by Naomi L. | June 17, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: defenestration
Pronunciation: dee-fe-nə-STRAY-shən
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: the action of throwing someone or something out of a window
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
I bet you’ve never heard this word before. Unless you’re a history enthusiast, of course, in which case you may already be familiar with it from reading about the Defenestrations of Prague. I, however, am not such an enthusiast; to give an idea, I had never heard about the aforementioned historical incidents until I started doing research for this blog post. Instead, I didn’t learn about the word “defenestration” until I read a short humorous piece by the famous Brazilian satirical writer Luís Fernando Veríssimo, in which he comments on several words that sound like they should mean something different than what they actually do. According to the author, “defenestration” should be some sort of exotic lustful act practiced by few, or another word for the extermination of pests, or an official term found in legal documents, but he never would have guessed what it really means…
“Defenestration” is the act of throwing a person or object out of a window. To be honest, I probably would have gone the same way as Veríssimo and assumed it meant something a little more vulgar. Maybe I could have made a more accurate guess if I had a better grasp of French, as the root of fenêtre (“window”) is embedded in this word; at least, that’s how my mom got it right. The word “defenestration” is comprised of the Latin roots de– “from, out of” and fenestra “window”, and was coined around 1618 in reference to the incident in Prague that precipitated the Thirty Years’ War (yes, one of the very same incidents mentioned in the last paragraph).
So how can you use this word in your own writing? Well, that’s the fun part: it’s all about context. “Defenestration” has been used as much in formal writing as in humorous accounts, to equal effect. It could be used to narrate a historical act of political dispute or the climactic end of a struggle in an action scene. It’s even become a comical neologism for the removal of a computer’s Microsoft Windows OS in place of an alternative (as explained in this 2004 article from Linux Insider). The possibilities are numerous; it’s up to your own imagination to shape it into the sense you want. Have fun!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 14, 2013 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
A little lump of coal
Is plain to any eye.
A star amid a million
Can be lost within in the sky.
Any loyal loving dog
Seems the same as all the rest.
And a man within a crowd
Needs to prove that he’s the best.
But place enormous pressure
On that little lump of coal,
And you’ll see that it will change,
Soon to play a different role.
No two stars are quite the same,
Each unique, a special one.
Some are small and burn out quickly,
Some are brighter than the sun.
The dog that seems so common
Proves a true and caring friend.
Through the greatest trials in life,
He’ll stick by you to the end.
So a man of endless value
Is a star in every way.
As a husband and a father,
He proves loyal every day.
Try to break him; he’ll survive,
And you’ll see when times are tough
That the man you thought was plain
Is a diamond in the rough.
Happy Father’s Day to my amazing dad! Thank you so much for everything you do for me; it means the world. You’ll always be a hero in my eyes, and one of my greatest role models. I’m so lucky to have you as a father.
God bless you always! I love you, Dad!
by Naomi L. | June 12, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing, Notable Authors |
So last week, I talked about a book that I loved as a child: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Continuing on the subject of inspiration, I wanted to create another subtopic focusing on authors whose work has inspired me in my own writing, and it seems only fair to start with the same author of the wonderful book I’ve already reviewed. Kicking off the Notable Authors segment of my blog is storyteller extraordinaire and one of my favorite writers of all time: Roald Dahl.
Roald Dahl in 1954
Bio
Name: Roald Dahl
Pen Name: Roald Dahl
Life: Sept. 13, 1916 – Nov. 23, 1990
Gender: male
Nationality: British (born in Wales), Norwegian descent
Occupation: novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, fighter pilot (WWII)
Genres: children’s literature, fantasy, mystery, nonfiction
Notable Works: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda
My Favorite Works: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories
Inspiration
Roald Dahl was my favorite author growing up, and with good reason. Having captivated me at the age of nine with his 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he quickly drew me into his fantastic world with more children’s books like Matilda, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches and several others. His unique style of storytelling was very entertaining to read, for he always seemed to know exactly how to paint a mental picture from the perspective of a child, which is much more appealing (and less patronizing) than an adult trying to describe the events of a story in a way that children will understand. Reading each of Mr. Dahl’s novels as a kid, I felt as though I were being told a story by someone who understood exactly how I saw the world, and who knew exactly what I wanted to find in the pages of a book. It may seem odd, but whenever I was reading one of his stories, I didn’t see him as just an author; I saw him almost as a friend.
