That Word: Ostentatious

That Word is the segment on my blog where I post new words that I discover newly or have jumped out at me once again. If you love finding new words this post is for you or if you're a writer looking for different words to describe something this post may also be for you. I generally find all these definitions using Dictionary.com.  

Ostentatious 

Where I Discovered It

This is another of those words I've listed in the notes on my phone some time back and just don't really remember exactly why, but it must've stood out to me in some way. It's quite possible I didn't fully understand the meaning behind the word. Also it was listed as unostentatious. 

Definition/s

1. characterised by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in a attempt to impress others:
2. intended to attract notice:

An Example Sentence

Because she was different, people often assumed she was trying to be ostentatious.

My Thoughts

When I looked up the first definition to this word I chuckled. It was using a couple of other longer words to describe it and without reading the end of the sentence I wouldn't have read on. The second definition however is much clearer. I think it makes it much more simpler. This is one of those words I may not use often, but I think it would be wonderful to use in a sentence to describe a character who may or may not be trying to attract notice purposely. It would be something different that another word that perhaps could be used. 

Ostentatious is one of those words that sounds exactly how I was saying it. Sometimes that's a score in our complicated English language. 

What are your thoughts? Have you seen or heard the word before? Did you realise what it meant? Have you used the word before? If not do you think you would use it in the future? Thanks for reading and feel free to comment. Visit this time next word for That Word: Promontory. 

A New Year

I've tried to write my new year post several times. I think my problem is I'm trying to make it to complicated. So here I try again and hope that simpler is better.

This year or should I say last year I had one main goal.

2016

1. Finish my first novel draft. :( This goal was not completed.

I didn't really make a comprehensive list of goals last year. Unlike this year.

2017

1. Finish the first draft of a novel. I think that I will be able to accomplish it this year because I have felt that I have grown so more in my writing of the last year. 

2. Post consistently. I accidentally stopped posting around October/November. I don't want to do the same thing. Hopefully the next time I take a hiatus it would be announced properly and not leave any readers unaware. 

3. Bookstagram consistently. I started bookstagramming last year without much consistency. I have enjoyed participating and joining with other bookworms in challenges and just in bookstagram. I hope that I can gain consistency as I continue to do so.

4. Outline 3 Novels. I have never plotted a full novel out before. I have always been a pantser (my computer likes autocorrecting this to Panther. It's happened before too). The problem with having several story ideas always floating around in my head means that I need to get them out at least roughly at some point. Now I just have to pick which three.

5. Keep Consistency in my school work. About third and fourth term last year I lost motivation doing school work which lead to a lot more procrastination in all areas of my life. This is definitely one thing I want not to happen this year in grade 12. 

Fun Stats and Other Details

Last year I started bookstagramming. Originally I didn't set up my instagram account for that purpose so I had set it on private. When I participated in my first bookstagram challenge it took almost the whole month for me to realise that no one else would see it. When I did set it on public I really enjoyed sharing with the bookworm community on instagram. Now I have not been at all regular with my posting on instagram sometimes going a whole month without posting other times only a few days apart. I have enjoyed seeing the likes comes in and follows as well. As of today I have 44 followers. Which is pretty exciting. 

Top Sites Traffic 

1. Paperfury.com 
2. Instagram 

Top Countries Traffic 

1. USA
2. Australia
3. France 

France was the one that surprised me the most. 

So there is my last year and new year and some fun stats. I hope you stick around for the new. 

How did you go with your own goals last year? What goals have you made for this year? 

That Word: Inception

That Word is the segment on my blog where I post new words that I discover newly or have jumped out at me once again. If you love finding new words this post is for you. If you're a writer looking for different words to describe some this post may also be for you. 

Inception

Where I Discovered It?

I was writing a blog post and double checked the meaning of a word I had used. It turned out I was correct. I also thought it would be a nice addition to my That Word segment. So here it is. 

Definition/s

1. Beginning; start; commencement

An Example Sentence

"The inception of such the idea seemed quite absurd to the rest of us." ~ A quote from my current work in progress. 

My Opinion

I love inception partly because it sounds simple and short yet is a longer word. It not only sounds simple but has a simple meaning too. It presents an opportunity to use it when words like beginning and start are beginning to sound a little old. I'm certainly glad I found it. 

So what do you think? Is it a word you've heard often? Have or would you use it? Do you know of other words similar? 

Just Write

I receive daily emails from Advice to Writers. In fact I have a stock pile of linked posts from those that are to be used for inspiration for blog posts. Recently this one was in one of those daily emails. 

Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to. (Advice to Writers)

It really stood out to me and was just what I needed to hear really. If I write I'm a writer it is so true but it's more than that. I have so many story ideas that I'm almost afraid to start writing. There is a story idea that came to me recently. This one is the story of Prince James. I've had ideas coming to me for the past couple of months. I've put more planning into it than I felt that I ever have into a novel. I was considering waiting to write it until November for Nanowrimo, but then I wasn't sure that I even was going to do Nano this year (and am still unsure) and this story wasn't letting me go. Whenever there's a space in my thoughts it's there. Whenever I get out my journal to write I'm thinking about his story. It wants to be written and doesn't want to wait. 

