by Naomi L. | January 20, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: ostentatious
Pronunciation: ahs-tən-TAY-shəs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Today’s vocabulary entry is a complementary post to last week’s. Remember how “opulent” indicates a lavish display of riches? Well, that’s a perfect example of “ostentatious” behavior, as it aims to impress more than anything else.
“Ostentatious” defines anything that is intended to draw attention in a very showy manner. Also known in its noun form “ostentation”, the word comes from the Latin noun ostentatio (“exhibition”), which in turn stems from the verb ostentare (“to show”). These can be traced back to the verb ostendere, meaning “to make clear” or “to point out”.
When describing a diversity of characters, “ostentatious” is a good word to consider for those who are the biggest show-offs. Note that so far, I’ve only ever seen this word being used to indicate actions involving concrete objects, so similar words like “pretentious” or “pedantic” are probably better options to convey abstract ideas. In any case, if your characters like to throw money around and constantly show off their possessions, their displays are “ostentatious” indeed!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | January 17, 2014 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
I knew I could find a nice home. I didn’t know it would be in somebody’s house.
I knew my new home would have all the food I could possibly want. I didn’t know I would have to take it from somebody else.
I knew I would feel guilty if I had to steal food. I didn’t know having a conscience would get me into so much trouble.
I knew the garbage would be easy to reach without being seen by the people. I didn’t know they had a cat.
I knew I could escape from her through the kitchen. I didn’t know someone would be in there with a knife.
I knew my tail would never grow back. I didn’t know I would miss it so much.
I knew life wouldn’t always be easy. I didn’t know how hard it would be to go days without food.
I knew I might find some free cheese lying around if I looked. I didn’t know what would happen if I took it.
I knew I could find a nice home. I didn’t know someone like me could find Paradise.
by Naomi L. | January 15, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, Featured |
Welcome to the first Writers Reveal of the year! This month’s topic was sent to me by Ashley Howland, who asked me to write about animal characters: who are my favorites, what makes a good animal character and storyline, etc. Honestly, I don’t think she could have picked a topic better suited for me. Thanks, Ashley!
Favorite Animal Characters
I was pleasantly surprised when Ashley sent me this topic, because the truth is that many of my favorite fictional characters in the past have been animals (or at least non-human). I’ve mentioned before that I spent part of my childhood writing stories about video game characters, most of which were non-human (e.g. Yoshi, the colorful dinosaur species from the Mario franchise). Even today, I love writing stories about animals, especially flash fiction pieces narrated from their point of view. Maybe it’s because I studied Biology (or maybe it’s why I studied Biology), but I have a lot of fun imagining the world through the eyes of animals!
Honestly, I find it hard to choose just a few favorite animal characters. It really depends on their stories. In books, I love the animals in the children’s stories I used to read all the time, like Horton the Elephant in Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! and Mr. Fox in Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. As for movies, my favorite animals are usually the sidekicks thrown in for comic relief (and often to help move the plot forward): Maximus, the horse in Disney’s Tangled; Dug, the dog in Pixar’s Up; Jack, the monkey in Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Of course, I also enjoy movies where the main cast is comprised of animal characters; stories such as The Lion King and Finding Nemo are among my favorites!
Still, I’ll probably always have a soft spot for the animal characters of video games. Whether they’re sidekicks like Yoshi or main characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, they always bring something special to their games, and that “something” is usually a twist on the abilities of their real-life counterparts. Where else but the Gameverse can you find hedgehogs that run at the speed of sound, or foxes that fly planes and spaceships, or mouse-like creatures that can shoot lightning? They may not be like the animals of books and movies, but that’s exactly why I love them. They would likely push the boundaries of plausibility in standard fiction, but in their own interactive worlds, they fit perfectly well.
Writing for Animals
So what does it take to create a good animal character or story? In my opinion, it’s all about balance. Every character you want to make relatable must have realistically human qualities. However, one mustn’t forget that these characters are not human, and when written well, this detail is exactly what gives them their unique charm. After all, if the animals in your stories are too human, you might as well replace them with actual humans, right?
Therefore, I think the greatest animal characters are the ones that encompass the best of both worlds. They’re anthropomorphic enough to be relatable, but they still take advantage of the qualities that their human counterparts don’t possess. Horton, the most compassionate resident of the Jungle of Nool, uses his extra-sensitive hearing to communicate with the microscopic Whos. Mischievous characters like Dahl’s Mr. Fox and Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit use their agility and wits to escape from their human pursuers. Even the best mythical creatures of fantasy tales demonstrate a mix of human intellect and animalistic behavior (with a touch of magic, of course).
But these characters’ traits don’t always have to be useful to the plot. Sometimes just the fact that they’re animals is what makes them endearing. Would Winnie-the-Pooh have withstood the test of time if he were a human doll instead of a stuffed bear? Could Shakespeare’s Hamlet be appealing to children if it weren’t played out by a cast of animated lions? Would the Pokémon franchise have become successful if most of the creatures’ designs and abilities weren’t inspired by those of real animals? Probably not!
