Vocabbett - Fun Vocabulary & History Stories

If you're following along and writing a book with me, you're probably into the actual drafting process. Woohoo!

While exciting, I'll be the first to admit that this can be a uniquely intimidating time. It's one thing to have an outline; it's another thing to stare down the barrel of 300-odd blank pages.

So today, I'm letting you in on what I think is the easiest way to populate the various scenes in your book (it's also the method I use for short stories!).

Called the popcorn method, it's actually quite simple. You start with a "kernel" — an observation, quote, line — something that starts as a jumping-off point. From there, you just let that kernel "pop," and follow where it goes!

For instance, here was the kernel for The Boudicea Story from episode 10:

Like a mad scientist, but with history (modern Boudicea describing her dad)

There aren't many people who'd name their child Boudicea today. What kind of life might this girl have? What kind of nicknames would she get at school? How does she feel about history?

That little kernel created a 7-odd page story, and if you listened to episode 10 of the Vocabbett podcast, you know that it could go on!

Another kernel I've been hanging on to?

Coastal avocado

I can't remember where I heard this, but I wrote it down in my handy "kernels" doc, and these two words have exploded into a huge part of the sequel for Ahead of Her Time.

It's not describing a food in the traditional sense. Rather, it was the way someone described something that I might naively call "green."

What type of person describes something as "coastal avocado" instead of green? What type of industry might they work in? How might they treat their assistants? And what might happen if a certain person (*cough*) goes to work for them?

Little kernels like that are all over the place, and if you want to be a writer, it's time you start writing them down! Whether it's in a physical notebook or (my preferred method) my phone and then a Google Doc, what matters is that you capture these kernels for a rainy day.

Starting with a kernel will make your final scene or story so much easier to create! Learn more about this technique in episode 56 of the Vocabbett podcast.

As we wrap up our writing mini-series, I have just a few more pieces of word-altering advice to give you!

Today's advice has two meanings, and it's: is your subject your subject?

Big Picture

Are you telling the story from the right point of view?

In drafting book #2, I realized my predetermined subject was no longer the only person with a gripping story to tell, and decided to have two narrators instead of the one I'd imagined.

It's worth examining your story from a few perspectives before diving in!

Line-by-Line

This seems so obvious when you point it out, but I had no idea how often I made this mistake until learning this bit of advice from Rick Riordan!

Whenever possible, try to make the subject of your sentence what you want your reader to focus on. Not only that, but try to make that word as strong as possible!

For instance, he notes that "It was a beautiful day" encourages readers to think about a vague "it". Alternatively, "The sky was a brilliant blue" encourages people to think about the sky.

A simple fix, but impactful!

In the podcast, I talk about a story of my own where I made this swap, and was practically thunderstruck by how much better the sentence became.

Listen to the entire episode below, or on your favorite player!

I'll never forget my experience listening to Frankenstein on Audible.

I went to the store, got groceries, was driving home, and sweet Mary Shelley (or the narrator, at any rate) was still droning on about some mountain.

Now, Mary Shelley is far more successful than I will ever be, so perhaps I shouldn't weigh in here, but I'm of the opinion that shorter descriptions are better.

And that leads me into today's topic in our writing mini-series: how to write non-boring descriptions.

Continuing in the tradition of getting expert advice, today, I have three gems for you from three different authors. Listen now to hear them all! 

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Referenced in this episode: 

bit.ly/ahead-of-her-time

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/how-to-make-your-setting-a-character

https://rickriordan.com/about/advice-for-writers/

The most important piece of creative writing advice you'll ever receive? 

Show. Don't. Tell.

You might have heard it before, but it definitely bears repeating! In a nutshell, here's the difference between the two...

When you're telling the story, it sounds like: 

Sally was sad. 

When you're *showing* the story, it sounds like: 

Sally ate her popcorn on the couch, ugly-crying and shouting at the TV that love isn't real. 

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Now, it's a rather cliche example, but which one of these characters do you feel like you know better? And therefore, who are you more invested in?

We've all probably read a book where we don't care if the characters live or die. Usually that's because the characters don't feel real. 

People care about real people. If you want people to invest in your story, you need to show them who they are!

(By the way, this rule still applies when everything is magical or made up - to the reader, they should still feel real!)

I dive a little deeper into this concept in episode 53 of the Vocabbett podcast. Listen now!

Well hello! If you’re new to Vocabbett, I help students improve their vocabulary through stories.

Because of that, I tend to do a lot of writing. At the moment, I’m taking you behind the scenes as I write the sequel to Ahead of Her Time!