Matilda and Miss Trunchbull, Matilda
(Illustration by Quentin Blake)
Something I always loved about Dahl’s children’s books was the fact that his heroes were usually children. Charlie Bucket, Matilda Wormwood, the unnamed protagonist of The Witches (named Luke Eveshim in the 1990 film), among others, all live incredible adventures before even having reached adolescence. For the preteen me, it was wonderful to read about heroes who were my age; it made me feel like it could just as easily have been me taking a tour through a magical chocolate factory, or developing telekinetic powers, or executing brilliant plans to defeat witches or cruel headmistresses or nasty adults of any sort. That’s another interesting detail about the author’s stories: just as the heroes are often children, the villains are often adults. And honestly, could anything be more relatable to a young reader?
But Mr. Dahl’s brilliant storytelling skills were not limited to children’s fiction. He wrote a fair amount of excellent short stories for older audiences; one such compilation – The Umbrella Man and Other Stories – contains some of the most delightfully creative short pieces I’ve ever read in a book. His autobiography, Boy: Tales of Childhood, includes hilarious accounts of events that I could hardly believe were true stories (my personal favorite is the Great Mouse Plot of 1924, which romantic comedy fans may remember as the story Meg Ryan reads to the children in the bookstore in the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail), but which certainly explain the colorful stories he would go on to write later in his life. With numerous awards and tremendous merit to his name, it’s clear that Dahl was talented at entertaining readers of all ages alike.
Roald Dahl is one of my heroes. He introduced me to a magical world that I could visit anytime I wanted to escape from reality, and he was the first author ever to inspire me to pursue creative writing. His stories have touched me and will remain forever embedded in my heart, and for that, I will always admire him as one of the greatest storytellers whose work I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Thank you, Mr. Dahl, for your wonderful gift! You will never be forgotten.
by Naomi L. | June 10, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: opaque
Pronunciation: oh-PAYK
Part of Speech: adjective; noun
Definition:
- (adj.) not able to be seen through; not transparent
- (adj.; figurative) hard or impossible to understand
- (n.) an opaque thing or substance
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
“Opaque”, like “pedestrian“, is a simple word with at least two distinct meanings: one concrete and one abstract. Unlike “pedestrian”, however, it’s easier to see a connection between the two definitions. When describing a physical object as “opaque”, you’re affirming that no light can pass through it, and thus it cannot be seen through (as opposed to a transparent sheet of glass or a translucent plastic bag). Similarly, when something abstract (like language or an idea) is “opaque”, it’s difficult to see through it to understand its deeper meaning.
His car was so filthy, even the windows were starting to become opaque.
The slang the teenager used with her friends was completely opaque to her parents.
The original spelling of the word in late Middle English was opake, which was eventually influenced by the French form to become the modern spelling. The definition comes from the Latin adjective opacus (feminine opaca, neuter opacum), meaning “dark” or “shaded”. The first time I heard the word “opaque” was in my seventh grade science class, where it simply meant the opposite of transparent, but I’ve since come to learn and appreciate the word’s more abstract meaning through literature. As far as using this word in my own writing, I often prefer the figurative definition, as it can help to illustrate elements of the story intended to be more mysterious, though it also works well when trying to establish that an object’s lack of transparency is important to the scene in some way.
On a side note, this word can also be used as a noun to mean something that’s opaque, although I myself have rarely heard it used in this way. In terms of photography, the word refers to a substance used for producing opaque areas on negatives, which might be handy to know if you’re looking to create a detailed profile for a character who’s a photographer. I know I’ll find that useful someday…
I like the word “opaque” for the same reasons I like the word “pedestrian”: its differing meanings that can be used in both literal and figurative contexts, as well as the unique sound of the word itself. Overall, “opaque” is a good word for any writer to know, and in my opinion, it can make for some interesting descriptions. Have fun with it!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 7, 2013 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
I never saw the spider.
I kept telling them on the way to the hospital: I opened the door just for a second to let the cat out, and then I went back to the living room.
I never saw that spider sneaking in.
Yet here we were two hours later, listening to the doctor tell us that my sister was going to be fine. A minor allergic reaction, nothing to worry about. But good news now wasn’t going to keep my parents from looking at me funny for weeks, and it wasn’t going to stop this story from coming up at every Christmas family gathering for years to come. Now my baby sister was going to be arachnophobic for the rest of her life, and I would never be able to open another door without looking straight at my feet first.
All because of one mistake.
That I never even saw.
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