Inspired by the chapter "harvesting words" from Barbara DeMarco-Barrett's Pen on Fire.
Chapter Take-Away: You must know a word intimately before you can use it and make it authentic. Same goes for your characters. If they haven't been exposed to a word correctly and impactfully, they can't use it with any degree of believability.
I love words. I love the way they sound, the way they play with the words around them, the way they sketch images in our minds and ignite fires within us.
I'm determined to keep a word journal, and I might just attach it to this blog for posterity and for the use and enjoyment of my readers. The journal would be made up of--
1. Words overheard
2. Words read
3. Words harvested from the dictionary
and lastly,
4. slang, or what I will from now on refer to as faux-cabulary
So, here are the words that I gleaned this week which have stuck with me.
Faux-cabulary
My first example was a misspoken term in Sunday's sermon, but I think it is delightfully valid.
ambassenger \am BASS en jer\ noun 1. A representative of his or her Sovereign who communicates a message of Truth.
other great words of the week...
Overheard:
conflagration \con fluh GRAY shun\ noun 1. Fire, especially a large disastrous fire.
2. War, conflict.
Read:
profligate \PRAW flih geht, -gayt\ adjective 1. Completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness.
2. wildly extravagant, prodigal.
vitriol \VIH tree uhl\ noun 1. a sulfate of any of various metals (as copper, iron or zinc), especially, a glassy hydrate of such a sulfate.
2. something felt to resemble vitriol especially in caustic quality. Virulence of feeling or of speech.
Reader Input: What were your favorite words you heard, read, or looked up this week?
Do you have any faux-cabulary to share?
0 comments:
Post a Comment