#wordplay: loam
As part of my commitment to keeping this blog useful for both the reader and writer, I’m starting a new series of posts from today called #wordplay.
The concept is pretty simple; at some point of a writer’s apprenticeship, extending vocabulary becomes a necessary skill. This does not mean I believe writers should cram perfectly good prose with unnecessarily complex or jargonistic language, but rather that variety in word choice can yield rich, fertile prose where otherwise there might be desolation, or worse boredom, for reader and writer.
When used artfully, even unfamiliar words can feel comfortable to readers. But to draw out their full potential, writer’s must know each word intimately, and feel them as if they are true.
The good news is that finding new language to draw upon is actually quite easy. Every day spent reading is a chance to learn new words, and yet rarely do we take the time to note unfamiliar words down and nut out their definitions. So #wordplay is a way for me to record and share all the beautiful words I find while reading the authors I admire. With each word is a definition, and an example of its use by an inspired author. If ever you come to use one of these words in writing of your own, I would love to hear about it.
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loam n. Soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter.
“See you tomorrow!” they called, as happy as children, and riding home under the moon they found they could roll down the windows of their cars and let the air in, with its health giving smells of loam and young flowers.
Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road
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5 Comments
I like it, Mark. I look forward to seeing what words – and examples – get featured in the series. And, for reasons I won’t bother expounding on, ‘loam’ – while not entirely unfamiliar – will now have a place in my writing sooner rather than later. So, thank you.
Love the idea Mark. Also glad to see that you’ve moved from the dining table to the more glamorous bedroom book shot
I thought you would notice the change Phill. Stay tuned for more coverage of the rest of my apartment (and perhaps even outside!).
And thanks TF. It’s useful for me and I’m hoping other writers might gain something along the way.
Hey party people. Just found this cool word…
ha·rangue [huh-rang]
Variations: -rangued, -rangu·ing.
–noun
1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
2. a long, passionate, and vehement speech, esp. one delivered before a public gathering.
3. any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse.
–verb (used with object)
4. to address in a harangue.
–verb (used without object)
5. to deliver a harangue.
In a sentence:
The angry motorist leapt from his car to harangue the other driver.
Origins all the way back to 1530!!!
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