Otherworldly Words: Illusory

April Fools’ Day is long gone, but I still have one last word about trickery up my sleeve. Illusory is from a Latin derivative meaning to mock or ridicule. It’s a fitting end to this look at words of trickery, mockery, and deception—words that makes us fools.  Illusion can be thrilling, frightening, mildly entertaining, or, as is…

Writing about mental illness without being exploitative

In my novel Red Haze, I have a number of characters who are experiencing extreme situations and have extreme reactions. At its base, the novel is a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. But for the formula to work, the characters needed to react to trauma appropriately: anguish, rage, delusion. These emotions make every muscle…

Otherworldly Words: ideomotor effect

April Fools’ Day is long gone, but I’m still exploring words about trickery throughout the month. The ideomotor effect fits the bill. This term offers a scientific explanation, a Scully if you will, for such phenomenon as moves a Ouija board. (Other than a cheesy GIF.) Basically, the effect suggests that mental expectation involuntarily influences…

Writing Prompt: Dilemma

Your main character is faced with a dilemma: betray a confidence and perhaps lose a friend or stand by and wait for a friend to make what s/he believes is a horrible mistake. What does your character do? What is his or her thought process to make the decision? What scenarios does she or he…

Otherworldly Words: Anancy

April is a month for fools! From words that refer to natural phenomenon that have misled  us to words to describe the things we do to make fools of others, this month I’ll explore words to do with some sort of trickery. Anancy is always up to something. With disguises and other clever tools to fool…

Otherworldly Words: Brocken spectre

April is a month for fools! From words that refer to natural phenomenon that have misled  us to words to describe the things we do to make fools of others, this month I’ll explore words to do with some sort of trickery. First up is brocken spectre. This optical illusion caused by one’s own shadow…