This whole month I’ve taken a look at words named after someone: January mausoleum Fortean Joining the ranks is mesmerize. Like mausoleum, we no longer capitalize mesmerize, despite its being named after the Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer. He theorized “animal magnetism,” which he thought was the force that passes between two people or inanimate…
Month: January 2016
In case you’ve forgotten, life can be magical
I was having one of those days. The kind where everything was going wrong. The sky was a piled mass of gray clouds that no sun could squeak through. I spilled my first cup of coffee. I ruined lunch. I had a headache. My husband and I pledged to go to the park for a…
The Moon in Your Eyes
My novella, The Moon in Your Eyes, is now out, and it has its first two glowing reviews: “This short story reads like a perfect b-movie flick, complete with a handful of archetypes including the rebellious teen (nice nod with the name) , the horny campers, and the cowardly muscle-bound egoist. Perfect ending and “Bruce…
Writing Prompt: Resolve to Volunteer
It’s January, and the character prompts for this month revolve around resolve. All month, I’ve provided prompts that center around the types of resolutions a character might make. This final one is about volunteering. Your character pledges to volunteer more this year. What charity does he or she work for? How does it go? Is…
Otherworldly Words: Fortean
Not everybody gets a word named after him, not to mention an entire society! Charles Fort is just one of those individuals. Fortean, meaning “pertaining to extraordinary and strange phenomenon and happenings” is named after this expert in the paranormal. He research and cataloged phenomenon from UFOs to spontaneous human combustion to poltergeist. His tomes…
Writing Prompt: The Higher Power
It’s January, and the character prompts for this month revolve around resolve. As authors we have many ways to learn about our characters and to tell our readers about our characters. What they pray about and whom they pray for are excellent means! So, in the theme of resolutions this month: When some people vow to improve themselves,…
Author Shorts Question 5: What do you love most about writing?
I’ve started a new segment where I’ve asked a variety of authors to answer a few questions that I pose. Of course, I love a twist. All answers had to be no more than two sentences. Brevity presents a greater challenge. For me the process was delightful as well as insightful. I love that authors…
Writing Prompt: Weight Loss Help
It’s January, and the character prompts for this month revolve around resolve. Ah, resolutions. Your character made a bet to shed a few pounds with a friend, who seems to be winning the friendly wager. How does your character step up the game? What means does he or she take? The hard road of eating right and…
Otherworldly Words: Mausoleum
This month, I’m exploring words named after people. I started with January. Today the mausoleum is thought of as a repository for our lost loved ones and part of what make historic cemeteries beautiful, peaceful places of quietude. Originally, however, the word had a very specific meaning as the tomb of Mausolus, king of Caria, who ruled part of…
Writing Prompt: Resolve
It’s January, and the character prompts for this month revolve around resolve. It’s time for your characters to resolve to improve themselves. What are your characters’ New Year’s Resolutions? Are they self-centered? Do they pledge to do more good? What a character resolves to do can speak volumes! If you enjoyed this post, look…
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