I am writing an essay where I must often refer to attributes such as "journalistic" skills or "writing" abilities…can anyone provide me with some additional, and possibly less pedestrian, adjectives that can be used as well?

i don’t know, mhanline, off the top of my head.  maybe you could give us a few sentences as context to help us?

Suggestions based on Roget’s II, The New Thesaurus (Houghton Mifflin Co, 1995):

compose, compositional
creative,
writerly

My suggestions
reporter, reportorial
poetic

Regards,

BNJTOKYO

I’m with Smitty.  Hard for me to consider suggestions when I don’t really have much context…

-Tim

Let me see if this helps those who are unsure of the context.  For instance, if someone has an ear for music, you might compliment them on their aural skills, or if they are an excellent speaker, you would refer to their oratory skills.  A painter would be commended on his or her artistic skills or abilities.  If someone writes well, how would you refer to this skill set, without using the mundane "writing" modifier when referring to their proficiency in this area?  Thanks in advance for any assistance…

I guess that depends on your definition of "an ear for music".  I’m not trying to be obtuse, but that kind of statement might mean different things to different people.  To some, it may mean a singer has a good ear for harmony and can produce it without trying very hard.  For some, it might mean they have refined tastes and like to listen to the classic jazz recordings rather than the hard-edged experimental work of the 50’s and 60’s.  To others, it may mean that the person can identify many famous works with just the mere snippet of sound, while still to others it may mean that a person’s performance at the piano exudes the kind of attention to sound and style that comes only with an innate talent…

[quote author=mhanline link=board=what;num=1077486977;start=0#4 date=03/01/04 at 17:22:37]If someone writes well, how would you refer to this skill set, without using the mundane "writing" modifier when referring to their proficiency in this area?  Thanks in advance for any assistance…

By your use of the word "writes" here, you mean "composes literary works", rather than as a measure of calligraphic quality…?  Sometimes the best way to say something is through simile or metaphor… You may want to consider that avenue, rather than seeking a singular adjective.

-Tim

Could ‘literary skills’ be used here?

If it’s truly journalistic writing, how about reportage?

Would redactional fit? Or is that too editorial?

J.

When my poodle finishes her annual Christmas letter to our family and friends, she signs it

   Eponine, the pedantic poodle

Is pedantic a useful suggestion?

Margaret

I tried to include the link to the yD page for the definition, but could quite figure out the hyperlink tags.  Here’s another attempt….

Pedantic

Got it!
Margaret

WELL DONE.  it took me 50 post to figure that one out; you’ve done it in 5!

;D
david

Hurray, Margaret!

Embolden all button explorers by example!

Sitran

who crashed his first (company) computer by moving files, and deleting things that I didn’t think were important, and then blamed it on my 4 year old nephew (who was, after all, the last person to touch it, thanks to grandpa).

In Brazil we have the "Academia de Letras" in which there are a certain fixed number of writers that stays there for good. When somebody dies then there is a vacancy available for other writers to apply for the position. Then the members choose the replacement for the vacant "chair". They are called "The Immortals". I think that when highlighting the outstanding skill (including  of a writer, in Brazil only for writers), in any language, "IMMORTAL" is the word.

1) very special and famous and therefore likely to be remembered for a long time:
In the immortal words of Samuel Goldwyn, "Include me out".

2) the immortals plural noun LITERARY
the Greek or Roman gods

3) immortal  noun [C] LITERARY
someone who is so famous that they are remembered for a long time after they are dead:
She is one of the immortals of classical opera.

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