Word(s) of the Day

When I met with a weekly writing partner today, I decided to go ahead and connect to the internet. I wanted to be able to upload the story I was working on, so I would be able to access it from my desktop later.

As I was revising, I used the word "flotsam" and decided to make sure I was using it correctly or that there was not a better word. Recently I was working on a different story and ran across a different meaning for a familiar word. I've learned to follow my gut if something feels off or like I should do a little research. I was confident in my use of "flotsam," but there was that tug to double check.

"Flotsam" does have a specific meaning in maritime terms - and although a ship doesn't play a part in the story at all, I am still confident in my use. I also was okay on the meaning of "jetsam," not applicable to the short story, but there it is.

But the new words are lagan (also called ligan) and derelict. Well, derelict with this meaning; not an unfamiliar word, but a new meaning. I did cross-reference with other dictionary sources on flotsam and jetsam and there are additional definitions.

So - the short wiki overview of these four types of maritime debris is below.

And, yes, I did immediately close my browser and return to writing.

Flotsam and jetsam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flotsam on a beach of Terschelling (TheNetherlands)

In maritime law, flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict describe specific kinds of wreck. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage.^[1]

Flotsam is floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo. Jetsam is part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is purposefully cast overboard or jettisoned to lighten the load in time of distress and that sinks or is washed ashore. Lagan(also called ligan^[2]) is cargo that is lying on the bottom of the ocean, sometimes marked by a buoy, which can be reclaimed. Derelict is cargo that is also on the bottom of the ocean, but which no one has any hope of reclaiming.

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My New Word of the Day

As a writer, I'm often on the lookout for - or at least open to - language opportunities. New to me phrasing. Picking up a new word. Seeing or hearing what Jessica Morrell calls "firefly words" (or phrases). Catching a linguistic gem which crosses my visual or auditory path.

Today I received one of those in an email. And the email has nothing to do with writing or writers - except it was, obviously, written.

The email came from Chef Glenn of BackpackingChef.com. This is the place where I learned about making bark and other handy snacks in my dehydrator; no, I'm not planning a long backpacking trip where I need to be concerned about the weight of my body's fuel for the trek. But I do need some portable foods for those long days where I'd rather not have to go to a restaurant all the time or my schedule changes and I need food fuel on hand.

The word was right there, near the top of the email. Perfect. And, no, I don't really know how to say it. But here on the page you don't have to listen to my lack of accent mimicability!

Here it is - my new word, yes, it's German:

Naherholungsgebiet

... a natural or recreational area nearby where one can relax.

See? Isn't that a very good word for where I am? Perfect. Thank you, Chef Glenn - for your recipes and the word.

Lester's naherholungsgebiet is as close as the front porch.

Gardening : Plants and Words

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The garden in the ground seems to be doing well. The plants are adjusting. Some of them are in plant nirvana with the unusually sunny and hot days. We've had cloudless skies and temperatures in the 80s every day. The herbs are sprouting and reaching toward that glowing orb; the tomatoes are stretching their leaves and the spaghetti squash has grown in the few days they've been in the ground. The onions, well, I'm not sure. They're looking a little droopy but some of them don't. The spinach is wishing for a little cooler temperatures and definitely less sun. And one kale is thriving in its spot and the other is calling 'Uncle' on the heat.

Today I tried a temporary sun barricade for a few of the spinach and the drooping kale and they seemed to like it. Tomorrow before work I will see about doing something a little sturdier to protect them in these remaining few days of the heat - which we're supposed to have until Saturday, I think.

In my writing world, I am still writing the "21 Moments" each day. Usually after I get home from work. I'm working on some revisions of the book in progress, too, slowly, now that my critique group is no more.

But the new writing group I'm putting together seems like it's going to be a good one. There are four of us and we set a date at the end of May to meet up and talk about what we each want and how to proceed. This group will be more of a process group and we'll see what that turns into. I'm excited by the possibilities and the people in it.

