As we all know Shakespeare was adept at creating numerous words for his own works, which are even today in common usage (whether we known their origin or not!) So today’s question is: Do you make your own vocabulary words in your book or resort to the existing ones?
Here is a list of Shakespeare’s unique words:
Bandit Henry VI, Part 2. 1594
Critic Love’s Labour Lost. 1598.
Dauntless Henry VI, Part 3. 1616.
Dwindle Henry IV, Part 1. 1598.
Elbow (as a verb) King Lear. 1608.
Green-Eyed (to describe jealousy) The Merchant of Venice. 1600.
Lackluster As You Like It. 1616.
Lonely Coriolanus. 1616.
Skim-milk Henry IV, Part 1. 1598.
Swagger Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1600.
Shakespeare must have loved the prefix un- because he created or gave new meaning to more than 300 words that begin with it. Here are just a few:
Unaware Venus & Adonis. 1593.
Uncomfortable Romeo & Juliet. 1599
Undress Taming of the Shrew. 1616.
Unearthly A Winter’s Tale. 1616
Unreal Macbeth. 1623
When we look at these words it is fascinating to think until the Bard created them they did not exist!
Please post your comments below.
Last week’s question: Where is your perfect writing retreat?
Although I began my novel, NOLA Gals with an extended metaphor of the ocean while on a cruise, poolside with a tropical drink, I wrote most of it alone at my sister’s cottage. I moved back and forth between deck and kitchen table, piling up research books & handwriting historical data in ringed notebooks. Eventually it all came together on my laptop.
It may be a day late but I hope you enjoy this Halloween themed story. I wrote it 3 April 2011, when my writing career was starting.
A Glimpse Through a Window
It started with a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. A movement passing the opened window but when she turned there was nothing there. Dismissing it as possibly a bird or a butterfly floating in the warmth of summer sunshine, she turned back to her work.
Just one more chapter and then she would treat herself to a walk to ease and stretch her aching muscles. Janice had woken bursting with inspiration at five o’clock, now six hours later a major part of the novel was complete. With a flourish she hit the keypad and straightens up. There in front of her was a beautiful face peering through the window. Instinct made her jump and involuntary utter a gasp.
“Hello, who are you?”
The lady smiles but does not answer just reaches out her hand to beckon Janice outside. Her dark shape and long ebony locks float as if in water, it is surreal. Fascinated Janice opens the patio door and enters the warmth of the day time sun.
“Come follow – you will find.”
“Find what, where are we going?”
Without waiting the lady turns toward the rose garden, the oldest part of the cottage garden. The floral scent permanents the air as they approach the blooms. The dark lady stops in the center of the path and points. Janice’s eyes follow her fingers direction – there blooms an ebony rose so dark it gleams.
“Write its story, Janice and release me.”
“Release you – I don’t understand?”
“My spirit resides within the bloom I am relying on your gift of words to free me forever.”
“What shall I write? Tell me what to write.”
“You know my story it is deep within you.”
Janice’s mouth opens to ask another question but the dark lady has disappeared. Was she dreaming? Everything seemed so real, so tangible – the warmth on her skin, the grass beneath her feet. Janice returns to her desk puzzling thoughts race through her mind. There she finds a dark rose petal lying upon the laptop keys. It was real?
A blank page faces her and her fingers begin to type – a story unfolds.
Esmeralda’s roses were well renowned even as far away as London. Each bloom was perfection itself due wholly to her unwavering commitment to their care. After years of trial and error with combinations of manure, egg shells and herbs, Esmeralda had found her ‘secret’ formula. Each season demanded another ritual before the first buds appeared in April. With careful attendance each bud was nurtured to its full potential. Every flower show saw Esmeralda take first place much to the dismay of her rival, Vanity. The competition between the two women was fierce.
During the sixth annual London show Esmeralda was summoned by the Duke of Suffolk. He commissioned her to produce a truly black rose – something never achieved before. With a deep bow Esmeralda had thanked him for his obvious confidence in her abilities but felt she would not succeed. The Duke took her hands and solemnly stated that if anyone could succeed it was indeed the Rose Queen herself.
Upon her return home Esmeralda began researching the deepest and darkest strains of rose. Using grafting techniques and cross pollination she grew several young plants. As they grew and flourished she waited patiently for the first blooms. She achieved deep burgundy and the darkest crimson but never ebony. Three long years past each new bloom took her a step closer to her goal but never close enough. Then in the fourth year a tiny shoot grafted to the main plant produced a bud unlike any Esmeralda had ever seen. It was the darkest green she had ever seen. She tended to this special bud as with all her charges and waited in anticipation for it to blossom.
Sunday 14th April would be a date Esmeralda would never forget – for that morning she witnessed the darkest most beautiful ebony bloom gleaming in the sunlight. She would send word to the Duke that she has succeeded in making his wish come true. However, Esmeralda died that day at the hands of her arch rival, Vanity. It was a dagger to her heart as she breathed sweet words to her special bloom. Vanity took the plant and professed it was her own creation. She became famous over night and revelled in the adulation.
As for Esmeralda her body was buried beneath her rose garden- a place she had loved above all others. Her spirit lived on in the multitude of blooms until one day it rose up and made its presence known. She was the Rose Queen and the ebony bloom her creation.