Today, we’re talking about character sketches, and I’m continuing to draw on the creative process of Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Elizabeth Peters) for inspiration.

Here’s what I found while researching her process: She did use character sketches early in her career, but stopped by 1992(ish). As she explained in her winter 1992-1993 newsletter:

“I have to see my people in action before I know what they’re like.”

-BARBARA MERTZ A.K.A. ELIZABETH PETERS

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that by 1992, Mertz was a very proficient writer. She had also largely moved away from standalone books, focusing primarily on the Vicky Bliss and Amelia Peabody series for the rest of her career.

It makes sense, to me at least, that you wouldn’t need to do character sketches on characters you already know!

There is a flip side to this, though. While she may not have done pre-draft character sketches for her later books, I did find quite a few post-book character notes. It seems as though she went through her books after writing them, collating details for consistency.

One of my favorite, about characters in the Vicky Bliss books, below!

So, to recap:

Character sketches can be helpful, but it seems like they’re more helpful with standalone books or the first book in a series.

On the flip side, if you are writing a series, post-book character sketches may be helpful in keeping everything consistent!

Get more information in episode 52 of the Vocabbett podcast! 

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www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

In today’s installment of our “how to write a book” mini-series, we’re diving into outlines!

And, yes, I know outlines aren’t the most fascinating topic, so I’ll keep it short. : )

Here’s what you should know: not every author uses an outline. In general, there are two camps in the writing community:

1. Plotters, who plot their novels in advance
2. Pantsers, who follow where the book leads (writing “by the seat of their pants”)

I’ve mentioned before that, in drafting the sequel to Ahead of Her Time, I’m trying to base my process on that of Elizabeth Peters.

She was a fanatical outliner. In research I did on her writing process, she almost universally had multiple outlines for each book (a short 1-3 page outline, and a longer 7-15 page outline).

Here’s what I’m doing differently, though. Rather than write a synopsis-style outline, as she did, I’m creating a chapter-by-chapter outline.

Since I (officially!) decided to dually-narrate this one, I just find that it’s easier to keep track of things if I outline by chapter, rather than writing a miniature version of the story!

What are your thoughts on outlines? For essays, I’m a firm believer in their necessity, but I’m not experienced enough with novel-writing to have strong opinions for books yet!

*SPOILERS AHEAD* – If you haven’t yet read Ahead of Her Time (which you can download for free as a Vocabbett member!), start there and come back!

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Fans of Noor & co, rejoice! I am starting to make real headway on the sequel to Ahead of Her Time.

In episode 50 of the Vocabbett podcast, I share where I am in the idea-formulating process, revealing some (non-spoilery) details about book 2. I also share some difficulties I’m facing, and how I’ve tentatively resolved them.

Specifically, I grappled with the knowledge that “Cleopatra in the present day” is a pretty interesting hook…but then, is it still Noor’s story?

When I utilized the questions secret, asking my brain and the muse point-blank what the most interesting way to capture the story would be, the response was quite interesting!

Into my brain dropped a rough outline for the first seven chapters of the book, and it’s dually-narrated by Noor and Cleopatra!

There are still a lot of questions that remain, even within those chapters. For instance, what exactly is Cleopatra’s job going to be? I lean towards something in fashion, but not sure…

The other big one to figure out? THE LOVE STORY. Who ends up with whom? I wish I knew.

Get all this and more in episode 50 of the podcast!

Have you ever loved a book so much that when you finished it, you just sat in stunned silence for a moment?

How did the author get these ideas? you ask. Maybe you turn to Google and find some witty response from the author, or nothing at all.

For aspiring writers, this can be maddening! If each book is an invention, ideas are the schematics and blueprints. I want to know how you built this!

Today on the Vocabbett podcast, we're diving into the "behind the scenes" of how authors get their ideas, drawing on the work of bestselling author Barbara Mertz, who is perhaps better known by her pen name "Elizabeth Peters."

I was able to do original research on Mertz's creative process for my Master's degree, going through countless boxes of her notes, outlines, and manuscripts just after they donated by her estate. Most hadn't even been archived by the librarians yet!

What I learned was invaluable for anyone who wants to write a book. It was like being a fly on the wall as a new product is being invented, and getting to take notes at the same time! 

How are bestselling ideas born? Tune into the Vocabbett podcast to find out!

Aspiring writers are often told to “write what you know.”

It’s valuable advice, no doubt, lending verisimilitude to an otherwise unbelievable narrative.

HOWEVER, here’s the problem: our lives rarely conform to a three-act structure.