Sprouting. Things are sprouting. I have to remember that because this is also a time of flux. There have been some major changes in a few areas of my life and, while they haven't been devastating or horrific, they are significant and have impacted me on several fronts. There are some unknowns and things are a bit bumpy. But not bad - just unsettled. And that can make me a little anxious and raise old issues. So I have to remember - sprouts. And maybe, like the spinach and kale which are adjusting to the heat and the sun and being out of tight little pots, it takes time to adapt to new conditions, but it will be okay.

Yes, I am okay.

It's just change.


photo from The POP Campaign


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Challenge : N is for Nerd

N is for Nerd!

When I was growing up, being called a Nerd was not a good thing. It was a significant insult if someone called you that and it was to be avoided.

I tried really hard to not be a Nerd. But it was difficult. I was tall, especially for a girl. I had long red, very curly hair, which would make itself into ringlets by the end of the school day, no matter what I tried. I wore glasses - and calico cat's eye glasses at that. And had freckles.

I say "had" as if I didn't still have those things - but I do. When I was a teenager, I hated my red hair and I hated even more that it was so curly. I tried different ways to manage the curls, calm them, but nothing worked; or not for very long. And I will admit that I didn't hate them enough to spend a couple of hours every day trying to tame them. As I got older, I came to like my red hair and it became part of my identity. It's still curly; but is rarely long enough to go into ringlets.

Recently a client said something about "the interpreter with the perm" and I wanted to tell them, "no, it's natural, look, I have a picture I just got of myself as a child. See? Same hair." Of course I didn't say anything. I just smiled.

So. Nerd. I am one. Have been for a long time.

With being tall and glasses and red ringlets and freckles which I hoped would one day all grow together into a tan (they never did) - I was also good in school. I tried to do my best and that was pretty dang good *grin* - but I also tried to cover it up and not show other kids. That would be bragging, which would be bad, and I didn't want to be called a Nerd.

Once in a while I forgot I wasn't supposed to be too good at things and wrote a play, or took on the organizer role in a class project. Things like that. Things which kids would call me Nerd over; except not usually to my face because, after all, I was taller than many of them.

Now I embrace my Nerdhood. A while ago I was in a discussion about Nerds versus Geeks. Same? Or different? I think Geeks tend to be associated with technology, which Nerds can be. I might be wrong - but Geek seems to require technology by definition; another thing I might want to look up before I go too far.

I have friends who are Word Nerds - and I count myself among them. Then there are the Language or Linguistic Nerds - which are not exactly the same but closely related, and definitely some overlap. I have several of those friends as well. And I suppose by virtue of my work - both sign language interpreter and writer - it is almost a requirement; though not really. But I think maybe it should be.

And the Technology Nerds -- I'm making this one up right here. I think that Technology Nerds are the ones who have a good amount of experience with technology, aren't afraid of it, know more than just the basics - but they're not the coders and the game developers. They love the technology but it's definitely in the "I can do it and like it" rather than the "must have it and I'm the king of XQZ" category. The others are the Geeks - more skills and more drive to master it.

Oh, and in the Technology Nerds, I count my friend and I who are Nerds about our Blackberrys. Now, don't go telling me that Blackberry is a dying or dead breed. I don't think so and I sure hope not. A friend of mine and I are trying to find a date and time to go take test drives on the new Blackberry Z10 and Q10.  Okay, if you know anything about them, you know the Q10 isn't out here yet - the Z10, yes. But I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my physical keyboard. My point is that he and I are drooling over the new devices and want to get our hands on them. My provider contract is up pretty soon and I'll be eligible for an upgrade.

N is for Nerd. What's your Nerd quotient and category?
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Books. Workshops, and other Stuff for Writers

I started to write this post about Natalie Goldberg's newest book, which will be out in just a few days. I will still note that below, but other workshops and such have come up since I first started this, so it's become more of a few writerly things I heard about and want to pass along.

Later I will write more. For now, I'll just say that I'm still in editing phase of the memoir and exchanging work on a weekly basis with my Monday writing group; I've written a couple more blog posts for Portland Center Stage; I have ideas galore for more writing including a play. And I'm interpreting "Blood Knot" at Profile Theatre this Thursday with the fabulous Rich Hall, the Poetry Out Loud regional competition this Saturday with the fantabulous Steve Nail, and next Thursday am interpreting "The Whipping Man" at Portland Center Stage with a three-interpreter team including Rich Hall and the amazing Jayodin Mosher. So - I'm creatively busy and in a good flow. And did I say busy? So, for now, the things which have crossed my attention recently which could be of interest to writers!

