"Swelter"

Some words sound like what they are. Some words are their own onomatopoeia (yeah I did. Look it up).

Today it's hotter 'n blazes…it's sweltering…which means heat waves swooning off of every surface. It's got "melt" and "sweat" right in there. It conjures up a piece of cheese that even flies have misgivings about.

Swelter is one of those words that could inspire a novel.

I can picture the cover now (I made one so you could picture it, too).

Just say the word out load and the plot unfolds before your eyes:

"Swelter. Lana Chastain's friends and family had abandoned her, all gone north for the summer. Staying behind to house-sit in the creepy Louisiana plantation that once belonged to her great grandmother, Lana intends to finish her doctoral thesis on human behavior so she can ditch Louisiana once and for all and make a life for herself in New York City. However, Lana's plan is thwarted at every turn: the unbearable heat and record-breaking temperatures; the strange noises she hears at night in the attic; the unexplained disappearance of a little girl from town and the arrogant county sheriff who didn't even bother to ask before searching her family's estate; these distractions not only change Lana's summer plans, but they may also threaten her life."

What word makes you want to write a novel?

P.S. Stay tuned for my super-hilarious non-fiction exposé, Corn-fed. A great beach read!