Schadenfreude

I’m off for three days, but I’m leaving you with some marvelous words I think authors and readers should be familiar with, some resources and some opinions, for what they’re worth.

Schadenfreude: Pleasure derived from the misfortune of others.

Avarice: Extreme greed for wealth or material gain. (This is a word an editor made me take out of a manuscript, saying she didn’t understand it so therefore my readers wouldn’t either.)

Analogy: If two or more things agree with each other in some respects, they will probably agree with in others. A resemblance in some particulars between things not otherwise alike and a comparison based upon such a resemblance.

Metaphor: A literary figure of speech that uses an image, story, or tangible thing to represent and explain a less tangible thing or some intangible idea.

Simile: A figure of speech that directly compares two different things, using words ‘like’ and ‘as’ or ‘than’.

Idiom: A word or group of words that develop a specialized meaning, becoming an idiomatic expression, such as: There’s the pot calling the kettle black.

Malicious: Having or showing a desire to cause harm to someone. (As in Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. What a character!)

Epiphany: A manifestation or striking sudden appearance or insight, generally thought of as religious or spiritual in nature. I love epiphanies!

Symbiosis: Close and often long term interactions between different biological species.

Synchronicity: The experience of two or more events that are apparently casually unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance.

Symmetry: Balance, something that conveys an aesthetically pleasing sense of balance…which leads me to…

Aesthetic: A sense of the beautiful or beauty, a love of beauty.

Abstract: Existing in thought or as an idea, but not having an existence in reality.

Archaic: Very old or old fashioned.

Arcane: Known or understood by very few - secret, obscure, esoteric…which leads to…

Esoteric: Designed or understood by those specifically initiated in certain arcane knowledge or arts.

Agape: Love, especially in a religious or spiritual sense.

And a great word I got from Charlie (and Little Women)…Blancmange: A sweet dessert commonly made from milk or cream and sugar and thickened with gelatin.

I’m going to point you in the direction of a couple authors/bloggers - women who’ve had some very interesting things to say this week:

Soul of a Word asks if you have plenty of words in your pantry.

Anny Cook discusses the way we authors measure success.

Dean Wesley Smith, who I very much admire as an author and an author’s advocate, posted about the myth of rewriting. I agree with him most times. In this case, I agree there is no point spending years rewriting and in fact, I’d go a little farther and claim continual rewrites are a form of self-sabotage for an author or wanna-be author. However, I see tremendous value in editing and self-editing. I edit my work for several reasons: I want to get it right, not just for you, but for me. I want to put out the best book I can - I don’t want to self-publish something that will have me cringing two years down the road. I learn to be a better writer via the art of editing.

I am proud of what I write and I’d like to keep it that way. Therefore, while I don’t cotton to perpetual rewrites, I do believe in editing and trimming the fat.

Last - so long to TJ at Dreams and Speculations. She’s gone the way of Rebecca at Dirty Sexy Books. I will miss their humor, their thoughtfulness, and their insights.

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