Natalie Goldberg's newest book, The True Secret of Writing, will be available March 19th.

Lidia Yuknavitch is teaching an online class at LitReactor called, "Ecstatic States, Sex, Death & Memoir." This is sure to be a powerhouse master class and the number of participants is limited to twelve.

Ariel Gore has two offerings this spring: both her fantabulous 8-week Lit Star Training course, which starts March 16th, and her 12 assignments in 12 days intensive. Her courses are always helpful, inspiring, and the participants are great. The Lit Star Training may or may not still have a spot left, but check it out if you're interested; totally worth it!

The Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat. Ariel Gore is one of the teachers at this retreat, which takes place March 15 - 17 in Washington's Cascade Mountains. (If I wasn't going to be interpreting poetry that weekend, I would probably make this trip; being in a nature setting, writing, perfect!) Click on the link to get more details.

The Summer in Words Writing Conference, put on by Jessica Morrell has a great lineup. It will take place June 21 - 23 in Cannon Beach, an even more perfect setting for writing - the Oregon coast.

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Razor's Edge : Water Movement

Water is important; we all know that. But this week water has been a particularly commanding presence in my life. It started with the discovery of a soaked bathroom rug in the middle of the night, which led to shutting off water to the entire house, and calling a plumber.

All this on the day the Literary Kitchen started another round of Wayward Writers. And we had a date with the youngest member of our family to go to the Pirate Festival. Oh! And Pirates = water. Yet another connection.

The plumber came and went last Saturday and we had a new cold water connection, a new sink drain, and were told we needed to call our insurance. Which we did. And we waited.

For returned calls.

Which came. With anxiety producing predictions of the process. With threats that the potential damage may not be covered. With trying to schedule visits from a disaster recovery contractor and an insurance adjuster and then another visit from the contractor's office. With more promised appointments and visits to be made, with the potential of another team of workers if the samples taken today turn out to contain asbestos or lead paint (our house is over 100 years old; the chances are good).

All this while trying to work. To write a story. To prepare to interpret a wedding on Saturday. To rearrange the interpreter line-up for PCS because one person had to back out for the season.

This momentum, this movement in a new direction while holding our own in the stream of our lives, started with a burst water pipe under the sink and behind a drawer.

Stepping on a soaking wet mat on the way to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Water. Important. And powerful.

So, for you, today's prompt is water related.

This is a relaxing and attractive video of a river. Turn it up so you can hear the water. When you feel yourself letting go a little, feel the edge of tautness slipping away, read the prompt and write.

Or, read the prompt first and then turn on the video. It's 10 minutes in length; the amount of time I'd like you to write.

PROMPT: 

I looked into her eyes and knew ....

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Razor's Edge for 8/10/12: from the word bag

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Today's prompts are words picked from my word bag. Actually it's a lovely orange envelope of words given to me by Ariel Gore in a writing workshop a few years ago. I still carry it with me, re-adhering it to the inside cover of the new journal as I fill one up and move to another. I still keep the orange envelope of words inside the bigger red envelope with an oversized jack rabbit picture pasted onto the front. I know the rabbit is oversized because it is a giant in comparison to the scene in which it was placed. And I added a picture on the front of the orange envelope; something I found in a magazine or on an art opening postcard, it inspires me.

The word bag idea, and the words themselves, come from another amazing and inspiring writer, Lynda Barry. They're from one of her books and she gives permission to copy and carry them with you. She has several versions of these handy inspirations, including a set of questions to copy and carry to help move you through the stuck places.

So, all in all, this is a very useful word bag to have with me. Words and inspiration passed down from author to author to author and so on.

So, write a story with the two words I will now pick from the magical writerly envelope. Well, what do you know, I pulled out three words. So here are your three words:

rope

ugly

monster

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Checking In

...with myself.

Writing. Is not coming as easily right now.