The words flowed so quickly Janice could not read them quickly enough. At last her fingers ceased their frantic tapping and she realized who her visitor had been. Janice would make sure the real creator was acknowledged for her Black Rose.
Most of my writing for the next couple of months is going to be my freelance project – I have to keep to the deadline! If my brain needs refreshing I will return to my YA novella, Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria, I have maybe 2-3 chapters to complete now. Then I can send the whole manuscript to my illustrator with ideas for the chapter header images.
What projects do you have planned for the winter months?
Books:
I am reading this novel by a young local author. She has created her voice and a wonderful cast of characters. Review to follow.
Writing Tips: Hashtags for writers.
#amwriting: Commonly used by writers to indicate they’re generating pages.
#amediting : a writer is going through his or her pages, revising.
#writingtip or #writetip Writing coaches, editors, and others whose livelihoods depend on authors will offer up their tweety pearls of wisdom, marked by these hashtags.
#writingprompt This hashtag is used when writing coaches give a suggestion about what to write, an idea to get the writer going and help to stimulate the flow of the pen on the page.
And good luck to all who are participating this year.
#nanowrimo National Novel Writing Month (November) helps create solidarity among those toiling on their magnum opuses
Other tags:
#book #novel #nonfiction #fiction #paperbacks #short or #short #story or #shortstories or #shortreads #litfic (for literary fiction) #histfic and #histnovel (used for historical fiction) #womensfiction #scifi or #science #fiction #romance #paranormal #crime #suspense #kidlit #cookbooks
My main concentration over the past week and into this week has been my ghost writing project. Fueled with ‘technical jargon’ from my client, I have been incorporating it into the story. The characters are taking shape and after this evening, I will send the revisions ready for our meeting on Thursday. With all narrative’s, be they creative or non-fiction, there has to be a ‘voice’ present. My main character is clear to me and the supporting characters interactions with them is ensuring an engaging story.
I will get back to my YA story in time but need to focus on freelance work for now. I am still undecided on which ‘pending’ novel to tackle next. Each one has its own unique qualities. The Giving Thief – a suspense/coming of age, Willow Tree Tears – a western romance and Life in Slake Patch – a speculative fiction. Logically I should complete Slake Patch, as it is the oldest manuscript and has been rewritten and edited too many times to mention. But with the success of The Twesome Loop – romance with a reincarnation twist – should I follow up with another romance?
What are your thoughts? Which one would you tackle?
Book review:
Believable and well formed characters, a great plot with lots of tension even after the criminal is revealed and beyond. A real page turner with a climax that keeps you reading in trepidation. If you like detective stories this is one for you.
Currently reading and enjoying this:
Writing Tip:
Get your characters talking
Writers are observers and listeners. This trait is essential for creating fictional characters. The use of accents, verbal habits and choice of words will enhance the exchange of dialogue within the narrative thus bringing the characters to life. The reader should be able to identify the particular character through their ‘voice’.
Writing has been spasmodic this past week but I have accomplished several ‘to do’ items on my list. I have increased the word count on my YA novella, which now has the new title of Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria. The word count stands at 24,491 as of today. I think the new title reflects the age group and hopefully will intrigue them.
The fairy story, I submitted for an anthology has been edited a couple of times and I am happy with the changes.
My freelance project is continuing and the collaboration with my client is working well.
1. This is All a Lie – Thomas Trofimuk *
2. Maybe This Time: A Colorado Ice Novel – Jennifer Show *
3, Raincheck – Marlo Lanz
4. Origin – Dan Brown
5. This Wound is a World (Poetry) – Billy-Ray Belcourt
6. Alice Network – Kate Quinn
7. A Legacy of Spies – John Le Carre
8. Left-Handed Dinner Party & Other Stories – Myrl Coulter
9. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro 10. The Twesome Loop – Mandy Eve-Barnett
Books:
Enjoying this detective versus serial killer story even though it is not a genre I normally read. My friend V.J. has a great style and keeps the tension going.
Looking forward to reading this by a new local author I connected with a while ago.
Writing Tips for famous authors:
Use concrete imagery when you write about large, abstract themes – Wislawa Szymborska
Work stories out in your head when you can’t write – Alice Munroe
Make people believe in your story first and foremost – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Don’t focus on the end goal excessively as you write – John Steinbeck
As most of you know I take advantage of any opportunity to write. On Monday, I wrote several chapter summaries and two whole chapters for my ghost writing project. Great you say – however my location was rather usual – in the waiting area of Canadian Tire – as my new tires/tyres were fitted! Luckily I was the only one who took advantage of this space so was not interrupted.
Other writing during our long Thanksgiving weekend was a blog post for Monday and agendas for my writers group AGM Tuesday and Arts Council Board meeting on Thursday.
I also practiced reading aloud for my event today – Fall into Romance at Audreys Books, Jasper Avenue, Edmonton.
I even got some writing done prior to the AGM as it was close to my local library! Another 647 words – not great but good.
What did you do with your long weekend – Canadian authors?
Books:
Well this was a delight – two time periods, lots of wonderfully well-rounded characters, a superb plot, a glimpse at how life is affected by Asperger’s and intrigue throughout.
I recommend this book to everyone! We travel through France and Italy, experience the trials of two women in two eras and how their surroundings and the people around them take their toil.
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 