While writing what we “know” may leave us with good scenes, it often leaves us lacking in the plot department.

That’s exactly what happened with me while writing Ahead of Her Time. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of pages I had to re-write to turn my hodgepodge collection of scenes into a proper story!

I’m starting to work on the sequel, but this time, I’m going about things very differently.

One of the things I’m changing? I’m not going to rely quite as much on what I “know.”

For book one, many of the scenes were pulled directly from my own life — some were even once blog posts or journal entries! I basically just changed the names.

I had to do some fancy editing to turn all these real-life scenes into a workable story.

This time, I’m starting with the story. Whatever “real” experiences or knowledge I can weave in, great. But the story leads. Not what I “know”!

I dive more into what I’ve learned since writing Ahead of Her Time in episode 48 of the Vocabbett podcast. Listen now! 

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Referenced in this episode: 

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel (affiliate link)

I probably couldn’t pick a worse time to do this. Who has time to write a book amid all the back-to-school madness?

Unfortunately, inspiration is striking at the moment, and I’m a slave to the muse, so I’m going to get started on book 2!

But that’s the beautiful thing about the internet, isn’t it? You can write a book with me now, in real time, or come back to this series later!

Over the next few weeks, as I get started on the sequel to Ahead of Her Time, I’m going to pull back the curtain on every aspect of my writing process.

Unlike last time, I’m going to be very methodical this go-round, basing my process largely off of Elizabeth Peters’. I was able to study her creative process for my Master’s, and I’m going to do my best to replicate it!

As always, tune into the podcast for a much deeper dive!

Lately, I’ve been bombarded with ads for shows on NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock TV.

Top among their new shows, it seems, is Brave New World, a fresh take on the classic dystopian novel.

I hate to ever leave a bad review about anything, but I suspect students might stumble upon it after being assigned the book, so let me just say…

This show is shockingly inappropriate for something kids might accidentally tune into.

Seriously, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen cleaner episodes of Game of Thrones.

Let me just repeat: THIS IS NOT A SHOW FOR KIDS. There’s, like, HBOx5-level nudity in this show. Constantly.

It’s a shame because the premise is actually rather interesting. The actors did a great job. But could I ever, ever recommend it to a student?

AB-SO-FREAKING-LUTELY NOT. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it to an adult.

If you’re looking for a good new show on Peacock TV, I did like The Capture. It has nothing to do with building your vocabulary, but I found it interesting.

Brave New World, though? Not as interesting, and insanely inappropriate.

Consider yourself warned. Caveat emptor! (Buyer beware!)

You can learn more about the show, and get my take on some of the vocabulary words used in it, in episode 46 of the Vocabbett podcast!

Isn’t it a shame that shows only seem to become cult classics once they’re over?

That’s what seems to be happening with Schitt’s Creek, a Canadian comedy that recently aired its final season. For Vocabbett readers, though, this show offers more than just some laughs…

You might also learn a word or two from the show’s inimitable matriarch, Moira Rose!

I’ll be honest. When I first saw the show, I was a little confused by her character. I couldn’t figure out what her accent was supposed to be, among other things, but now I adore her.

For any fans of Schitt’s Creek (who are also looking to boost their vocabulary!), New York Magazine put together a hilarious little montage “pettifogging” Moira’s ridiculously large (and hilarious) vocabulary.

I dive more into a few of the words in the video — and how you can remember them! — in episode 45 of the Vocabbett podcast. 

Pettifogging? Unasinous? Bombilate? Are these even words?

Well…kind of…but even if you can’t find them all in the dictionary, most have a legitimate origin somewhere, check out etymologically, and are downright amazing, so let’s just say yes!

Let's be honest: music is no good for reinforcing proper grammar habits, even if we all love it. 

However, I think for most songs, we kind of know when they're abusing grammatical conventions to fit the rhyme. 

There are times, though — times like these — when the errors are so subtle (and so commonly-used!) that we might not even realize they're happening. 

As a result, we get LOTS of erroneous impressions, and when the opportunity arises to use the right version, it just doesn't sound "right." 

In episode 44 of the Vocabbett podcast, we dive into a few more songs with grammar errors so subtle, and so frequently-made, you might not even realize they're errors!

Listen now!

Love, jealousy, betrayal, friends turning each other into animals...all hiding in one tiny SAT word!

In episode 43 of the Vocabbett podcast, we dive into the story (stories, really!) behind the word "cynosure." 

You'll never believe the path it's taken, starting on the humble backside of a dog and ending as a word befitting the queen. 

Listen now to hear the story! 

