From a long-lost punctuation mark to emojis, I’ve been thinking about why tone is hard to convey in writing.
Word Matters Articles
Writing by Ear
Just as in music, the rhythm and melody of the language shape meaning in prose, and a “wrong note” means I need to consider the nuances. Here are a few recent examples and my thought process around them.
Boring
Boredom is a state of mind—and a fact of life. I dug up some tidbits about it, and it’s more interesting than you might think.
Welsh – Hidden in Plain English
We hear a lot about the way Vikings and Angles and Normans and Romans shaped English, but the less-discussed Celtic influence is fascinating.
World Building: Slang, Idioms & Adages
Slang, Idioms, adages and folk sayings are a terrific way to make sure characters are grounded in their setting and slip in some world-building that doesn’t require a lot of description.
Let Me Introduce Myself
The phrases we use to give our name provide a glimpse into personality and psychology.
Collecting Words
One way to expand your working vocabulary is to give new words time to become familiar before you use them.
Descriptive Powers: Similes, Metaphors, and Associations, Oh My!
Similes and metaphors are important tools for descriptive writing, and help writers add style to their prose.
There’s a Word for That
Studies show it’s easier to perceive something when you have a word for it. That’s why building a robust vocabulary matters.
Language Curmudgeon
Language evolves for lots of good reasons – but there are also good reasons why linguistic changes can make a person grumpy.
The Choice of Literacy
More and more, it’s possible to get everything done without bothering with that pesky business of reading and writing. It’s a loss.
Cold Weather Words
Weather words are among the oldest in English, because weather is one of humanity’s oldest conversation topics.