Vocabulary and writing

Many of us forget that good writers avoid overusing their extensive vocabularies. A lot of long words don't make a piece well written, nor do strings of obscure words. The aim of writing is not to prove that one knows more than his or her readers, but to inform or entertain.

I am a lover of new and interesting words; yesterday I learned the definition of "fustilugs" (here) and was amused. The insertion of such words into a piece must be approached with caution, though.

Unusual words are tempting to use, but many of them are employed rarely for a reason. Some are underused instead. It is difficult at times to distinguish the fresh, exotic word from the awkward, snobbish one. I hope reading this post from time to time will remind me to be selective.