I can justify it is because I'm busy. Again.

I am writing. Just not as much as I want or when I want.

picture from Utne Reader

Words. Piling up. Words. The flow isn't happening because I don't have the blocks of time.

Interpreting performances. Teaching. Interpreting a play. Working.

Going to appointments because of the work. So I don't hurt, so I can do the work to pay the bills for doing the work. There's something not quite right in that.

Spiral.

Writing.

The posts here lag. I notice. I notice again.

I did go to a dance performance last Saturday. Just me. A world premiere - a commissioned piece. Some of it was incredible and I was moved and my attention was wholly on the stage. A few times my thoughts wandered and I didn't feel connected. Overall - it was really good. And I was glad I went.

I've been doing more swimming. And more walking. And getting enough sleep.

But very little "veg" time. I need more.

Words. I made the deadline for one story. The other is still incomplete; partly due to technical conflicts, partly - time escaped me this week. I'm hoping to wrap that one up and submit it after work tonight.

Words. Waiting to be written and revised.

Words.

Word.

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The Words We Use: Unintended Consequences

This is another of my periodic musings about what I see around me. Repeated events which catch my attention and make me say, "huh?" or "wow." Or, sometimes, yes, I think or say the now popular "WTF!?"

Today this occurrence I've noticed definitely brought the stronger expletive to mind.

What I've been noticing is this: how the passive-income generating advertisements on some blog posts, newspaper articles, essays, and the like are in opposition to the intentions or goals of the writing. I've noticed this here and there, not a lot; it hasn't been a big deal to cause me to sit down and write about it.

Usually the content generated ads I've noticed are things like Rip-Off MFA University and Write Your Novel In 72 Hours and some legitimate advertisers in the spots on my blog or hanging around my Gmail or tagged onto other writers' work. There have been some other content-related ads, like Buy This Car or Better Insurance Rates if the writing mentions a car, for example. A few off the wall  ads that came out of a word or phrase in the post/essay/email subject/article.

But I've caught a few really bizarre ones recently and I started thinking more about these.

One example is the work of the writer for Live Juicy, Once and Defiant Athlete. She is writing about keeping the focus on being healthy with eating right, following the Health At Every Size philosophy, and exercising - cardio and strength training. Her writing is insightful, inspiring, researched and well done. Her work has been syndicated and her articles and essays can be found on several sites.

What I noticed is that many of her writings which I read in my blog reader program or which appear on some other website have ads. I understand that - I know about the "passive income stream" generated by readers who click on the links and ads connected to writing, that's why they are there! But what I see attached to her writing are weight loss ads: some of them severe weight loss programs, some of them exactly what she is writing against, some of them very derogatory about fat people and supporting the myths she is trying to break down. I wondered if she knew what ads were being generated on her broadcast essays.

Then today I was reading a news article about the young woman who was kidnapped and held for 21 years and has two children fathered by that man. Now there is more evidence and the wife is even further implicated. And the system, the law enforcement system, is being shown as being even more negiligent or more incomplete in their work in this case. And right there, in the middle of the article, and I mean in the middle: halfway down the page was a set of ads in a rectangular box which jutted into the article, clear into the middle so the article was squeezed into short sentences to navigate around the box. The ad which was at the first left position, placing it in the middle of the article, was for little girls' and childrens' clothing. The article was presenting how the kidnapping couple would go out and take videos of children - girls mostly from what I read - at the park and try to make it look like the wife was filming her husband. And here was this ad for a children's clothing and accessories store with a picture of a little girl and the ad had something about just what every girl and mommy needed, yada yada. In another context - in a mothers' article, or childcare magazine, or such, very cute and appropriate. In the middle of an article about pedophiles and the expoloitation of children and everything associated with this case - kind of sick, I think.

So - that is what prompted this writing.

"Passive Income" - I understand that. Use the ads that are out there anyway to benefit the writer; every penny counts - it can add up over time, and for the well-known and frequently read writers, they may get to dimes or quarters instead of pennies piling up.

