When the Right Word is Wrong

As writers, we deal in words. Thousands of words. And we’re always looking for the right word to use. What happens when the right word is wrong? I’m not talking about obvious mistakes or incorrect grammar–those are wrong. But sometimes a word choice can be a bump in the reader’s road. It can be about semantics.

For example, I was reading a draft chapter from one of my writing pals. She’d written something about a man pulling up the collar of his t-shirt to wipe sweat off his face. My comment...