What If? Writing Prompts: History II
It’s time for another batch of “What If?” Writing Prompts! Since I enjoyed writing the last one so much, this week’s post features another set in the history theme. See what twists you can write into true stories of the past! Good luck!
What if… every civilization in the world had shared the same religion throughout all of history?
What if… European nations hadn’t begun exploring the world in the 15th century?
What if… the British had won the American Revolutionary War?
What if… some of the greatest machines of the Industrial Age had never been invented?
What if… the Cold War had continued to the present day?
Have fun putting your own spin on historical 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!
Word of the Week: Paradigm
Word: paradigm
Pronunciation: PA-rə-dym
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a typical example or pattern of something; a model
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
So I recently attended a scientific conference, and as you can imagine, I came back with quite a few advanced words for my vocabulary list. Since I love words that can apply to both academic and artistic writing, I decided to share some of them in my Word of the Week segment. To start off, here’s a relatively common one that came up in a few of the presentations: “paradigm”. This isn’t surprising, of course; standard models are a necessary foundation for the progression of research!
A “paradigm” is a typical model, example, or pattern of something. The word comes from the Greek noun parádeigma “pattern”, which in turn comes from the verb paradeíknunai, meaning “to compare”. This verb is composed of the preposition pará “beside” and the verb deíknunai “to show”.
Although typically a technical term, “paradigm” can also be used to indicate patterns in everyday life, such as social etiquette. In linguistics, it refers to “a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles”, while in science it’s “a worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject”. Being an academic, I’ve read this word most often in scientific texts, but I believe it works equally well in fiction. If you want to draw attention to typical patterns or models in the action of your stories, “paradigm” is a good word to keep in mind! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Proposal
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
He had been planning this moment for two months now.
Nervously, he gazed at the love of his life.
I love you more than anything, he whispered.
This was it: the moment of truth.
He got down on one knee.
Then he produced the ring.
Will you marry me?
He waited, terrified…
She smiled.
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!
What If? Writing Prompts: Mythology I
Yes, it’s time for another set of “What If?” Writing Prompts. This week, I’m sharing a batch themed to a new topic that’s been on my mind lately: mythology! What sorts of tales can you spin around the elements of classic myths and legends? Good luck!
What if… there really were such things as horses with horns, wings, fins, extra legs, or human upper bodies?
What if… dragons were kept as pets and guardians in the past?
What if… gods and goddesses of ancient civilizations were living among humans today?
What if… you had the ability to see people’s animal spirits?
What if… you were given the chance to become a hero of legend?
Have fun putting your own twists on mythological stories!
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!
Word of the Week: Sardonic
Word: sardonic
Pronunciation: sahr-DAH-nik
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: grimly mocking or cynical
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
In this ever-growing world of cynicism and acerbic commentary, one can never know too many words for dark humor. I’m sure we all know someone whose sense of humor is somewhat bitter or sharp, so this week’s vocabulary entry is for those of you who need a word to define the behavior of those scornful jokers in your life and in your fiction. Enjoy!
A “sardonic” act is one that is cynical or mocking in a grim way. The word arose in the mid 17th century and comes from the French adjective sardonique, which in turn can be traced back to the Greek adjective sardónios, meaning “of Sardinia”. This adjective is an alteration of the adjective sardánios, a word Homer used to describe laughter as “bitter or scornful”.
There isn’t much I can say about the word “sardonic”, except that I definitely know a few people who fit the description. With all the witty people in my family, I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few “sardonic” actions, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t at least considered doing some of them myself. Cynicism is a common part of life, and while I wouldn’t recommend pursuing it as a lifestyle, I will admit that it helps makes fiction interesting and relatable. If your characters tend to be cynical or bitter in their sense of humor, feel free to add some “sardonic” acts or comments to your stories! Have fun!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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