by Naomi L. | September 19, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: putative
Pronunciation: PYOO-tə-tiv
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: generally considered or reputed to be
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Okay, so this is a little embarrassing to admit, but I learned today’s Word of the Week from a minor mistake I made in an early draft of my thesis. While citing references for cases of transatlantic larval dispersal in reef fish, I included a species that had only been speculated – but not confirmed – to display this trait. I didn’t notice the mistake until my professor told me to double-check the reference, at which point I realized that I had missed the single word that changed the entire meaning of the sentence. Lesson learned: there’s a world of difference between a confirmed quality and a “putative” quality!
A “putative” person, place, thing, or idea is reputed or generally considered to be said person, place, thing, or idea. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Old French adjective putatif, which in turn derives from the Latin adjective putativus, meaning “thought” or “supposed”. This adjective stems from the verb putare, which means “to think”.
As the above example demonstrates, the word “putative” is useful for defining what is generally thought to be something without any hard proof to support the claim. I assume it works best in the context of an idea that at least can easily be accepted as truth based on evidence, though this might not always be the case. If your stories include details that aren’t confirmed to be true (at least by your characters), “putative” may be a good word to keep on your list!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | September 16, 2016 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
The young bear spotted the bee landing on a daisy.
Curious, he followed the striped insect to its hive.
It led him through meadows rich with wildflowers.
Finally, it vanished into a large tree.
The cub sniffed the hive cautiously.
He reached his paw inside.
Out came something sticky.
It tasted sweet.
Delicious gold.
Honey!
This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: “Ten to One”. The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!
Back to the story
by Naomi L. | September 14, 2016 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
My apologies, but I must leave you all with another set of “What If?” Writing Prompts this week. As I finish preparing for the defense of my Master’s thesis, it seems the only thing on my mind these days is science, so I thought it would be appropriate to share some more fantasy and science fiction prompts. Have fun writing new stories from these ideas, and feel free to add more of your own!
What if… a massive meteor were heading toward Earth… and only you knew how to stop it?
What if… you found a capsule in your backyard containing an alien artifact?
What if… you were granted the power to shape-shift into one magical creature of your choice?
What if… you could learn the ability to breathe fire or ice?
What if… magic were a field of science?
Good luck spinning more tales of fantasy and science fiction!
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. | September 12, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: clandestine
Pronunciation: klan-DES-tən / KLAN-des-tyn
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
While I’m on the subject of words I keep forgetting to add to my vocabulary list, here’s another Word of the Week that somehow kept getting pushed back in my memory before I finally dug it up last month. If I really tried, I could probably recall at least half a dozen instances when I heard or read this word somewhere and thought, “Oh yeah, I should make a note to blog about it,” only to forget again within the hour. Funny how words sometimes grow into their own definitions; it’s almost as if this secretive term is being purposely “clandestine” in my memory!
A “clandestine” act is one that’s done in secret, usually due to being illicit. The word arose in the mid 16th century and comes from the French adjective clandestin, which in turn derives from the Latin adjective clandestinus, meaning “secret” or “concealed”. This adjective stems from the adverb clam, which means “secretly”.
Sure enough, as its definition suggests, most instances in which I’ve read or heard the word “clandestine” were in the context of an illicit action (such as a meeting between parties who shouldn’t be seen together in public), though I’m fairly certain that needn’t always be the case. For those interested in a more obscure meaning, the word is also a freemasonry term for someone who isn’t recognized as a regular member. If your characters tend to engage in secretive and even illegitimate acts, you may have fun writing about the “clandestine” events in your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | September 9, 2016 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
Down the winding shore
Tiny grains of sand vanish
Through the still hourglass
On the beach you’ll see
Soft footprints across the sand
Fade away with time
When the sea breeze blows
White sands fly and disappear
Into tomorrow
My responses to Ronovan Writes‘ Weekly Haiku Challenge #113: Beach & Time. Another fun challenge! Thanks for the prompt, Ronovan!
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