by Naomi L. | July 15, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Here’s another set of “What If?” Writing Prompts for you! Since I love these genres so much, this week’s post features more prompts themed to fantasy and science fiction. See what stories you can write based on these ideas! Have fun!
What if… the human race were to colonize other planets?
What if… what you thought was a normal vehicle turned out to be a transporter into an alternate dimension?
What if… you discovered that changing the time on your watch changed the time in the real world?
What if… you trained dragons for a living?
What if… you woke up one morning to find your stuffed animals/action figures had come to life?
Enjoy writing some more fantasy and science fiction 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. | July 13, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: licentious
Pronunciation: ly-SEN-shəs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition:
- promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters
- (archaic) disregarding accepted rules or conventions, especially in grammar or literary style
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Beata Maria, you know I’m so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.
– “Hellfire” (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996)
Oh yes, Disney worked the word “licentious” into a children’s movie. The first time I ever heard this word was when I was a kid and watched the 1996 animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The term “licentious” comes up about halfway through the movie in the song “Hellfire“: while conflicted between his religious virtues and his desire for the gypsy Esmeralda, Judge Claude Frollo tries to justify to himself that he is somehow above the sins committed by the “promiscuous” common people he hates (when in fact that hatred is exactly what makes him far worse than any of them).
A “licentious” person is someone who lacks principles in sexual matters. It also once referred to a disregard for rules and conventions. The word comes from the Latin adjective licentiosus “unrestrained”, which stems from the noun licentia, meaning “freedom”.
Because “licentious” has an archaic definition, it’s possible that its use in the medieval setting of a Disney movie was intended to have the tamer meaning of a general disrespect for society’s rules. Then again, given the context of the song and the second definition’s emphasis on writing techniques, it’s more likely the word was being used in its primary meaning of sexual depravity. Either way, this is a good adjective for describing people without moral principles. If your characters tend to be unscrupulous in their actions, you too may have a “licentious” crowd in your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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. | June 29, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: soporific
Pronunciation: sah-pə-RI-fik
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: tending to induce drowsiness or sleep
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Have you ever been doing or experiencing something and suddenly started to feel drowsy because of it? Well, that activity had a “soporific” effect on you. We’ve all encountered something at one time or another that made us sleepy: medicine, a long plane ride, a boring movie. And if we’re going to subject our characters to the same kind of experiences, why not have an uncommon word handy to define whatever is putting them to sleep?
Something that’s “soporific” has a tendency to include sleepiness or drowsiness in people. The word arose in the mid 17th century and can be traced back to the French adjective soporifique. This adjective in turn is derived from the Latin noun sopor, meaning “deep sleep”.
Aside from its primary definition, “soporific” can also be used to describe a person who is feeling sleepy or drowsy. Another sub-definition of the word is “tediously boring or monotonous”, and in some cases it functions as a noun to refer to “a drug or other agent that induces sleep”. Whatever the context, “soporific” is a good word to keep in mind for anything in your stories that puts your characters to sleep. Just try to make sure your writing isn’t “soporific” to your readers! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 22, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: usurp
Pronunciation: yoo-SƏRP
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: take a position of power or importance illegally or by force
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Virtually every fan of medieval stories should be familiar with this week’s vocabulary word. It’s not uncommon to see characters of fantasy and history alike “usurp” a throne or high rank from an unpopular ruler. Being fascinated with the Middle Ages myself, I’ve read my fair share of tales about monarchs and tyrants being overthrown from power, and though the specific word for it isn’t always used, the action does always make for an exciting story!
To “usurp” a high position of power is to take it by force or otherwise illegal means. The word arose in Middle English and was used in the sense “to wrongfully appropriate a right”. This verb can be traced back through the Old French verb usurper to the Latin verb usurpare, meaning “to seize for use”.
Though I was already well familiar with the word “usurp”, I admit I began showing a greater interest in it when I started reading A Game of Thrones (still on the first book and haven’t watched the series yet, so no spoilers, please!), as it seems to be the driving goal of at least every other character in the story. I’ve read this word most often in medieval fiction, but it works well in any scenario of power shifting by force. A sub-definition of “usurp” is “to take the place of someone in a position of power illegally”, and writers of historical fiction may find use in the archaic meaning “to encroach or infringe upon someone’s rights”. If you write characters who seek to steal power from others, “usurp” is definitely the word to define their objectives! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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