on Live Write Thrive:

Has anyone ever told you how clever you are? No? Or maybe they said that to you but didn’t mean it in the way you’d wished. Sometimes being told we are clever is an insult, as if we’re being sneaky and deceptive.

However, I think clever is good. I like clever people. One definition of the word in Merriam-Webster is “marked by wit or ingenuity.” And what does ingenuitymean? Aside from “being clever” (don’t you love it when dictionaries give you circular definitions like this?), it means skillful in devising. Inventiveness. Cleverness is a good thing!

So it stands to reason that writers should be clever. We invent stories. We want to be skillful at our craft. Maybe you haven’t thought all that much about being clever, but I hope you’ll consider it. Consider using words, phrases, and ideas in a clever way so you can rivet your readers with fresh writing. Writers should be masterful wordsmiths.

We can’t always be clever, but I’ve noted that many writers don’t even try. I edit and critique something like 200 manuscripts (partial or full) each year, and I don’t often see clever. In fact, sometimes I long so much for clever that even one great line will keep me going for chapters.

I would really like to see a lot more clever. And I don’t mean “wise-acre” clever (as the expression used to go fifty years ago). I mean, I wish more writers would spend much more time on every line, every word. Clever words, phrases, and ideas turn ordinary writing into a fascinating read.