Monday, October 7, 2013

Incarnadine Seas (Blog #5)

Georgia Heard has a book "Writing Toward Home" in which she gives advice to novice writers. She has a chapter on words that I love. This is an excerpt:

I collect words like shiny red tomatoes, picked from the vine, ripening in my notebook. When I read a word I like in a newspaper or book, I write it down. I collect words for their music, their poetry, ther possibility, their surprises.I haunt used-book stores looking for books that contain unusual words. "Elementary Seamanship" has a glossary of sea terms: scupper, bulwark, winch, windlass, scuttles. The book is a cup of possibility for those days when I'm thirsty for words. Gwendolyn Brooks, a poet, says "Collect Words!" Buy your own dictionary. Circle exciting words. The more words you know the better you will be able to express yourself, your thoughts. I collect words because I love them, and as a writer I need to be able to pepper my writing with words from everywhere.

For this blog post I'd like you to listen to words around you. Notice them on menus, signs, books, newspapers - the more you become aware of the words possible to you, the more abundant your writing will become. Post at least 5-10 words that you find beautiful or new or exciting. Comment on each other's posts as well.

Some of my favorite words include: Serendipity, Seaglass, Ethereal, Luminous, Celestial...

60 comments:

  1. Luminescence, ripple, crystalline, lullaby, sapphire.

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    1. I love the word sapphire, it is very nice to say and hear out loud.

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  2. supercalifragelistikexpialadocious

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    1. I bet you used this word on a daily basis

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    2. you say it when you dont know what to say monica which for me is a lot !!

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    3. iiiiiiiiiiiiiit's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious! If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIADLIDOCIOUS!!! Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay

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  3. stark, mercurial, rhyme, troupe, memory, quibble.

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    1. All of your words are strong and powerful and meaningful sounding!

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  4. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

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  5. serendipity, serene, reminisce, dream, lavender.

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    1. that's so funny that you and Mrs. Zuba have one of the same words! Lol!!

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    2. we're basically the same person

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    3. LOL....I'm letting Katie take over class this week :)

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  6. elloquent, phantasmagorical, cataract, flittermice, zenith, rue

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  7. discombobulated, droplet, eloquence, lagoon, meander

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  8. Dalliance, Ebullience, Glamour, Harbinger, Halcyon, Mellifluous, Onomatopoeia, Opulent, Panacea, Ratatouille.

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  9. fuzzy, ripple, serendipty, collide, rush, ringlet

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  10. exonerating, convivial, alabaster, blithe, cohere, countercharge, trite

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  11. coloquial, zeal, contempt, kinship, blaze, glacial, cesspool, somber

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  12. monotonous, monotone, monopoly, monogamy and serendipity

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  13. snool, mugwump, maverick, filibuster, bubbles

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  14. gallimaufry, turophile, festschrift, oolert, lascivious

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  15. remedy, boutique, sanguine, reminisce, tranquil, cordiality

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  16. languid, jolly, fantasy, escape, barbecue, lavish, picnic

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  17. luscious, soliloquy, ravishing, pulchritudinous, angelic, statuesque, exquisite

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  18. myriad, scorch, flow, ebb, bay, harbor, exist

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  19. antique, reminisce, sacred, memory, nostalgic

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  20. fragrance, umbrella, Eloquence, allusion, tranquility, snuggle

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  21. etiquette, champagne, reminisce, serendipity, engulf

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  22. Champagne, Ridiculous, Aurora, Xylophone, Silhouette

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  23. zeitgeist, elated, effervescent, omnipotent, vagabond, crystallized, psychedelic

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  24. antithesis, eternal, singularity, benevolent, monochromatic

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  25. Antidisestablishmentarianism, Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism, honorificabilitudinitatibus, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, hepaticocholangiocholecystenterostomies

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  26. nautical aquatic adrenaline incinerated chronicle

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  27. signature, universal,monopolize,laughable, abhorrent, robust

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  28. Kodak, cashmere, mist, gorgeous, lagoon

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  29. Nice lists everyone! Check out the new blog!

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  30. Neon, sprite, new, feather, tongue

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