"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

WOTW: Degustationary

Degustation:  the act of tasting something carefully, sometimes in small portions.

I found the word degustationary in The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  It is used to describe compliments given over a meal.  When I first read the word, I thought it meant compliments about the food, but I cannot find the exact definition of the word anywhere.  After searching on the web, I've noticed that others are defining the word differently.  One forum suggested that it means a series of small compliments.  A blogger suggested that it means carefully worded compliments.  Personally I find it interesting that so many people are struck by the word and are searching for a definition.  I guess it takes a little interpretation sometimes.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

WOTW: Nibiru

Nibiru:  (also known as Planet X)  a planet that is believed by many conspiracy theorists to be headed for a collision with Earth, causing the destruction of our planet.  The collision was originally predicted for the year 2900, but some believe it will happen in 2012.

Zachariah Sitchen was the first person to discover Nibiru.  He supposedly found references to the planet while translating ancient Sumerian texts.  Apparently, the inhabitants of  the planet came to Earth and created humans by genetically modifying female apes.  They then used humans as slaves to mine gold and plan to return for judgment day.

Why am I researching this topic?  Well, I am planning a book, and the main character just happens to be a conspiracy theorist.  The aliens of Nibiru( Nibirians?) may play a big role in this book.  The information on the web about Nibiru is actually pretty interesting.  There are a lot of websites debunking the whole idea.  One of my favorite posts so far is this April Fool's post and it's novel way of surviving the whole disaster.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

It's NaNo Time Again!

That's right.  I am going back for more NaNo punishment.  I have been NaNoing since 2009 and have yet to win.  I really believe this time will be different, though.  Hmmm, seems like those words sound familiar to me.  I may have tried to convince myself of this before.

But really, this time is going to be different.  For one thing, I will have more support at home.  The original story idea was actually my husband's.   He thinks I will do a better job writing the story than he could.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked the story idea, but the more I considered the possibilities, the more the ideas grow, the more I love this book idea.  Collaborating with my husband means that I have been planning a lot more.  I'm usually more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of writer, but this new alliance is forcing me to do more pre-writing work.  I am hoping it will get me the win!

Is anyone else out there NaNoing this November?  How are your plans going?

Monday, October 8, 2012

WOTW : Mediomania

Mediomania:   (noun)   a type of insanity where a person believes that they can communicate with spirits.  It was common in the late 1800's for mediums to be diagnosed with this affliction.  Most often these mediums were women, and the diagnosis could mean being locked away in an institution for the rest of her life or surgeries including, but not limited to, hysterectomy.

I recently learned about mediomania while reading a very interesting book, called "All Will be Revealed" by Robert Anthony Siegel.  It reminded me of the many ways that men have attempted to control women throughout history.  It really saddened and angered me to read about the institution where the female character in the book was placed.  I have no idea how historically accurate it was; I have had a hard time finding much information about mediomania on the web.  I think it would be an interesting area of research, maybe a future project?