Players have debated what constitutes a good word choice numerous times over the last 35 years. You will find an up-to-date summary of those debates in the comments to Rule 1(a) of The “Real'”Rules . Those comments report only what the players said and did, and strive to be impartial, and so cannot really be called guidelines.
Below is an early piece of advice that did set out to provide guidelines, written by "Rules Mother" and charter player Theresa Carey, written in 1989, in response to a single controversial choice of word. You may not find it all that useful: it is here mainly as archival material.
#: 103255 S17/The parlor
19-Jul-89 12:42:43
Sb: #Word choice guidelines
Fm: Theresa W. Carey 73167,17
To: Fictionariasts
Hi there, wordsmiths -
There has been some controversy over the latest word [humuhumunukunukuapuaa, Round 6, Ed.], and I thought I'd pass along the way I pick a word for this game.
First, I avoid all anatomical/physiological/medical sorts of words. The roots are too easy to determine, and besides there are quite a few doctor types here! Also I stay away from anything with obvious etymological roots. I like to find words that say, "Origin unknown", but that's my personal bias. And ... the shorter the better, because a lot of us have heard these long funny sounding words *somewhere*. The short words allow a certain amount of poetic license when composing definitions. "Thooid" was a particularly inspired choice -- not only does it sound HILARIOUS (I have been using it a lot in everyday speech lately, generally out of context <grin>) but it gives no clue
as to its real meaning.
In short, the current word is not one I would have chosen. I wish I'd picked "borele" though. That was also a classic. I have 2 words already picked out in case I ever get the deal back! So look out! <smile!>
-- T.
[The proposer of the word in Round 6, Joshua Poulson, retired from the game in Round 10 and never returned. Ed.]