Thoughts on a writer's vocabulary contest - 5 SBI shares to one winner
Working on the Quest in the Realms made me realize my vocabulary needs an upgrade. But more than that, my attitude towards words needed a shift too.
First, as a copywriter, my instinct is to be as simple and clear as possible. It's hard to sell something when the readers don't know what the words mean.
But in fiction, we have the opportunity to be precise. To use the right word at the right time. As well as using alternate words so we don't repeat ourselves too much (another problem I have but that's another blog post).
The contest
The variety of people here is tremendous, and I'm sure there is a huge diversity of vocabulary too. So the contest is to:
- share your best words with me - not random, archaic or overly scientific words (as the one in my example picture) - but good go-to words you hold in your pocket to use in just the right occasion in your stories (or blogs).
- write the word in the comments with the definition and an example usage.
- only English words please as that's all I can write in (at the moment)
I'll pick my favorite and they'll get 5 SBI shares at the payout of this post.
Here's a word from me
I remember reading a book on writing (not sure which one - might even have been On Writing!) and learning why it's important to use the right words. The example I remember is cairn. A cairn is a pile of rocks used as a landmark (also a shaggy dog) typically on mountains or trails.
Why write "I saw the pile of stones marking the trail" when you could say "I saw the cairn"?
GOOD LUCK
Join the Freewrite fun today! Visit @Freewritehouse
Proud to be part of the
Please the Bananafish god by entering the Finish the Story Contest
All images are mine or licensed from Adobe except where noted. Freewritehouse, and the Bananafish Tribe used with permission from their owners
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by ຖt໐ຟl from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Hi, @ntowl!
You just got a 0.42% upvote from SteemPlus!
To get higher upvotes, earn more SteemPlus Points (SPP). On your Steemit wallet, check your SPP balance and click on "How to earn SPP?" to find out all the ways to earn.
If you're not using SteemPlus yet, please check our last posts in here to see the many ways in which SteemPlus can improve your Steem experience on Steemit and Busy.
- "In lieu" -
Definition:
To substitute/replace SOMETHING with another thing
Etymology:
Lieu originates from the Latin "locus" meaning place
Usage:
Semi-common to semi-rare* (dependent on the area*)
- Example -
You'd be surprised by this entry that I used this word in lieu of other words. So much, in fact, that in lieu of choosing this entry, you might choose another one. So much so because, in lieu of a proper example, I decided to be annoying about it. So, in lieu of a serious comment, I shall have fun. Why? Because I wish writers use this word in lieu of using instead; also I find this more encompassing and, hypocritically, more fun to say. In lieu of ending an entry properly, I decided to end it now in lieu of flashy stuff.
where do you get your gifs? mine never move!
Okay, press “edit” when yah see yer comment, look at the html of the gif, turn “GIF” to “gif” in all cases, right-click it, save it (delete old GIF as to save this pure, good gif) and blamo.
I inserted mine using the little GIF button on Steemit. When I edit it there are only gifs already. NO GIFS. So I guess the lesson is, don't use the GIF button.
Damno mango.
Ok then...
Word: redolent
Definition: 1) fragrant (ex. "redolent blossoms"), 2) odorous or smelling (followed by of, ex. "redolent of sulfur" or "redolent of cherry blossoms"), 3) suggestive or reminiscent (followed by of, ex. "redolent of the music of Mozart" or "redolent of the films of David Lynch")
Further examples: "The odor in this kitchen is redolent of low tide in the middle of summer."
"His writings are redolent of the verse of Dr. Suess."
I love this.
Cheers!
Great one! I'd heard the word but didn't have any idea what it meant. Thank you for clearing it up and offering exemplary examples!
You're welcome!
Awesome contest, very creative! I want to find a good one, will be back later 😉
I love the contest in principal - but I am also torn. There is also a view in the fiction world to write as simple as possible and still say what you want. That using elaborate vocabulary can be a crutch... You know what I mean. But have to think of a word LOL
I hear you. Using vocabulary just because you can isn't what I mean. That's just showing off and feels pretentious.
But sometimes writing simple feels like doing literary gymnastics, using lots of smaller words to convey the concept a single word would provide. So in these situations, using a harder vocab word allows the writing to be more clear using less words. I feel like I'm doing the gymanstics now!
Anyway, I agree with you, but I also think having a deep vocabulary can improve writing - and reading. We can't let the fast, fast, make everything simpler world dumb us down. Rebel!
Given that the largest readership group (last I checked, which was a while ago) in the world are teenage girls, I'd say you want to keep it within Twilight level...
NO WAY! Teenage girls grow up ( I know, I was one) and just because they've been fed the Twilight crap doesn't mean we have to keep feeding them that. Though I agree age-appropriate vocab is acceptable, but the writing doesn't have to be...that!
Agreed!! I just have been around too many Non-profit types who are making it a hobby to say something that could be said in 3 words in 20 words which contain at least 15 most people have to look up.
It is the art to make something seem successful and big that in reality, is closer to no result. But the funding depends on it LOL
I like "jittery" - to me, it is a word I can feel and see when I read it LOL
A contest of wordsmithery?
Why, what a statuesque sage you must be to conceive of such a stupendous tournament. Indeed, we ought to perform with herculean vigor whilst refraining from excessive oppugnancy.
If you're British the above sentence likely sounded completely normal, you crazy blokes...
One of my standbys is "historiography" - the way that historical research is conducted. This refers to both the methods of research and the philosophy behind them.
I like this word because a lot of people want to talk about this subject, but don't know the right word for it. It's also an important topic. For example, a lot of our knowledge of anything from before about 1850 (in Western history) is based only on the writings of rich people, because they were the only literate people. Therefore, historiography is flawed when we talk about the lives of working class people from those times. We basically only know what rich people thought of peasants, which could be very biased and inaccurate.
Interesting. Not a word that would appear often in fiction I wouldn't think unless one of the characters was a historiographer (is that right?) or a plot that revolves around it. But who knows. I'm glad to know it in any case!
rivulets, gumption, regale.
It's hard to know which of the words in my vocabulary are uncommon, but I'm reading through the story I'm writing for the Steem Fiction Writer anthology organized by @jeezzle, and I thought those three stuck out, at least as not everyday words.
Rivulets, of course, to talk about streams of water that are the width and depth of a single droplet (maybe more than a few droplets, but not as many as you'd find even in a babbling brook)
Gumption, of course, to talk about that sticktoitiveness that comes from stubbornness disguised as courage.
And to regale, or to tell a story with a performative element. Not to act out the story, but to weave the story with such gusto and detail that the audience is swept up in it. Also, because this word looks like "regal", when I use it, I think that the audience is treated to a story that is worth of royalty.
My examples, from the story:
The dark green Kool-Aid dye ran in rivulets down her UCLA sweatshirt.
When she reached the edge of the bridge where he’d been pulled over, though, her gumption failed her.
"I will guide you to your bedchamber and regale you with fascinating stories about my past love life."
Love the word choices. Particularly 'regale'. I feel sorry for whomever is the target of that last sentence...if I'm going to be regaled in a bedchamber, I don't want it to be about the past love lives of the person I'm with. Talk about killing the mood!
Well... it's her mom...
Posted using Partiko Android
Ummm...that seems so much worse! Some sort of bedtime story! I'm sure it makes sense in context of the story, but just that one sentence leads to lots of awkwardness.
You'll have to read the story, I guess. ;)
Posted using Partiko Android