by Naomi L. | June 19, 2017 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: gubernatorial
Pronunciation: ɡoo-bər-nə-TO-ree-əl
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: relating to a state governor or the office of state governor
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
George: What about candleholders?
Jerry: Too romantic.
George: Lingerie?
Jerry: Too sexual.
George: Waffle maker?
Jerry: Too domestic.
George: Bust of Nelson Rockefeller?
Jerry: Too gubernatorial.
– Seinfeld (Season 2, Episode 9 – The Deal)
Despite its serious connotation, I first learned today’s Word of the Week from an episode of one of my favorite comedy shows, Seinfeld. After making his infamous “deal” with Elaine, Jerry learns the real challenge of maintaining a friends-with-benefits relationship when he tries and fails to find a birthday gift for her that won’t send the wrong message. This leads to the hilarious exchange above that ends with an exasperated George sarcastically suggesting the only item in the store with no romantic undertones, which Jerry still dismisses as “too political”. He does have a point: given that he was once the governor of New York, a bust of Nelson Rockefeller is indeed “gubernatorial”!
Anything defined as “gubernatorial” refers to a governor or the office of governor, particularly a state governor in the US. The word arose in the mid 18th century and comes from the Latin noun gubernator, meaning “governor”. This noun stems from the verb gubernare “to govern”, which in turn derives from the Greek verb kubernáō “to steer”.
For obvious reasons, the word “gubernatorial” comes up most often in the media during congressional election cycles. However, it’s important to note that while it may be confused for a general political word, this adjective refers specifically to the office of governor (the senate equivalent, for example, would be “senatorial”). If you write political fiction with characters who are or plan to be governors, “gubernatorial” may be a useful word for your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 16, 2017 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
The most important man
That a girl will ever know
Is the man who gives her everything
To help her learn and grow.
The most important smile
That a girl will ever see
Is of proud encouragement
For the woman she can be.
The most important words
That a girl will ever hear
Are the first to say she’s beautiful,
Intelligent and dear.
The most important lesson
That a girl will ever learn
Is that he’s the only man
To whom she can always turn.
He loves his daughter dearly,
Gives her everything he can.
And I wouldn’t be this woman
If it weren’t for that man.
I don’t know how to thank him
For the things he always did
To give me the greatest life
Ever since I was a kid.
But I know he’ll always be there
To catch me if I fall.
And of all the men I know,
He’s the greatest one of all.
So thanks for being awesome
And for everything you do!
Happy Father’s Day to you, Dad,
From a daughter who loves you!
Happy Father’s Day to my amazing dad! Thank you for all the love and support you’ve given me my whole life! I love you!
by Naomi L. | June 14, 2017 | Blog, Creative Writing |
Father’s Day is coming soon, so what else could I write about this week on my creative writing blog but the awesome dads in fiction? Fathers are among the most important family figures we know, and fathers in fiction can be just as influential to the other characters in their stories. There are plenty of well-known dads in literature, film, and television, but I finally managed to narrow this list down to a few of my favorites. They aren’t always perfect, but these lovable dads are still awesome parents!
So to celebrate this coming holiday, here’s a list of my five favorite fathers in fiction. Enjoy, and Happy Father’s Day!
1) Mufasa (The Lion King)
Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life. – Mufasa’s spirit to Simba
For those of us who grew up in the ’90s, the death of Mufasa in The Lion King was a defining moment in our childhoods. It was heartbreaking and tearjerking, not just because it was one of our first hard lessons about the tragedy and permanence of death, but because we witnessed a child lose his greatest mentor, role model, and friend.
Through his brief time on screen, Mufasa imparts much of his wisdom to Simba (and the audience), teaching valuable lessons about the circle of life, the responsibilities that come with power, and the difference between courage and recklessness. Even in spirit, this wise and powerful king guides his son through the most difficult time in his life and encourages him to become the leader he was born to be. This great lion may not have lived through his movie, but to all us lifelong Lion King fans, his lessons have stayed with us since childhood and contributed to our understanding of the world as adults. It’s no wonder Mufasa is everyone’s favorite Disney dad!
2) King Fergus of DunBroch (Brave)
Princess or not, learning to fight is essential. – Fergus disagreeing with Elinor on Merida’s use of weapons
If I see myself in Princess Merida and my mother in Queen Elinor, I definitely see my father in King Fergus. The Bear King of DunBroch in Pixar’s Brave, Fergus is essentially the opposite of his wife: loud, easygoing, and hot-tempered. This polarity explains why Merida clashes so often with her mother while getting along so well with her father, as the king passed much of his personality on to his daughter. His views on the princess’s future are even more progressive than the queen’s; while it takes Elinor the length of the film to let go of tradition, Fergus believes from the beginning that Merida should be free to live her own life and make her own choices (even if he’s too anxious for household peace to bring it up).
Fergus has a great sense of humor and loves a good brawl, and while he doesn’t handle every situation ideally, his training and other contributions to Merida’s upbringing prove invaluable throughout the film, as the courage and fighting skills she inherited from him help her save her mother and lift the curse from her kingdom. Clearly, Merida is a strong and fierce young woman thanks to her equally strong and fierce father!
