For the love of words
For the love of words!
This post was inspired by my friend Rami’s post on being brief in his writing, and made me think about all the words I come across that I wish I could incorporate into my own writing. I shouldn’t say ‘I wish’ because of course, I am in control of what I write, but sometimes the words just don’t fit, and you don’t want to write a sentence or a scene JUST to use a word do you? I’m talking about the words that taste amazing in your mouth, that make you smile at their usage, those kinds of words.
Do you have a running list of awesome words you’re just looking for a place to use in your own writing?
Here are some of mine (all definitions from Dictionary.com) :
Miasma [mahy-az-muh, mee-] 1. noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs polluting the atmosphere. 2. a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere.
Rudimentary [roo-duh–men-tuh-ree, -tree] 1. pertaining to rudiments or first principles;elementary: a rudimentary knowledge of geometry.2. of the nature of a rudiment; undeveloped or vestigial. 3. primitive.
Calamitous [kuh–lam-i-tuh s] 1. causing or involving calamity; disastrous.
Vapid [vap-id] 1. lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor;insipid; flat: 2. without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious:
Acerbic [uh–sur-bik] 1. sour or astringent in taste: 2. harsh or severe, as of temper or expression.
Chimera [ki-meer–uh, kahy-] 1. A mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail. 2. Any similarly grotesque monster having disparate parts, especially as depicted in decorative art. 3. A horrible or unreal creature of the imagination; a vain or idle fancy. 4. Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species.
What are yours?