Seven Tools for Writing Novels: Dictionaries

Sanseido Kokugo Jiten 8th Edition, Shinmeikai Kokugo Jiten 8th Edition, Ruigo Reikai Jiten, and Kisha Handbook: These are the dictionaries I usually use to write novels. I have used them all extensively, and they are truly my essential partners.

Shinmeikai Kokugo Jiten 8th Edition

I have been a devoted user ever since I read "Shinmeisan no Nazo (Bunshun Bunko)" by Genpei Akasegawa. I used to think that a dictionary was something that objectively explained only facts, but this dictionary leaks the thoughts and feelings of the person who wrote the explanations, asserting its own personality.
It is so unique that you wonder who wrote it, and you can even feel the intention to delight the reader as a piece of literature.
It is a dictionary that is fun to read.

This is the famous definition (explanation) for "love." Doesn't it make you want to read it?
I seem to recall that in the past, it even said something like "the desire to unite if possible" (though I am not certain).

Sanseido Kokugo Jiten 8th Edition

In contrast to Shinmeikai, which has unique definitions, the "Sangoku" is characterized by being very strong with new words.
When writing a novel, you have to be sensitive to customs and recent trends, so I find the "Sangoku" very useful now.

When I see words like this, it makes me "quietly happy."
Language is always alive and changing. I believe it is up to us to decide what new words are born and which ones survive among them.
This dictionary seems to teach us that.

Ruigo Reikai Jiten (Dictionary of Synonyms and Examples)

When I started writing novels, I became sad at my lack of vocabulary and bought this so that I could master different expressions for the same word.
The photo shows a page under "Joy and Sorrow" in "Human Nature." To express the emotion of "being surprised," there are various words such as astonishment, wonder, aghast, shock, earth-shattering, startled, amazed, and surprise.
Related terms like excitement, agitation, and frenzy also expand the range of expression.

I have tried reading this dictionary as a textbook.
I think the sections on "Human Actions" and "Human Nature" are particularly effective for increasing vocabulary.
Walking, running, sitting, standing... emotions, etc.
There must be many words you don't know and expressions you have never used.

Why not borrow any thesaurus from the library and try it out? If you like it, I recommend buying a copy and using it to the fullest.

As an aside, I sometimes wish there were more types of words in Japanese. For example, the word "unazuku" (to nod). It is a word that indicates agreement, but there are only:

nodding, shaking one's head vertically, agreeing, nodding in assent, consenting. That's about it.

"Agreeing" is almost never used (unless it's a historical novel).
Don't you think that's few?

When I finish writing a novel and start proofreading, I often find that the protagonist is just nodding over and over, which is often a problem.

Kisha Handbook

This is a glossary of newspaper usage and terminology. It is a dictionary that reporters use as a reference when writing articles.
The one I use is published by Kyodo News.
The following two points are particularly useful.

Which character to use
Whether to write in kanji or hiragana

The photo shows the word "ageru." Have you ever wondered whether to use "上げる," "挙げる," "騰げる," or "揚げる"? Of course, "ageru" is fine, but if it's a novel, you want to use the word that fits perfectly.

Sometimes it is said that either character is fine, or that either hiragana or kanji is fine. (For example, "unazuku" and "頷く")
I also used this dictionary as a standard for "in this case, use this character."

Today was a story about my "love for dictionaries." Thank you for staying with me until the end.
Dictionaries are most active during the proofreading stage of the novel writing process. Click here for articles on proofreading.