT: Words beginning with 'fl' carry the idea of lightness and quickness of motion, as: float, flash, flame, flicker, flee, flutter, flow, fly, flit, and flip.

Some words ending in 'ash' suggest a loud confused noise, as: crash, smash, splash, and dash.

The syllable 'ang' suggests brazen resonance as: clang, bang, rang, an jangle.

The syllables 'ink' and 'ing' suggest cold brittleness, as: tinkle, clink, twinkle, jingle, and tingle.

The long 'o' sound suggests slowness, solemnity, and often melancholy, as: toll, roll, flow, blow, old.

MORE IMITATIVE (ONOMATOPOETIC )WORDS ARE:

whisper, screech, sang, clash, thud, drone, murmur, hiss, purr, whiz, groan, giggle, ring, drip, thunder, rip, snap, bark, scratch, crinkle, whimper, fleet, smash, roar.

I use imitative words in all my novels to some degree.  Here is an example from:

WHITE AZALEAS:

Darkness came suddenly, an eerie moonlit darkness in which every imaginable shape loomed up ominously.  The night was filled with the croaking of frogs, the cleek, cleek, cleek of the black necked stilt, the zi-zi, zi-zi of cicadas, the choc, choc of the crow blackbirds, and the many other night songs of various wild creatures.

And another example from L'OLONOIS:

Arising, she went to the window and looked out into the moon-splashed forest that seemed to be heaving and dripping in the high humidity.  She rested her elbows on the window ledge, staring out at the great awe-inspiring tropical vegetation which crept almost to the house on the

east side of the compound.                

The sound of drums got into her head and into her blood, bringing a rush of awareness and emotion alien to her, an emergence of ancient murmurings and powerful compelling forces and dark yearnings.

Boom-boom, boom-boom-boom.

The sobbing of the drums increased in tempo and grew deeper and deeper till it rolled through the trees like distant thunder. 

TROUBLESOME WORDS:

So many writers confuse 'can' and 'may', that many believe those two words will soon become interchangeable; however, others contend that good writers will continue the distinction. 

The distinction should be easy to grasp.  Can denotes power or ability.

May denotes permission or possibility.  A rumored story says that George Bernard Shaw was once asked for permission by an American dramatic club, to present one of his plays.  Their message read, "Can we act your Pgymalion?"  The famous dramatist replied, "You may, but you probably cannot." ((He quite succinctly pointed out that 'may' was his permission, but 'cannot' was his belief they didn't have the artistic ability to do

so.)) 

EXAMPLES:

"I MAY go to the movie later."  (This means the speaker has permission to go.) Or (It means the speaker 'might' go to the movie later–in which case the speaker should say ‘might'.) "I CAN go to the movie later."  (This means he is physically able to go, or has no restraints to prevent his going.)

Words to remember:

 Decisive - Able to decide a question; final; marked by prompt decision.

Vacillating - Wavering between two opinions; changeable.

Enervating - Weakening, making less vigorous, debilitating.

Stimulating - rousing to action or more vigorous exertion.

SIMILES AND METAPHORS:

We, as writers,  must realize that a reader can only comprehend a scene the author puts on paper, if the author has the skill to bring his description within the comprehension of the reader.  In order to do this, we often compare things with something known to a reader.  If the things we compare are unlike (but within reason of comparison) , the comparison is called a 'simile' or a 'metaphor'. A 'simile' is a comparison between two 'unlike' things that have 'one trait or characteristic in common'--and is usually indicated by the use of 'as', 'like', or 'so'.

Example: He paced the room like a caged tiger.

However, a comparison between two like things, or things belonging to the same class, is not a simile.  When we say one novel is like another, we make a simple comparison, but it is not a simile.  Also comparing a cat to a tiger is not a simile.

Literary similes:

 "Like as the waves make toward the pebbled shore, so do our minutes hasten to their end."  SHAKESPEARE

"And lightly was her slender nose tip-tilted like the petal of a flower" 

TENNYSON

(EVERY TIME I READ THAT LAST ONE, I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORD ‘FLOWER' TO ROSE. :-)

METAPHOR:

The metaphor is more specific and emphatic than a simile. Comparison between a simile and a metaphor: 

Simile: She is like a witch.

Metaphor: She is a witch.

EXAMPLES of metaphors in writing:

At night the buildings of Chicago are a twinkling constellation.

The setting sun turned the sea to blood.

He is a fox.

Corruption is a tree whose branches are of an immeasurable length.

Turn this simile into a metaphor: 'The diamonds are like twin stars'.

Metaphor.  'The diamonds are twin stars'.

EXERCISE:

Write a paragraph with as few words as possible using at least one simile and at least one metaphor.

EXAMPLE: Her words stung him like an angry wasp.  She was an angry wasp.                

OVERWORKED and OVERUSED similes, metaphors--clichés, are sudden death to a work. Avoid such expressions as: mad as a wet hen, white as a sheet, slow as molasses, skin like ivory, good as gold, fat as a pig, etc.

INTERESTING FACT: The words ‘naked' and ‘nude' do not mean the same thing.  Naked implies ‘unprotected' and Nude means ‘unclothed.'

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