by Naomi L. | October 29, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
My apologies in advance; due to my particularly busy grad school schedule this month, I haven’t had as much time to write as I’d like. Therefore, the next few weeks’ Creative Writing posts will consist mostly of “What If?” Writing Prompts. To start off, here’s another set of fantasy and science fiction prompts for you to enjoy. Have fun!
What if… your pet(s) turned human for a day?
What if… in the future, humans were no longer the most advanced species on Earth?
What if… the creatures of ancient mythology existed today?
What if… your home/region/country were suddenly frozen in time while the rest of the world remained normal?
What if… the whole time people have been debating whether computers could become sentient… they already were?
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. | October 27, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: diffuse
Pronunciation: di-FYOOZ (v.) / di-FYOOS (adj.)
Part of Speech: verb; adjective
Definition:
- (v.) spread or cause to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people
- (adj.) spread out over a large area; not concentrated
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
No, today’s post is not about disarming explosives. This is another word pulled from the vocabulary flashcard stack, and I found it particularly interesting for the fact that it’s both an adjective and a verb. With such a similar spelling and pronunciation, you can’t really blame me for confusing it at first with its more common homophone.
To “diffuse” something is to spread it out over a large area. Similarly, something regarded as “diffuse” is spread out over a wide area. The verb stems from the Latin verb diffundere, meaning “to pour out”. The adjective can be traced back to the Latin adjective diffusus, meaning “extensive”.
As previously noted, the verb “diffuse” is easy to confuse with “defuse”, since both words have the same pronunciation. Remember that “diffuse” means “to disperse”, while “defuse” means “to reduce the danger or tension in”. “Diffuse” also happens to multiple sub-definitions that apply to various subjects, such as physics (“cause to become intermingled with a substance by movement”) and abstract ideas (“lacking clarity or conciseness”). With its wide variety of meanings, you’re certainly likely to find one that fits your writing. Just be careful not to make your stories too “diffuse”!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | October 20, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: aesthetic
Pronunciation: es-THE-tik
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Here’s a fairly common word that most avid readers have come across before, but that’s still worth mentioning in this vocabulary segment. Something about the word “aesthetic” intrigues me. I’m not entirely sure what it is; maybe it’s the sound of it, maybe it’s the Greek spelling. But most likely, it’s the definition. After all, I do appreciate words that have to do with beauty.
“Aesthetic” refers to beauty or the appreciation of it. The word is derived from the Greek adjective aisthētikós, meaning “relating to perception by the senses”. This adjective stems from the noun aísthēsis “perception”, which comes from the verb aisthánomai “to perceive”. The current definition arose in German in the mid 18th century and was adopted into English in the early 19th century.
Unsurprisingly, “aesthetic” is usually attached to nouns related to visual perception, such as in “aesthetic appeal”. A slightly alternative definition for the word would be “giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty”, and it can be used as a noun to mean “a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement”. As the plural noun “aesthetics”, it refers to “a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty”, though it can also refer to a branch of philosophy that deals with said principles. As you can see, there are many ways to use the word “aesthetic”, but when applied well, they can all help bring to light the beauty in the details of your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | October 15, 2014 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Who’s ready for Halloween? In the spirit of the year’s spookiest holiday, here are some “What If?” Writing Prompts set to the general theme of horror. What sorts of creepy tales can you spin from these ideas? Good luck!
What if… you looked in the mirror and it wasn’t you looking back?
(Submitted by: TJ Bar from Writer’s Carnival)
What if… Halloween turned into everyday life?
(Submitted by: Anisa, one of the founders of Writer’s Carnival)
What if… the monster you thought was living under your bed when you were a kid turned out to be real?
What if… there were an immortal spider in your house that only grew larger the more you tried to kill it?
What if… a magic spell forced you to spend a day in the life of a monster?
Have fun writing your own twists into these horror stories! Happy Halloween!
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. | October 13, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: clairvoyant
Pronunciation: kle(ə)r-VOY-ənt
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: having or exhibiting an ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Here’s a fun word for you fantasy/paranormal fiction writers. This one was suggested by my best friend, though it was more of a reminder about a word I already knew that happened to be the first to come to mind when I asked him for a potential vocabulary entry. Given how much I enjoy stories with fantasy elements to them, this is definitely a word I’d keep on a shortlist for describing psychic characters.
A “clairvoyant” person is someone who has (or claims to have) extrasensory perception, that is, the ability to perceive beyond the natural scope of sensory contact. The word is originally French and consists of two root adjectives: clair “clear” and voyant “seeing”. This adjective arose in the late 17th century to mean “clear-sighted” or “perceptive”, while its current definition dates back to the mid 19th century.
Note that the word “clairvoyant” isn’t exclusively an adjective; it can also be used as a noun to indicate “a person who claims to have a supernatural ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact”. Whether or not you believe in such extrasensory perception, you have to admit that the idea of a person being able to foresee the future is intriguing. If you enjoy writing paranormal or fantasy stories, you can certainly get some good use out of this word, provided you’re up for the challenge. “Clairvoyant” characters can be a lot of fun to write! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | October 6, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: serendipity
Pronunciation: se-rən-DI-pi-tee
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
“Serendipity” is an intriguing word, isn’t it? Whenever I hear it, I think it could be the name of a celebrity or a word used to describe a situation of peace and calm. Interestingly enough, though, “serendipity” isn’t related to the word “serenity” yet does have a similar definition, as both words mean something positive.
“Serendipity” refers to the development of fortunate events that happen by chance. The word was coined in 1754 by Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, who drew it from an English translation of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip. Walpole evidently created the word to define the fortune of the story’s heroes, who, in his words, were “always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of”.
Life has a way of surprising us with a lucky streak at least once in a while. Hence, fictional characters are bound to have the occasional run of good fortune too. If you enjoy writing about lucky characters and favorable twists of fate, you can probably make plenty of references to “serendipity” in your stories! Good luck (pun totally intended)!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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