by Naomi L. | July 8, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Since there were quite a few good suggestions from Writer’s Carnival members on the last horror set of “What If?” Writing Prompts, I decided to split their ideas into separate posts. Continuing on the theme of strange happenings, this week’s post features more prompts in the mystery and suspense genres. What bizarre stories can you write based on these ideas? Have fun!
What if… you came home to find that everyone and everything was missing?
(Submitted by: Carol, Writer’s Carnival member)
What if… you were able to walk through your mirror into a land where everything is exactly the opposite of this one?
(Suggested by: Travis “TJ Bar”, co-founder of Writer’s Carnival)
What if… you kept seeing someone out of the corner of your eye, but every time you turned, no one was there?
What if… you kept waking up in the middle of the night to a strange noise in your house?
What if… you found a box in your attic containing special items and instructions to find a hidden treasure?
Good luck writing some mysterious and suspenseful tales!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
by Naomi L. | July 6, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: commandeer
Pronunciation: kah-mən-DEER
Part of Speech: verb
Definition:
- officially take possession or control of something, especially for military purposes
- take possession of something without authority
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Will Turner: We’re going to steal a ship? That ship?
Jack Sparrow: Commandeer. We’re going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term.
– Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Let’s have some fun with another word I picked up from Pirates of the Caribbean. The word “commandeer” comes up quite a few times in the first film of Disney’s popular Pirates series, where it’s (logically) always used by Captain Jack Sparrow. A notable example is when he and Will are planning to take one of the military’s prized ships on their mission to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth, in which case Jack replaces Will’s blunt choice of words with a “nautical term” that frankly makes little difference except for being easier on the ears (and the conscience).
To “commandeer” something is to take control of it by force, either officially for military purposes or without authority. The word has an interesting history to it, tracing back from the early 19th century through the Afrikaans verb kommandeer and the Dutch verb commanderen to the French verb commander, meaning “to command”. This verb is derived from the Latin verb commendare, which is comprised of two roots: the preposition com (denoting intensive force) and the verb mandare (“to commit” or “to command”).
I suppose the word “commandeer” is similar to the word “usurp“, at least in its second sense. Interestingly, the word can also apply to people, as a sub-definition of it is “enlist someone to help in a task, typically against the person’s will”. So take note: if your characters make a habit of engaging in official or unauthorized business, they may find the need to “commandeer” something (or someone) once in a while! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | July 3, 2015 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
Always do I think fondly of you,
My beloved homeland.
Every day, I miss your beautiful flag,
Red, white and blue waving high above me.
I will return to you someday,
Country of freedom and opportunity.
America, my heart belongs to you!
Happy Independence Day to all my fellow American friends and family! May you have a blessed Fourth of July weekend!
by Naomi L. | July 1, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing |
Grammar is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? If you agree, then you too may be a grammar nerd! We grammar enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, and there are millions of us scattered all over the world. But have you ever wondered what sort of people make up most of the grammar nerd population?
If you have, then you’re in luck! To celebrate a milestone of 5 million Facebook fans, Grammarly has released an infographic breaking down the major percentages of their grammar-loving audience. See where you fit in the wide world of grammar nerds! Enjoy!
My Grammar Nerd Anatomy
- Woman
- College-educated
- 25 years old (so close!)
- In a relationship
- Scientist (but I conduct my research at a university, so I guess that counts as Education)
- Living in South America, though I was raised in the United States
- “Irregardless” is not a word! Let’s get it right, people.
- I love books, I love words, and the Oxford comma has really been growing on me lately.
- Semi-colons are awesome; that’s just a fact.
Feel free to share your profile in the comments! Have fun!
Today’s creative writing post is brought to you by Grammarly, the World’s Best Grammar Checker. For more information on Grammarly, visit http://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check. Thanks for reading! Happy writing!
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