Katherine Frances's Blog, page 146
October 4, 2017
Just a quick reminder that I have the cutest best cats who love...
Just a quick reminder that I have the cutest best cats who love eachother so much.
m-l-rio:
cathexis (n.)the investment of emotional significance in an activity, object, or ideathe...
cathexis (n.)the investment of emotional significance in an activity, object, or ideathe charge of psychic energy so invested
cetras:
>listen to song
>makes u think of a scene for ur ocs
>scene plays in ur mind, w...
>listen to song
>makes u think of a scene for ur ocs
>scene plays in ur mind, w incredible detail, like a movie
>try to write scene
>
Connotation Vs. DefinitionDefinition: the literal meaning of the word that can be found in the...
Connotation Vs. DefinitionDefinition: the literal meaning of the word that can be found in the dictionary.
Connotation: an idea or quality that a word makes you feel. This is implied and sub-textual, and cannot be found in a dictionary.
Using connotationIf you are native to English (or whatever language you are writing in, since connotations exist in all languages I’m sure) then connotations should be easy to figure out. You’ll find that the connotation of a word usually comes to you instinctively. Bellow are words that describe the same things. Note how one word makes you feel compared to the other:
Chatty–Friendly
Cheap–Affordable
Childish–Youthful
Nosy–Inquisitive
You probably already figured out the pattern– the first words usually have negative connotations, while the second is more neutral or positive. Understanding how connotations affect the meaning of what you are writing is important, especially when you are trying to say something in few words.
Ex:
Sara’s jacket was cheap.
Sara’s jacket was affordable.
If you are trying to imply to the reader that Sara’s jacket is kind of ugly and/or tacky, using the word cheap instead of affordable will do the trick. On the other hand, if you are simply trying to explain that Sara doesn’t have a lot of money and doesn’t spend it on frivolous things, using the word cheap might be a bad idea.
That being said, you can usually negate a connotation with just a little finesse, and sometimes the result is more unusually appealing.
Sara’s jacket had holes in the elbows and was a faded blue; probably cheap. She was disheveled, but by the way she flicked her cigarette into the street I could tell she didn’t care what I thought about her.
This builds an interesting dichotomy because cheap isn’t a good thing, but by the way it’s described, we find ourselves thinking of Sara’s jacket as cool, not despite it’s cheapness, but almost because of it.
Use connotation to your advantage. Correct connotations can make description quicker and simpler, whereas calling a connotation into question can make a description more detailed and interesting.
For more writing advice, prompts, and inspiration, check out the Writer’s Library!
October 3, 2017
"Some people enter your life to teach you the true meaning behind all your favorite songs."
- anpoet
(via wnq-writers)
"He has a soft spot for me, like a bruise, so sensitive. It beckons me to touch."
- hushed-words (via wnq-writers)
squid’s laws of fic (not inclusive)
first law: write the fic you wish to see in the world aka goddammit do I have to do everything myself around here
second law: it’s going to be longer than you think. much longer. hahaha so long. why are you crying
third law: the time spent writing is inversely proportional to the amount of smut present, dammit
fourth law: flesh out your secondary characters. make them real people. have them take over. oh god. put them back. somebody please help
fifth law: the time spent researching canon is directly proportional to the amount of time you’ll spend altering your plot. that one person on the internet
sixth law: the time spent researching in general will eclipse the time you spend writing. the nsa agent monitoring your internet search history is curled up in a corner. his boss wants to know if you’re a threat. “I don’t know,” the agent sobs. “I just really don’t know.”
seventh law: at some point, someone will ask what your favorite hobby is. you will feign a heart attack to get away
