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Post by Resha Caner on Nov 21, 2009 0:37:13 GMT -5
I happen to be revising a section where my protagonist is trying to farm a new planet. If you want a cool word to describe the inhospitable surface of a planet, try "regolith".
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Post by dmgraham on Nov 21, 2009 0:40:42 GMT -5
I love the word phantasmagoric.
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Post by Resha Caner on Nov 21, 2009 1:13:30 GMT -5
And yet sometimes it's tough to find a place for those cool words, isn't it? We wouldn't want to be accused of purple prose.
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Post by dmgraham on Nov 21, 2009 8:14:34 GMT -5
I have only found one place in my writing.
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Post by Resha Caner on Nov 21, 2009 14:05:42 GMT -5
My creative words sometimes backfire on me - sometimes unintentionally. The way I pay for my food is by working as an engineer. So, I once used the word "extrapolate", which is a perfectly natural word for me to use at work. But, my critique group thought it was a very odd choice.
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Post by tris on Nov 25, 2009 15:40:03 GMT -5
Resha, your crit group needs to get out more. extrapolate is par for the course around our house ....and we're not engineers!
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Post by Kristen on Nov 25, 2009 18:11:47 GMT -5
Ah, yes. One of the difficulties in being a writer is having a bigger vocabulary than others. I frequently have to explain myself to my cubemates. The last time I had to define a word, it was "inscrutable," which I didn't think was that unusual.
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Post by beckyminor on Nov 25, 2009 18:51:52 GMT -5
Yep...vocabulary is a good way to out oneself as a geek. One of my personal favorite words is "riven." Sadly, we can't just sprinkle these great words around at will...we're better off waiting for the exact moment to drop our favorites. (Or hence the purple prose issue...)
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Post by dizzyjam on Dec 9, 2009 4:06:56 GMT -5
I like the word "epidermis". It's a fun one. I like to go on a beach when I lived in Florida or during the summers here in Georgia at a popular lake area and point at random strangers with an aghast expression jumping back without moving my feet and exclaim, "Aargh! Your epidermis is showing!!" Most people don't seem to know the word as they look all around on them to see what might be hanging out that shouldn't be. It's a lot of fun! It's especially fun if you have a friend with you that's in on the joke and they join in the act. Then you can both walk off looking disgusted leaving the person in bewilderment. Oh, yeah! Lot's of fun! ;D
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israle
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by israle on Dec 9, 2009 20:12:32 GMT -5
dizzyjam: That is so mean. . . .but sounds like so much fun, mwahahahahahaha :]
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Post by juniperlee on Dec 9, 2009 21:02:36 GMT -5
I work with Middle School kids and it is so much fun to see the looks on their faces when I use a "big" word. Of course I have to break into an explanation of the word...I'm just happie thay never ax me two spel it bcuz I tirrible at speling
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israle
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by israle on Dec 9, 2009 23:59:40 GMT -5
lol
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Post by Kristen on Dec 14, 2009 22:04:02 GMT -5
There's a great word in _This Side of Eden_ -- "muculent."
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Post by dizzyjam on Dec 14, 2009 22:46:21 GMT -5
I like to use the word "enunciate" while practicing it's meaning at the same time. It's a fun word to do that with when you're dealing with people that slur their words.
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Post by rebelshade on Mar 30, 2010 17:47:09 GMT -5
This is a fun topic! I love having a little larger vocabulary than some of those around me. The other day at work I had to explain the word "hinder" to my manager. She just looked at me. Fun stuff!
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