Word of the Week Wrap-up

Thanks, everyone, for playing another exciting round of Word of the Week. Now on to the definition!

From the Merriam-Webster: Fulgurant means flashing like lightning. Keep that in mind as you read the winning entry, from JustineDell:

"When the man who bumped into her grocery cart gave her (a) fulgurant laugh, she almost smacked him."

Ah, so many ways to interpret one small sentence:)

Two points to JustineDell--and one to Myrna Foster, whose entry I had to puzzle over the longest to understand ("I'm not going to give you the full 'grr' rant, but there are days when I think telemarketing should be illegal").

Thanks again for playing. Have a great weekend!

Word of the Week

It’s time for another exciting round of “Word of the Week,” my very own improv game for writers! (Which means there are bound to be a few outlandish rules and gobs of pointless points). To play, just leave a comment that uses this week’s Word, with as many--or as few--other words as you want.

Keep in mind, your comment needn’t define the Word, just include it in an amusing or unexpected way. So if the Word were cookie, my comment might be, “Cinderello surveyed the kitchen with a distinct look of distaste. ‘Oh, and did I mention I don’t cook, i.e., chop, bake, or sauté?’” Remember, though, the actual Word will never be so non-outlandish, so don’t give yourself a headache trying to be too witty--the entries tend to generate plenty of wittiness all on their own:)

And now for the rules: First, please leave only one entry. Second, please make your comment something you’d be willing to share with your grandmother, your preacher, and your preacher’s grandmother. And last, but most importantly, please resist the urge to look the Word up. Trust me, you’ll like how this turns out much better if you do.

On Friday, I’ll reveal the definition, announce the winning comment (or comments), and award as many--or as few--points as I choose. And then we’ll all have a good laugh and give the winner (or winners) a virtual pat on the back.

All right, you ready for the Word? It’s fulgurant, which is an adjective.

Word of the Week Wrap-up

Thanks to everyone who participated in the inaugural round of Word of the Week. I’m sure more will join in next time, when they realize how much fun they’re missing. But if not, I guess we’ll just have more points for less people. Nothing like a little point inflation to boost one’s self-esteem:)

And now for the definition. A kris, according to the all-knowing Merriam-Webster, is a Malay or Indonesian dagger with a ridged serpentine blade. (Can't help but grin wickedly as I type that.) Keep that in mind as you read the two winning entries:

Myrna Foster: “Kris, I'd say your nickname is more of a proper noun than just a plain old noun, but maybe you don't like being proper?”

Charity Bradford: “The taunting never stops. 'Kris cross, polka dots, if he touches you get your cootie shots!'”

Yeah, I don't think krises like being proper--and I'm pretty sure, if he touches you, you'll need more than just cootie shots:)

A point to both winners, who, you probably noticed, were also the only two people to play the game. See how generous, albeit Communistic, I am? Makes you want to play next time, doesn’t it? (Although you should in no way construe that as a promise to evenly distribute the points every time.)

In any case, have a great weekend, all! I’ll be back next week with a (work-in-) progress report. And maybe a query update. And maybe a few other thoughts that have been rolling around my brain of late...

Word of the Week

I'm introducing a new series on the blog today, which I'm calling--you guessed it--"Word of the Week." You can think of it as the writerly equivalent of an improv game, with strange rules and random points that really don't win you much. But I'm hoping it'll be kind of fun, and also build our writer vocabularies with strange and random interesting and very useful words.

To play, just leave a comment that uses the current Word of the Week. It can be a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or even a novella, but keep in mind that I've read HAMLET and am a firm believer in the idea that brevity is the soul of wit (which, as we all know, is one of the few worthwhile things Polonius ever said).

Now your comment shouldn't necessarily define the Word; rather, it should use the Word in a creative way. So if the Word were penny loafers (not actually a word, of course, but you get the idea), I might submit the comment, "Bill, your penny loafers are showing," or even, "As she dumped her pocket change into Jerald and Josephina's chubby palms, Liza mumbled under her breath, 'Here's your stupid penny, loafers.'" But then, the real Word of the Week isn't likely to be so mundane. Or recognizable:)

And now for the game's two rules, one of which I care about and the other of which just seemed like a good idea (I'll let you decide which is which): You may submit only one entry, and you may NOT look up the Word's actual definition. Now I realize I can't really police that second rule, but the game will be much more fun, and funnier, if everyone plays along.

On Friday, I'll reveal the Word's definition and award however many points I feel like awarding. And the winner/winners will receive fame and glory immemorial, or at least until we play again.

You got that? You ready to play? All right, here's the inaugural Word of the Week, which is a noun: kris.

Happy commenting.