"Content-Related" - Again, an understandable concept. Make the ads match the writing. Great idea and makes sense. But this is where the problem starts. Which content? Who decides? Why don't the Defiant Athlete's content generated ads lean towards bicycle company's ads (she's had some great writing about her new bicycle, including the company who made it), and places like REI and Cabella's and healthy living companies?

"Key Words" - Back to content-related. But here is where the computer/bot selected process really breaks down. In the pedophile article - "children" appeared often. Probably the ad-bot selects ads based on the frequency of the words. I don't know - I haven't looked into that, but that's one theory I've heard explained about how it works.

I do understand that there aren't enough dollars in the world to have real people look at all the posts and decide what ads fit with which piece of writing. I'm not dumb. But there are issues when electronics start deciding what is and is not appropriate.

So, for now, I will keep my "income generating" (I'm in the pennies category!) ads on the sides and bottom of my site. In this piece of writing, for example, I can imagine what might be attached to it if I sent it out to blog readers with advertisements; and I don't want that. I'll let my puny little ads sit on my website and go with the overall, bigger picture of what I'm writing about. Which is mostly writing and some outdoorsy, exercisey types of things.

I'm not criticizing - I'm just saying, as the saying goes. Careful what you write about if your writing is being scanned by bots for "appropriate" ads.


Swarm-Bots, Belgium, 2007
Photograph by Peter Essick
for National Geographic

Razor's Edge for 5/7/10

It has been a week since the end of NaPoWriMo. And I miss it. I've had brief discussions with the other two writers I was doing this "with." We all three miss it. But the month ended and so did the daily poetry.

Today, in a text message exchange, one writer and I wondered at this sudden absence of poetry writing. And why the month of April, that someone dubbed NaPoWriMo, made a difference.

My conclusion? It's because, as with NaNoWriMo, there is this giant pool of interpreters who have agreed to participate in this big "shared field of writing energy." For whatever reason, when we put our collective heads together in our separate writing spaces, the energy and time and creativity is there. We may be writing alone or in small groups - but the energy field we create encompasses the whole earth.

What if?

What if we could access that every day? Or most days. Not just in special months?

What. If?

Today's Razor's Edge:

The video is about four minutes long. As you look at it and listen to the crystal singing bowl, think about how our energies connect. Or spiritual selves if that image fits you better. Because we do all share the same planet and, ultimately, the same breath through the air we breathe. Our sun is same no matter where it rises or goes down from where we live.

Like a swimming pool: where does my water end and yours begin? It doesn't, we all have access. Creativity - like a swimming pool, warmed by the sun and cooled by the wind.

VIDEO with music:

WORDS:

I walked to the edge and saw...

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my Wednesday's Word...

So what did Wordsmith hand out at midnight for me to play with?

bread and circuses

Click on the words above to be transported to Writing Under Pressure to see the flash fiction I wrote in response!
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NaNoWriMo: day 3

Today is a lower word count - as I knew it would be. The day has been full of work with minimal time in between. Luckily there was a good 30 minutes of down time in one job and I managed to hand write about 500 words.

Then one assignment ended about 30 minutes early, which gave me enough time to run by my PO Box and - yes, there was a check. Thank you, universe! Deposit it, stop by a cafe with free wi-fi between post office, bank, final job of the day. Where I ate dinner while typing up those 500 words and adding a few more. Type a paragraph - take a bite - sip some coffee; repeat.

My ending word count for today is 7436 (or right about there; I know it's 7,40o plus a few).

And I just had another two characters show up. Sheesh, this novel is getting crowded. Wait. I did say a team of eight plus two drivers. Oh, right. I'll still have to pick up a few more along the way somewhere, because two of the characters so far have refused to do the relay.

Speaking of which: tomorrow night is the second meeting of the walking relay team. I am printing out a handy dandy checklist for team members tomorrow, which goes with the clinic we'll be having (thank you, Nikki!) and with our field trip to a giant shoe store weekend after next.

Life is good.

semantic question of the week

Tell me what you think about the differences between the following two sentences.Give me Strunk & White citations, grammar textbook quotes, personal opinion, gut reactions - whatever. Talk to me about them.

He will try not to show it.

-vs-

He will try to not show it.

What are your thoughts or rules?