Controles de cambio

Beginning: first, first in line, front, head of the line, lead, leader, milestone, primary, scout, upfront

ending: conclusion, ending, final, finale, finish, last, terminal, terminate, ultimate, very last

hero: celebrity, champ, champion, first past the post, flag-waver, fortune hunter, frontrunner, good dude, good guy, guest of honor, idol, king for a day, knight in shining armor, leading role, liberator, life saver, lord, loyalist, luminary, major player, messiah, patriot, peer of the realm, pin-up, protagonist, queen, queen for a day, redeemer, rescuer, role model, savior, stalwart, star, swashbuckler, title holder, vanquisher, victor, VIP, white hat, winner

villain: antagonist, assassin, bad guy, black hat, brute, captor, contract killer, criminal, cruel person, demolisher, destroyer, enemy, eradicator, evil doer, executioner, fiend, gangster, goon, hood, hooligan, killer, lout, mobster, murderer, Nazi, persecutor, predator, punk, ruffian, slaughterer, slayer, subjugator, thug, tor- turer, wicked person, witch, wrongdoer

hero or villain, depending upon circumsTance: adversary, collaborator, competi- tor, conqueror, defector, deserter, double agent, hired gun, king, mole, opponent, person of interest, rival, spy, traitor, turncoat, undercover agent, unknown subject

Journey: adventure, circuit, crossing, cruise, day trip, detour, excursion, expedition, exploration, flight, getaway, hike, honeymoon, jaunt, long weekend, march, mission, outing, passage, ramble, spree, stroll, tour, tramp, trek, trip, trudge, vacation, voyage, walkabout, wander

verbS

agree: accept, allow, approve, authorize, bear witness, consent, endorse, okay, permit, sanction, satisfy, say aye, say yes, support, testify, tolerate

Buy: accept, achieve, acquire, add, approve, augment, attain, bargain, barter, bid, catch, collect, compen- sate, develop, enhance, enlarge, escalate, expand, find, fuel, gain, get, grasp, hire, improve, increase, nurture, obtain, pay, procure, purchase, raise, realize, reap, receive, remuneration, secure, seize, snatch, successfully negotiate, swell, take, take in, upgrade, win

clean: bathe, brush, buff, cleanse, clear, comb, dab, declutter, decontaminate, disinfect, dry clean, dry mop, dust, filter, fluff, freshen, fumigate, iron, launder, make germ-free, make hygienic, mop, neaten, neutral- ize, pick up, polish, purify, organize, rake, rinse, rinse out, rub, sanitize, scour, scrub, shine, sort, spring clean, sterilize, swab, sweep, tidy, vacuum, wash, wax, weed, wipe

close/hold: appropriate, bar, barricade, block, bolt, bring under control, capture, chain, close up, clutch, confine, confiscate, curb, curtail, daunt, dead bolt, detain, deter, encumber, engulf, fasten, grab, grasp, hinder, hold in custody, impede, impound, imprison, incarcerate, inhibit, inter, keep, limit, lock, lock up, obstruct, overwhelm, put up the shutters, restrain, seal, secure, seize, sequester, shut, slam, snatch, stop, thwart, trap

commands: climb, come, drive, enter, exit, giddyup, go, halt, hurry, leave, move, park, stop, turn, wait, whoa

cooK: bake, blister, boil, braise, broast, brown, bubble, burn, caramelize, char, deep fry, fizz, flambé, flame, froth, fry, grill, griddle fry, gut, hard boil, harden, heat, microwave, oven roast, overheat, poach, reheat, roast, sauté, scald, scorch, simmer, singe, smolder, soft boil, steam, stew, stir fry, sweat, toast, warm up

cooKing TechniQues: add, beat, blend, butcher, carve, chill, chop, combine, cool, cover, crack, cut, dice, dip, divide, drizzle, drop, dry, fold, frost, grate, ice, julienne, lace, layer, measure, mince, moisten, pack, pound, press, put through sieve, roll, salt, score, season, shape, sift, slice, spread, sprinkle, stir, strain, stuff, tie, wrap, whip

creaTe: build, coin, conceive, conjure up, construct, craft, design, devise, envisage, envision, establish, fashion, form, formulate, generate, initiate, invent, make, originate, picture, produce

fiX: arrange, assemble, attach, bond, build, compile, connect, construct, craft, develop, erect, fabricate, fasten, fiddle, fit, form, glue, handle, hook up, install, join, link up, make, manipulate, manufacture, mend, nail, orchestrate, organize, patch up, place, plan, position, put in, put right, put in order, raise, renovate, repair, resolve, rig, screw, secure, set up, sew, shape, staple, stick, straighten, structure, tape, tie

harm: abuse, ache, assault, batter, beat, become rancid, blemish, blight, block, bruise, bully, bump, burn, corrode, damage, dent, destroy, deteriorate, devastate, drown, endanger, explode, hit, hurt, impair, implode, injure, kidnap, maltreat, mar, mistreat, molest, mutilate, neglect, oxidize, pillage, pinch, poison, poke, punch, rape, risk, rot, ruin, scratch, sore, spoil, starve, sting, strangle, suffocate, taint, tarnish, torture, weaken, wear, whip, withhold care, worsen, wound