We're all looking for a certain something to make our lot in life better. 

I can't promise that this episode will bring it forth, but it will give you an elevated vocabulary to describe what you're looking for! 

In episode 42 of the Vocabbett podcast, we dive into the word "ameliorate" and what to do when you don't have an interesting etymological backstory. 

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www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

Well, hello!

I've got a ridiculous little vocabulary-boosting story for you today. I wrote it back in Italy when our English professor asked us to write about something unexpected about our new life abroad (I think - truthfully I don't remember the exact prompt!).

This is what I came up with! 😂

You can get the text of this story, and so much more, as a Vocabbett member!

Sign up today at www.vocabbett.com. 

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Don't want to become a full-fledged Vocabbett member, but still want to support the podcast? Pledge a few bucks a month on Ko-Fi!

www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

It’s not often that someone’s name transforms into an insult, but when it does, it’s usually pretty memorable!

We’ve recently witnessed the transformation of “Karen” from a pretty innocuous name to one with a whole host of negative connotations, but this isn’t the first time such a transformation has occurred.

Throughout history, there’s a strong pattern of names being used as insults, particularly for traitors.

If someone’s a Benedict Arnold, you probably know that means they’re a traitor. But what about a quisling?

Same thing!

Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian politician during World War II who led the collaborationist government after the German invasion. Unlike most of his compatriots, however, he welcomed the invasion and supported the Nazis’ vile agenda.

Norwegians quickly began using the word “quisling” as shorthand for “traitor,” and we picked up the word in English shortly thereafter.

For more information on this fascinating vocabulary word, listen to the entire episode! 

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Don't want to become a full-fledged Vocabbett member, but still want to support the podcast? Pledge a few bucks a month on Ko-Fi!

www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

Never thought you’d read that title, eh?

No, The College Board has not implemented some kind of Hunger Games-style exit questionnaire, but the story is equally shocking!

The book of Judges, in the Old Testament of the Bible, tells the story of a battle between the Ephraimites and the Gileadites.

Having won the battle, the Gileadites decided they didn’t want any survivors to make it home, so they set up checkpoints along the Jordan River. Anyone who wanted to pass was asked two questions:

1. Are you an Ephraimite?
2. How do you pronounce “shibboleth”?

You see, the Ephraimites didn’t have the “sh” sound in their dialect, so many of them had a difficult time pronouncing the word.

If they “could not frame to pronounce it right,” according to the book of Judges, they were killed!

God wasn’t pleased after all this, but philologists (people who study languages) were. They brought the word “shibboleth” into English, and re-invented its meaning around this story.

Now, a shibboleth is a distinguishing feature about a group of people, whether it’s their language, customs, etc. It might also describe their dialect or accent.

Why didn’t the Ephraimites just say the “sh,” you ask? Get my take, and learn more about this fascinating word, episode 37 of the Vocabbett podcast!

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Don't want to become a full-fledged Vocabbett member, but still want to support the podcast? Pledge a few bucks a month on Ko-Fi!

www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

Wow, that’s really manly of you, to be such a good person!” – Ancient Romans

As we continue diving into the study of etymology, it may amuse (annoy? probably not surprise…) you to find sneaky double meanings in many English words, many of which are rather sexist.

For instance, since the Latin root “vir” meant “man,” many of our “vir” words have an element of “manliness” built into them.

Are you virtuous? If you’re a man, it means you’re a good man. And if you’re a woman?

You’re good…like a man, I guess?

So women can be good “like” men, but if we become too manly (a.ka. strong or opinionated)?

By goodness, then we become a virago, which is SAT-speak for “ballbuster.”

The list of funny “man” words and their origins goes on. If you want to learn the potential link to the word “virus” (and it’s probably NOT what you think!), have a listen to the entire episode!

Referenced In This Episode: 

https://davidporush.com/2020/04/12/what-does-virus-really-mean-a-pandemic-etymology/

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Don't want to become a full-fledged Vocabbett member, but still want to support the podcast? Pledge a few bucks a month on Ko-Fi!

www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett 

Would you believe me if I told you that the word "money," something so valued and coveted, actually traces its roots back to a flock of geese?

In episode 36 of the Vocabbett podcast, we dive into the "mon" root and some of its derivatives, words like "premonition" and "monetize."

You won't believe the route this root has taken! : ) 

To take your study of etymology to the next level, sign up for a Vocabbett membership at www.vocabbett.com.

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Don't want to become a full-fledged Vocabbett member, but still want to support the podcast? Pledge a few bucks a month on Ko-Fi!

www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett