by Naomi L. | March 2, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: fortuitous
Pronunciation: for-TOO-ə-təs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition:
- happening by accident or chance rather than design
- happening by a lucky chance; fortunate
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
It’s the beginning of March, and what better way to start off St. Patrick’s month than with a word related to good fortune? “Fortuitous” is a word I see and hear pop up every once in a while, so it would definitely make an interesting addition to this vocabulary segment. In my opinion, one can never know too many words for “good luck”!
A “fortuitous” event is one that happens by chance, generally a lucky one. The word comes from the Latin adjective fortuitus “happening by chance”, which stems from the adverb forte, meaning “by chance”. This word is derived from the noun fors, which means “chance” or “luck”.
Although “fortuitous” is listed as having two similar meanings, modern uses tend to favor the latter, which is more or less synonymous to “lucky” or “fortunate”. Note, however, that Oxford Dictionaries emphasize this definition as being a strictly informal use of the word, and one that should thus be avoided except in contexts of this sort. Of course, it all comes down to a writer’s discretion when deciding how best to work it into a story, so feel free to use “fortuitous” however you see fit, and may the best fortune find you in your writing endeavors anyway. Good luck (pun absolutely intended)!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | February 25, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Here are some more “What If?” Writing Prompts to cover my creative writing posts while I catch up with my grad school work. The theme this week is a genre pairing that I have yet to feature a second time in this segment: mystery and suspense. Enjoy trying out these ideas, and please feel free to add more of your own! Good luck!
What if… you discovered your parents weren’t who you thought they were?
What if… whenever you answered that persistent knocking at your door, nobody were there?
What if… you were followed home by a strange animal?
What if… you couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching your every move?
What if… someone you’d never met passed away and left you everything in his/her will?
Have fun writing your own mysterious and suspenseful 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!
by Naomi L. | February 23, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: behemoth
Pronunciation: bi-HEE-məth / BEE-ə-məth
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a huge or monstrous creature
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Continuing from last week’s post on the word “leviathan“, here’s a complementary word for another type of giant monster. If there’s a name for a titanic water-dwelling beast, it stands to reason that there should also be a name for a colossal land-based creature. Once again, mythology provides us with one such name: the great “Behemoth”.
A “behemoth” is basically a creature of monstrous proportion. The word comes from the Hebrew noun bĕhēmōṯ, the intensive plural form of bĕhēmāh, which means “beast”. It has a notable reference in the Bible as a massive creature God shows to Job to prove the point that His might is unmatched by anything mortal (Job 40:15-24).
While the official dictionary entry for “Behemoth” doesn’t specify its habitat as terrestrial, some legends identify it as the male earth-dwelling complement to the female sea monster “Leviathan”. In the same way the latter most likely represented a whale or crocodile, the former may have been equated to such creatures as an elephant, a hippopotamus, a rhinoceros, or even (according to certain theories) a dinosaur. Also similar to “leviathan”, in modern language, “behemoth” can be used as a metaphor for anything enormous and powerful, especially a company or organization. If you tend to write plenty of titanic entities into your stories, “behemoth” may be the word you’re looking for! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | February 18, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
It seems my busy real-life schedule is catching up with me again, so I’ll have to leave you all with some “What If?” Writing Prompts for now. This week’s set returns to the first theme I ever featured in this segment: fairy tales. Enjoy putting your own spin on some favorite fairy tales with these ideas, and by all means, please feel free to add more of your own! Have fun!
What if… princesses never needed a man to rescue them, but instead could get themselves out of trouble?
What if… Snow White hadn’t reacted as expected to the poison apple?
What if… the “evil witch” were the real heroine of the story all along?
What if… another young lady had fit into Cinderella’s glass slipper first?
What if… for once, a prince had to be rescued by a brave woman?
Good luck writing your own reimagined fairy 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. | February 16, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: leviathan
Pronunciation: lə-VY-ə-thən
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a very large aquatic creature
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Here’s a less common word for all you fantasy and mythology enthusiasts, especially those fond of the ocean. Legends of the sea are hardly complete without a colossal sea monster to stir up some fear, so it stands to reason that such creatures deserve a name of their own. Fortunately, mythology has provided one such title: the mighty “Leviathan”.
A “leviathan” is basically an enormous water-dwelling creature. The term is especially notable in biblical use, where it refers to a giant sea monster generally equated to a whale or crocodile (e.g. Job 41, Psalms 74). This word is the English translation of the Hebrew noun liwyāṯān, which also means “whale”.
I absolutely love stories about the ocean, so I’m actually surprised I haven’t made more use of the word “leviathan” myself. A great sea monster would be an indispensable addition to a tale about the mythical beasts of the sea. Of course, the word’s uses aren’t limited to fantasy, as it can also refer to something very large and powerful (usually a ship). If you ever find yourself in need of a description for those aquatic titans in your stories, “leviathan” is the word for you! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | February 11, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing |
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and what better way to acknowledge the most romantic day of the year than by discussing the theme of love in fiction? Romance has been a prevalent topic in fiction for centuries, so much so that even stories in other genres usually contain at least one romantic subplot. But what is it about romance that makes it so popular? I can’t speak for every romance enthusiast out there, but I can discuss why I personally consider it one of my favorite genres of fiction.
So to continue on the theme of Valentine’s Day, here’s a brief review of five reasons why I love romance. Enjoy!
1) I live vicariously through fictional characters… especially my own.
One of my favorite things about reading and writing fiction in general is that it gives me a chance to experience life through the eyes of another person. And sometimes all I really want is to see the many different sides of love. That’s where romance comes in. My favorite pieces to write have always been love stories because they give me the freedom to imagine how people with different personalities might face the challenges of romance and to experience the passion and dangers of love without facing any of the risks myself. And isn’t that one of the greatest thrills of being a writer?
2) Love stories inspire me to be a better person.
When I read or write stories about people who are happy when with each other or who would do anything for each other, it inspires me to pursue those positive traits in my own life. Even seeing love in real life makes me as happy as when I read about it in fiction, if not more. In my experience, love is something that helps us grow and become better people. This is reflected in the last romantic story I wrote, which was about two teenagers whose love brought out the best in each other. With all the wonderful qualities love can inspire in people, it’s no wonder I love to experience it myself!
3) Romance exposes the true nature of people (even if somewhat idealized).
It’s human nature to love and want to be loved. That’s one of the things that makes romance so relatable. That’s also one of the reasons I use it to learn more about human behavior in general. Being something of a social ingénue, I often take advantage of fiction as a mirror that reflects some of the qualities of real people. Of these, none are more raw or real than human emotion, and of all the forces in the world that can drive it, one of the most powerful by far is love. So if any genre of fiction can offer an insight into true human nature, it’s romance. Which is why…
4) Stories about love give me a positive outlook on the world.
More often than not, romance shows us the good side of people, a side I wish we could see more in real life. There are far too many tragic stories in the world as it is. So when I read or write about characters loving each other, it fills me with hope that the same could be true for real people. As I’ve noted in the previous items, fiction at least partially reflects reality in many ways. So if fictional characters can bring out the best in each other, why not believe that we can too?
5) Love never gets old!
If nothing else, I read and write love stories because I never get tired of them. Ever. I read romantic novels. I watch “lovey-dovey” movies. I write stories about people who fall and live and even die for each other. And still it never becomes cliché. Something about romance always calls me back to it, and likely always will. I can’t help it; I just love love!
So how about you? What are your favorite things about romance?
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