Based on my experience, animals make wonderful inspiration and even better characters for fiction. They can always bring something fresh to a story, and they have the potential to capture their audience and stay in our hearts for years on end. And isn’t that all a writer really wants from their characters?
Who are your favorite animal characters? What do you think makes a good animal character or story?
This has been a special topic post in Emily Morgan’s Writers Reveal. To learn more, just follow the button below to her site, and be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the event. Thanks for reading!
Other bloggers in the Writers Reveal
Emily Morgan: Emily Morgan Writes
Melissa Khalinsky: Melissa Writes
Jodi Gibson: JFGibson
Becky Fyfe: Imagine! Create! Write!
Rhianna: A Parenting Life
Ashley Howland: Ghostnapped
Emily Hawker: You Learn Something New Every Day
Emily Toxward: Have A Laugh On Me
by Naomi L. | January 13, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: opulent
Pronunciation: AH-pyə-lənt
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
I like the word “opulent”, not just because of the way it sounds, but because it’s another example of a word that fits into a spectrum. Although there are several synonyms for “rich”, they all have slightly different definitions, and therefore fit better in different contexts. And of all these synonyms, “opulent” is one that I find most interesting.
“Opulent” refers to a lifestyle of luxury and lavish spending. The word is also a root in Latin meaning “wealthy” or “splendid”. This adjective possibly stems from the noun ops, which in plural form means “wealth”.
On the “wealthy” spectrum, “opulent” suggests a more pretentious display of riches. Therefore, if you choose to describe your characters or their actions as such, you’re likely giving them a negative connotation. That being said, I still think it sounds lovely and it’s a good word to know. Just remember that people can be wealthy without being too showy about it. Be sure to understand the difference before you accidentally cast your characters in a bad light!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | January 10, 2014 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
After years of watching a vibrant foreign world speed by without a second glance, a girl must accept that the feeling of being out of place can’t be shaken off so easily. But if there is anything those years can teach her, it’s that life is full of surprises.
It’s understandable for anyone to feel like they don’t belong in a strange world. A person doesn’t always fit immediately into new surroundings, even someone as supposedly adaptable as a child. Adaptation depends on a variety of factors, such as circumstances, timing, and the magnitude of change.
One of these is the nature of the person being subjected to change. Some people simply adapt better than others. Such people welcome variety and embrace the unknown. I wasn’t one of them.
The differences between the unknown and the familiar can be problematic. Sometimes they’re as minor as the comparison between Dog and Cat. Other times, they can be as polar as North and South.
My family and I moved to South America when I was 12 years old. Before then, I was a timid child living happily in southern Florida. I had a fulfilling education in a language I spoke fluently, with teachers who praised me for my excellent grades and a small group of close friends. I was more than content with my life the way it was.
Then came 2001.
After September 11, much of what I knew changed drastically. Our country descended into what could easily be described as near panic, until we started to feel uncomfortable living in our own home on the East Coast. My parents decided this was no way to live, and it would be best for us to move away for a while, to the country where they were raised. It was somewhere we could feel safe and free again.
“Brazil?” My friends were just as surprised by the news as I was. How could they not be? No kid wants to learn their life is months away from being turned upside-down.
“When are you leaving?”
“This December”, I answered many times, never a hint of excitement in my voice.
My teachers were no less disappointed by this turn of events, but they did their best to encourage me.
“You’re a wonderful student”, they assured me. “Your teachers in Brazil will love and appreciate you too.”
This was hardly true, however. The first challenge I faced after moving abroad was mastering a new language, so different from my native English. Because of this, my grades began to slip, and whenever my teachers recognized me, it was for the fact that I was American, never for an outstanding report card.
Still, behind this fact was an encouraging lesson to be learned.
“Brazilians are the friendliest people in the world!” my parents told my sisters and me. “Everyone will want to get to know you.”
This I found to be true. Every year, I was approached by people eager to know everything about my life in the USA. It was a different paradigm from that to which I was accustomed; few of my friends in Florida had ever shown similar interest in me. These new social interactions would greatly facilitate my grasping of the Portuguese language, and for that, I was grateful. My main challenge now was not meeting new people; it was overcoming my shyness in order to make friends. Could I somehow manage to adapt to this new life, the way my two younger sisters had?
The answer came in high school.
When I was 16, a boy in school approached me. He asked me several questions, and I was surprised by this seemingly random gesture from someone I had never met before. But more surprises were still to come.
As it so happened, this boy would later become my first boyfriend, and his friends, my friends for life. I was in for love, heartbreak, laughter, and years of solid friendship. A new chapter in my life was just beginning.
“Brazil is a wonderful country, when you give it a chance.”
My parents couldn’t have been more right. I always knew the transition from North to South would be difficult, but as I’ve come to realize, life never fails to provide enough surprises to make the ride worthwhile.
This story was my first assignment for my online creative writing course: the personal essay. The subject I chose to write about was the true story of my transition from the United States to Brazil, and now I’m sharing it here with all of you. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written! Thanks for reading!
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