Kill: abolish, annihilate, assassinate, bloodbath, bump off, butcher, contract killing, decimate, defeat, demol- ish, destroy, eliminate, eradicate, execute, exterminate, lay waste, mass execution, massacre, murder, obliterate, purge, put to death, ravage, raze, serial killing, slay, slaughter, snuff, stamp out, take life, waste, wipe out

learn: absorb, analyze, ascertain, be taught, categorize, classify, delve, detect, determine, develop, dis- cern, discover, distinguish, experiment, expand, explore, expose, find out, gain knowledge, grow, hear, iden- tify, investigate, perceive, pinpoint, practice, prepare, progress, realize, research, reveal, search, sense, study, uncover, understand

locomoTion: See the chapter Transportation

love: adore, attracted to, care for, commit, craze, dedicated, delight, desire, devoted, enjoy, fancy, faithful, feel affection, fervor, fidelity, find irresistible, fondness for, friend, infatuate, keen, kiss, like, loyal, lust, obsess, passionate, want, worship, zeal

open/release: ajar, blow a hole in, boundless, breach, break down, come undone, detach, discharge, disengage, disentangle, emancipate, emit, extrude, facilitate, free, gaping, let go, let loose, liberate, open wide, pick, release, rip open, unbolt, unbound, unbutton, unchain, uncouple, undo, unfasten, unfetter, un- knot, unleash, unlock, unravel, unscrew, unstitch, untangle, untie, unwrap, unyoke, work out

solve: analyze, appraise, ascertain, assess, bargain, bring to light, calculate, carry out, clarify, come around, com- miserate, compromise, compute, conceive, conclude, consider, decipher, decode, deduce, determine, disentangle, disprove, elucidate, estimate, evaluate, examine, experiment, explain, figure, formulate, gauge, guesstimate, hypoth- esize, interpret, investigate, judge, lightbulb goes on, mull over, negotiate, prove, question, reckon, reconnoiter, ren- dezvous, resolve, reveal, scrutinize, strategize, study, synchronize, test, theorize, think, translate, try

speaK: allege, answer, argue, ask, bark, bawl, bellyache, bleat, blubber, buzz, call, complain, counter, cry, declare, defy, drone, exclaim, gossip, gripe, growl, holler, howl, hum, moan, order, query, quip, reply, respond, retort, roar, shriek, screech, scream, shout, snarl, snap, snivel, sob, squeak, squeal, state, taunt, wail, weep, whimper, whisper, whine, yap, yell, yelp, yowl

usage noTe: When replacing the word “said” in dialogue tags, caution is advised not to overuse alternate verbs. This can lead to slow, cluttered prose.

usage noTe: In dialogue tags, care should be taken not to use verbs that do not refer to speech, such as jumped, swung, turned, or danced. Only verbs that are synonyms for speaking are appropriate in dialogue tags.

INCORRECT: “I can’t wait to go to the party!” Mary danced. CORRECT: “I can’t wait to go to the party!” Mary exclaimed.

sWimming sTroKes: See the chapter Transportation

Teach: advance, aid, alert, assist, coach, drill, edify, educate, explain, help, instruct, lecture, mentor, school, stimulate, test, train, tutor

ChapTer 21 — STory elemenTS and TreaSure

common characTer archeTypes: absent-minded professor, abused servant, abusive spouse, adopted child, adoptive parent, angry mob, archenemy, babysitter, blackmailed victim, blackmailer, boy next door, boy who cried wolf, bully, bumbling law enforcement, cannon fodder, caveman/woman, charlatan, child raised by wolves, child with disability, child with supernatural power, child with undiscovered magic talent, child with undiscovered skill, cleric/priest, competitor, con artist, contender, creepy child, creepy neighbor, crone, damsel in distress, dark knight, dark lady, dark lord, delicate girl with fighting prowess, divine interven- tion, donor, dowager, dumb athlete, dumb blond, elderly master of a craft or skill, epic hero, everyman, evil advisor, evil child, evil clown, evil law enforcement, evil robot, evil twin, fairy godmother, false hero, falsely accused person, farmer’s daughter, femme fatale, folk hero, fool, forbidden friend/lover, fortuneteller, genius, gentleman thief, girl next door, grande dame, greedy person, gunfighter, hag, handsome prince, harlequin, headmaster, headmistress, healer, helpful celebrity, henchman, hermit, hero, heroine, hobo/tramp, hotshot/ showoff, housebound relative, imposter, ingenue, jealous lover, jock, jungle girl/boy, kidnapped person, kind woman with lowly profession, king, knight, lady in waiting, lazy spouse/child, loner, lost soldier, lovable rogue, lovers, madman/woman, mad scientist, magical friend, masked villain, mentor, miser, mistress, monster, myste- rious benefactor, nerd/geek, nice guy, noble savage, object of affection, oldest/youngest son/daughter, orphan, overbearing parent, overconfident competitor, performer, pickpocket, pirate, primitive hero, prince, princess, princess and dragon/beast, prophet, puppet, queen, religious fanatic, reluctant hero, rescuer, rogue law enforce- ment, romantic interest, savior, scoundrel, shaman, sidekick, slave, snake oil salesman, soldier, squire, stable boy, stepparent, stepsister/brother, stowaway, superhero, super villain, swashbuckler, toady, town drunk, tragic hero, traveling salesman, trickster, unpleasant/mean celebrity, victim, village idiot, villain, wanderer, wealthy snob, widow/widower, wise old man/woman, witch, wizard, yokel