I may be totally insane.
My leap year project is all about words. In fact, I’m reading the entire dictionary. My old, old faithful friend, The Macquarie Encyclopedic Dictionary (which I used just now to spell encyclopedic) has 1,122 pages. This year, being a leap year, we have 366 days. So…according to my trusty calculator, that’s 3.06 pages a day. Easy peasy!
I just finished reading my first 3 pages (interestingly it was from ‘A’ to ‘absolute zero’!) and already feel inspired to leap into a new year of writing (not that I need a lot of motivation to do what I love).
The idea of my leap year project is to find new words, words I like, and words I’ve never got quite right (like ‘tenderhooks’ is actually
‘tenterhooks’, but who knew!). Then jot them down for sharing on my blog.
Here’s a couple from this morning’s pages:
abdicate: Okay, so we all know what abdicate means, but how can it be used as something fresh and different in my writing? The first thing that comes to mind is this…
He stood as if abdicating a throne -slowly, stiffly, pokerfaced.
Here’s one more…
abraded: means scraped away or worn down (often by friction):
He was worn down by the friction of his life.
Oooh I like that one, so I’m off to get stuck into my other 2012 project – book three in my small towns, big hearts collection (Season of Temperance) and maybe I’ll even use one or both of these.
And that is my LEAP YEAR OF WORDS project.
Anyone care to join me, knowing we might end up totally insane by the end?
Next post, next Sunday.
Happy New Year!
Sounds like a plan, Jenn. I will try and fit it in in my spare time every evening!
Happy New Year Jenn. Love your idea of reading the dictionary. I’m always fansiated with finding new words and their meanings, after al that’s what we are al about as writiers right?
Good luck on your new novel.
Sandie
What a fabulous idea, Jenn! Um, the learning new words thingy, that is. Don’t know that I’ll be reading 3.6 pages of the dictionary per day for 366 days in a row. To do that I’d need to have the same edition of the dictionary that you’re using… But I will return and have a look at what you’re up to 🙂
Nice try, Serena! You can always use your own dictionary, or any teesny weansy edition (hmmm…is that how you spell teensy weansy? Will have to look that one up :). Just divide the pages by 366. Or yes, keep a check on me and make sure I’m not going mad.
Your challenge astounds me. I don’t think I could do it but I’ll be following with interest 🙂