My current journal 

Now after reading the above advice I think it spurred me on to just sit down and write. So that's what I did. I already have an idea of a large many things that will happen. It's the most prepared story of mine I've begun to write. Currently it sits in my everyday journal in places here and there. It's being written. 

But there are still struggles. After I had started vaguely writing in it I became unsure of what POV i want to write it in. I am most comfortable writing in first person and it is the one I have most used, but I also wanted to try third person on one of my stories. I considered, but really I stressed about which to day. After much debating with myself and even praying I felt to go with what I know. First person.

Still as I write it I feel so insecure. Am I doing it right? Is it even coming out right? Am I sure I am ready to write this story? All these questions are hanging under the surface. I have decided to write this story but it's scary. I'm not totally sure, yet I know I must write. Who would I be if I didn't. The urge and pressure to write and create is always there for me and so I must journey on. 

One day i hope to bring these stories into the world. I hope that they may touch others lives but for now I must focus on getting them written. Even in amongst school and life I must. Why? Because writing is my life. 

So I write. 

Is this something you have struggled with? Do you struggle with confidence even with the constant knowledge that you are a writer? 

Naming Charcters

Characters are our beloved darlings. We love them to pieces and put them through so much (so they can grow mind you). For me when I create my characters they sometimes don't get names straight away. It's not to punish them at all it's just that none have come to mind and I might put off naming them until much later. Somehow even without the names the characters move around with just as much personality as if they do have names. The hard thing about it is I can't just pick a name out of a hat and it becomes their name forever. It just doesn't work like that (most of the time). 

My naming processes

1. It drops in

Sometimes a name just drops in and fits the character. It just fits. I don't need to change their name at all. I'm grateful when this happens because (they won't have to go nameless for months if I'm feeling particular clueless as to their names) Other times when it drops in I will try it out for a little while and end up searching for a new one. 

For Graeme his name just came. It fit and stuck. I think the day before it could have been Gray though. One thing I did do those is look up the different spellings because I didn't like the spelling of it like this: Graham. I had imagined it the other

When I was writing my novel for campnanowrimo July Samuel James actually began as Benjamin. At first had thought that Benjamin did fit him but then as I was writing it had suddenly changed to Samuel before I had even realised it. 

2. Name Generators

I have done this for both first and surnames, but probably more often for last names as they are the hardest to think of. I generally go through them and pick a few that I like the sound of and then I test them out and decide if one fits or suits my character.

De Haven is a last name I found in an a surname generator. When I was little I gave my favourite toy a last name by chopping up my own. It ended up being Obson. 

3. Off The Top of My Head

Lastly I try and think of the many names I might know or have heard of and see if they fit a character. This way doesn't always work as some names pop up many times while trying to think up a new name (two characters cannot have the same name).

I'm fairly sure I've had a couple of Michaels in one old story and one newer one. I only have a vague memory of the older story now though as I hadn't really started writing them down as much back then. Which means the newer character is getting the name.

4. It starts with a letter

Then there are the times where I feel like I want a name to start with a certain letter. I don't generally know why but I a letter comes to mind for the start of the name I just need to figure out the rest. 

This happened with my character Keira Stanford. Her last name I knew I wanted to start with S and a few days later Stanford came to mind.

5. Swapping

Sometimes my characters swap names or it switch from one character to another. For example in the WIP I'm exploring I was looking of name ideas at Fantasy Name Generator and I found Zane and gave it to one character. It didn't stick to him and instead he got named James (which was a dropping sort of name) and his best friend was suddenly Zane. 

Bonus: The Definition

Another thing I do is look up the definition to my characters names. I find this interesting to do but it doesn't affect whether the name stays or not. I remember at one point a had a whole list of my family's name definitions with some character name meanings as well.

What about you? Do you find it easy to find names for your characters? Do you find the definition for your character's name or is it something you've never thought of before?

Beautiful People: August Edition

Beautiful People is a link up hosted by Cait @Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. I've only participated in it a few times so far but it has really helped me to get to know my characters and books better.


This

1. Give a brief overview of their looks (Include a photo if you want!)

Samuel is pale, and fairly average in height with dusty blond hair (I'm not even sure if that's the right way to describe it)

2. Share a snippet that involves description of their appearance. 

I don't think I really have a snippet as of yet that really describes his appearance but you can be sure that when one is born I will add it to this post.

My Life of Writing

As this blog is still fairly new I thought that maybe you should know a little bit about me so here is my post about my writing. Enjoy!

My Past In Stories

I can barely remember a time when a story has not been running around in my head. As far as I can remember they've always been there. I remember trying to write stories many times through my childhood and not then letting them go. The same sort of thing has happened when it has come to journalling. I will get a new notebook and maybe write a day here or there but then it goes nowhere. 

Well, this changed at the end of grade 8. That year I received a secret santa present of a notebook and a pen together. It was the perfect gift because this was the notebook I began journalling consistently in as well as writing a few crazy story ideas that would have been in my head back then. I think it was partially this prompt that helped me really gain my moment in my dream for writing.

My Fairly New Notebooks