3) Mr. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do. – Mr. Bennet after Mrs. Bennet tries to force Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins
While he may not be winning any Father of the Year awards given that he totally neglected to leave his five daughters a proper inheritance, Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is still a pretty cool dad where it counts. He’s witty and sarcastic, which explains much of Elizabeth’s intelligence (she definitely didn’t get it from her mother!), and he has a delightfully cynical sense of humor, to the point where he delivers some of the funniest lines in the book.
Unlike his wife, whose sole obsession in life is to marry her children off to wealthy gentlemen, Mr. Bennet is in no rush to see his girls get hitched, especially to people with whom they would clearly never be happy. After Jane, he’s the only other person Elizabeth can confide in for most of the novel, and if not the greatest role model for happiness, he at least has the sense to recognize his faults and warn the daughters who will listen not to make the same mistakes he did. Mr. Bennet isn’t nearly the greatest father in literature, but his cleverness and close relationship with Elizabeth make him awesome nonetheless!
4) Arthur Weasley (The Harry Potter series)
Yeah, Dad’s crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed’s full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he’d have to put himself under arrest. – Fred Weasley to Harry
There are dorky dads, and then there’s Arthur Weasley. The patriarch of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter series, Arthur works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office in the Ministry of Magic, but he’s so enthralled by Muggle objects that he spends much of his time breaking the very laws he’s supposed to uphold by studying and enchanting said objects (the most notable example being the flying car Harry and Ron use to get to Hogwarts in The Chamber of Secrets).
Aside from being eccentric, Mr. Weasley is a kind and laid-back wizard, a good father to seven children, and a strong advocate for Muggle protection. And while Harry does have a pretty cool godfather in Sirius Black, given all the time he spends with Ron’s family and all the hospitality they show him, Arthur is arguably the closest thing Harry has to a father figure throughout most of the series. He may be one of the dorkiest dads we knew growing up, but we Potter fans can’t help but love Arthur Weasley for his odd magical parenting skills and his heart of gold!
5) Marlin (Finding Nemo)
There, there, there. It’s okay, Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you. I promise I will never let anything happen to you… Nemo. – Marlin to his only surviving egg
Yes, Toy Story is a classic and I do write a lot about Brave, but if you ask me what my favorite Pixar movie is, I’ll definitely say Finding Nemo. Maybe I’m biased as a marine biologist, but as visually stunning as this film is, I find it especially appealing for Marlin and Nemo’s story and its depiction of the lengths a parent will go to for the love of a child. Sure, Marlin is far from the perfect father; he’s neurotic and overprotective, and at one point even tells Nemo he can’t do anything by himself. But can you really blame the guy for being so afraid of the ocean after losing almost his entire family to it?
Despite his flaws, this lovable clownfish turns out to be a great father where it counts; when Nemo is taken by divers, Marlin instantly overcomes his crippling terror of the “Big Blue”, facing fear after fear as he crosses the ocean to bring his kidnapped son home. The best part is that his adventure, Dory’s optimism, and Nemo’s bravery all help shape him into a much more relaxed and encouraging parent by the end of the movie, which really takes the strain out of his relationship with his son. As far as Disney dads go, Marlin is certainly one of the most devoted of the bunch!
Who are your favorite fictional fathers? What other fathers in fiction would you add to this list?
Dedicated to my dad and all the other amazing fathers out there! Thank you for all your love, wisdom, and support! Happy Father’s Day!
by Naomi L. | June 12, 2017 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: paterfamilias
Pronunciation: pay-tər-fə-MI-lee-əs / pah-tər-fə-MI-lee-əs
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: the male head of a family or household
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Father’s Day is this Sunday, so it’s a good week to share an uncommon synonym for “father”! Following the vocabulary word I shared for Mother’s Day, today’s Word of the Week is its equally exotic-sounding male counterpart. While the former holiday is dedicated to female heads of families everywhere, this upcoming holiday is a chance to celebrate every “paterfamilias” in your life!
A “paterfamilias” is the male head of a household or family. The word comes from the Latin phrase pater familias, meaning “father of the household”. This phrase comprises the noun pater “father” and the noun familia “family”.
Historically, a “paterfamilias” was the patriarch of a Roman family, established as the oldest living male in the household. His duties included managing his estate, exercising authority over every other member of his extended family, and actively participating in Roman political and social life. Similar to “materfamilias”, the plural form of “paterfamilias” is “patresfamilias”. If you write characters who are fathers and/or male heads of their households (especially for historical fiction about Ancient Rome), “paterfamilias” is a good word to include in your vocabulary!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 9, 2017 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
Our favorite time of year is around the corner again!
A time when we can relax and have fun.
You know we’ll be hitting the beach soon.
Ice cream every day is a must.
School’s out for the season too!
Vacation time is finally here!
Sunny skies every day?
Best season ever!
Let’s enjoy!
Summer!
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!
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