by Naomi L. | July 7, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: idiosyncrasy
Pronunciation: i-dee-ə-SIN-krə-see
Part of Speech: noun
Definition:
- a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual
- a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Look, you do understand that Sheldon really doesn’t care when he gets the money back. It’s actually one of the few idiosyncrasies that doesn’t make you want to, you know, kill him.
– Leonard Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory (Season 2, Episode 14 – The Financial Permeability)
Here’s another fun word I learned from The Big Bang Theory. Some time after borrowing money from Sheldon, Penny starts to feel guilty for not yet being able to pay him back, a fact made evident by her increasingly irritable behavior. In an attempt to make her feel better, Leonard reassures her that Sheldon doesn’t mind going an extended period of time without the money he lent her, which, unlike most of his other quirks, is actually a positive one.
An “idiosyncrasy” is a characteristic that’s peculiar to a person, place or thing. The word arose in the early 17th century and was used in the sense of “physical constitution peculiar to an individual”. It is derived from the Greek word idiosunkrasia, which is comprised of three roots: idios “own, private”, sun “with”, and krasis “mixture”.
Aside from its informal uses as a synonym for “peculiarity”, the word “idiosyncrasy” also functions as a medical term to mean “an abnormal physical reaction by an individual to a food or drug”. Of course, this definition would most likely only be useful if you write medical dramas, so if you choose to include the word in your writing, you’ll probably use it in its more common sense. It’s an especially great word to keep in mind if you like to write eccentric characters, so have fun throwing plenty of “idiosyncrasies” into your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | July 4, 2014 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
Oh how I love you,
Sweet icy treat,
A rainbow of flavors
I’m longing to eat.
From soft hues of cream
To bright fruity tones,
In small plastic bowls
Or big waffle cones.
Vanilla with syrup
Or chocolate with nuts.
Sprinkles on strawberry
Or coconut.
Double fudge brownie,
Mint chocolate chip,
Rocky road, cherry
And caramel dip.
Cookies ‘n’ cream,
Peanut butter swirl,
Butter pecan
And vanilla fudge twirl.
Orange, banana
And pineapple too.
Mango or lemon
Or berries of blue.
Tiramisu
And pistachio.
Cheesecake with berries
Or coffee to go.
Sweet neapolitan:
Three-in-one deal.
Soothing green tea
For an exotic feel.
One flavor, two flavors,
Five all in one,
Great to enjoy
In the heat of the sun.
Oh how I love you,
Dear icy sweet.
Twenty-five flavors
Make one perfect treat.
As you can imagine, the idea for this poem came to me while I was feeling both hot and hungry. Hope all of you in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying your summer!
by Naomi L. | July 2, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, Tropes |
Some time ago, I wrote a blog post about a trope known as Chekhov’s Gun, a literary device in which a seemingly unimportant detail later becomes significant to the plot. But what if you want to achieve the opposite effect, that is, introduce a supposedly important detail that later turns out to have little or nothing to do with the main story? Today’s post features a sister trope that’s equally useful and just as fun to write. Do you enjoy misleading your readers with deceptive clues? Then let me introduce you to the next handy tool in your arsenal: the Red Herring.
Herring? Where?
The “red herring” is a type of heavily cured/smoked kipper. The idiom may have originated from anecdotes relating its use as a tool for misleading hunting dogs.
(CC Image by misocrazy via Flickr)
The Red Herring is a common device in fiction, employed by writers who like to keep readers on their toes. Simply put, it’s a clue intended to lead in the wrong direction. This is an especially useful trope for plots that involve a lot of mystery, as misleading details help to keep the element of surprise. After all, a story in which the major secret is easy to deduce from the beginning isn’t really worth the read, is it?
Like the Chekhov’s Gun, a Red Herring generally relies on the principle of conservation of detail to work properly: every detail presented in a story must have a reason for being there, otherwise it should be discarded. Of course, as mentioned above, a Red Herring functions in the opposite manner as a Chekhov’s Gun in that it’s intended to seem important upon its introduction but is later revealed to have been a distraction from the true secret of the story. The challenge for the audience is trying to tell the fake clues from the real ones!
Placing a Red Herring
Although every Red Herring is purposely used to throw the audience off, the best ones still have some significant connection to the plot even after being revealed as false leads. For instance, a clue can be introduced to set up suspicions about a certain character. This character may later turn out to be innocent, but the clue that seemed to be pointing to them justifies another character as the culprit instead. The example provided on TV Tropes is that of suspects in a hypothetical murder case, but I suppose it could apply to any kind of mystery. The only limit is your own imagination!
For writers who like to get really creative, Red Herrings come in different “flavors”. Subtropes include the Red Herring Shirt, when someone in the background turns out to be an important character; the Red Herring Mole, when a character who seems suspicious turns out to be innocent; and the Red Herring Twist, when a detail played as a potential Chekhov’s Gun turns out to be nothing more than a distraction from the main plot. It’s also possible to create a similar effect with a mistake as opposed to intentional misdirection, while a plot twist confused for a Red Herring due to its overly obvious nature is known as an Untwist.
Overall, I find Red Herrings very enjoyable to write, for when placed well, they can definitely add some interesting twists to a story. Have fun trying them out for yourself, and good luck throwing your readers off with misleading clues!
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