10 More Intriguing Words to Test in Your Writing

Hello again Mystics & Misfits 🖤

Welcome to Round 2 of my Word Nerd Series (as I just decided to call it!) This time I added a little commentary on a couple definitions. So, let's get into it!

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Anamnesis

a patient’s account of a medical history

Anaphora

the repeating of words at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences

Eidolon

an idealized person or thing, or a specter or phantom (This double meaning feels quite poetic, as an overly idealized person/thing only really exists in one's mind.)

Entelechy the realization of potential

Epistrophe the repeating of words at the end of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences

Inveterate having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established & unlikely to change (This makes me think of crime docs where a parent says something like, They call every Sunday like clockwork, so when I didn't hear from them, I knew something wasn't right.)

Leitmotif a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation

Percipient

having a good understanding of things; perceptive

Pied having two or more different colors

Soubrette an actress or other female performer playing a lively, flirtatious role in a play or opera (This one reminds me of a classical Manic Pixie Dream Girl!)

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That’s all for me today, loves. I hope you discovered some new words to keep in your back pocket as you write. Stay curious 'til next time!

[LD]

3 Callbacks to Old Songs in New Lyrics

Hey Mystics & Misfits 🖤

Today’s post is about the love of my life, music. I can’t locate the exact number of minutes, but my Spotify Wrapped for 2020 reported that I was listening to music more than 1/3rd of the entire year!

So, as the title says, today I will be pointing out times when a new(er) song’s lyrics paid homage to an older classic, whether purposefully or not. Then at the end I have an honorable mention that didn’t quite fit the theme of the blog.

Let’s get into it!

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1. MUSE | Supermassive Black Hole (2006)

“I thought I was a fool for no one, but ooo baby, I’m a fool for you”

“I’m A Fool For You” is the title of a song released by Ray Charles in 1957. Over the years, many artists have created their own interpretations with covers performed by the likes of Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, and Van Morrison.

This throwback isn’t surprising coming from the maximalist trio that is Muse. Their eclectic sound stems from an exceptional variety of influences, from Tame Impala to classical composers to Rage Against the Machine. Muse’s versatility is a major reason they’re one of my all-time favorite bands.

2. LIL WATERBED | Luv In My Cup (2017) “That’s my shawty, she my little purple haze”

This throwback is probably easily recognized by a majority of people, as “Purple Haze” is the name of an iconic song released in 1970 by ambidextrous guitar maestro, Jimi Hendrix. It seems to be one of those songs people will know of even if they couldn’t say much about how it actually sounds!

This homage is more pointed that the previous, as “Luv In My Cup” is about love between two drug users. The chill, somewhat hypnotic rhythm of the song suits the topic well. The idea of love and drugs affecting a person’s mind in the same way is a classic theme in art that has withstood the test of time.

3. BILLIE EILISH | Bellyache (2017)

"Where’s my mind? Maybe it’s in the gutter where I left my lover”

The Pixies, one of Kurt Cobain’s cited favorite groups, came out with the eerie tune “Where Is My Mind?” in 1988. This callback is interesting because it was unintentional. Eilish hadn’t heard the Pixies’ song before creating Bellyache, which she co-wrote with her older brother Finneas O’Connell, known professionally as FINNEAS.

Although many people listen to music older than them, it’s understandable that Eilish wasn’t familiar with “Where Is My Mind?” as it was released 13 years before she was born. Nevertheless, recognizing the phrase when I first heard the song felt like a special moment.

*BONUS MOVIE EXAMPLE*

ROY BATTY - played by Rutger Hauer | Blade Runner (1982) “… All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.”

This instance is less exact than the examples above, but I felt it note-worthy all the same.

Twenty years before the release of the aforementioned sci-fi film, the Everly Brothers released a song called “Crying in The Rain” with the following lyrics:

I'll never let you see / The way my broken heart is hurting me / I've got my pride and I know how to hide / All my sorrow and pain / I'll do my crying in the rain

Perhaps due cause for tears, I’ve never actually seen Blade Runner, but looking into this scene definitely has me more intrigued. The speech I quoted from is actually referred to as the "tears in rain monologue" and has been lauded as the defining moment of Rutger Hauer’s career. Even more awesome, he adlibbed the line! The original script had read: All those moments... they'll be gone.

It's a beautiful thing when emotions and creative instinct can change the trajectory of a work, oftentimes for the better!

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Well, that’s all I have for today. I hope this post was interesting to you. Thanks so much for reading, and until next time, I hope you stay curious!

[LD]

Q+A On My 1st Publication

Hey Mystics + Misfits 🖤

I hope ya’ll are doing well! For today’s post I’m going to share an extended interview I had some time ago with an Instagram book reviewer, @a_limitless_reader.

In particular I will be referring to my paranormal romance novella, Hunter and Healer. It was my first self-published work, posted in December 2018. Needless to say, the story is very dear to my heart.

Hunter and Healer is an MM story about a heart-wrenching reunion between ex-lovers Tahomas Holbrook and Kyo Sams San Miguel. It’s a kind of redemption story and a race against time sure to tug on your emotions.

The novella is available for .99 cents through Amazon and is Free with Kindle Unlimited. Naturally, any reads and especially reviews would be deeply appreciated.

So, now that that’s covered, let’s move on to the questions!

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1. What does literary success look like to you?

I see success in writing as truly connecting with readers— crafting lines that make them feel more deeply than they expected, developing characters they will remember long after they finish reading.

2. How do you approach the researching process? What have you been looking into recently? I tend to research as needed, as I write. A lot of the studying for my novel Syndrome goes into medical conditions to help me invent my own ailments. I always preferred Biology to other sciences, so it’s really fascinating to me. Humans are strange and wonderful machines.

3. If you didn’t write, what would you do for a living?

Well, writing is not my full-time job (yet!) so right now I’m a data analyst. Even though it’s most plausible, it feels a bit boring to say I’d be an editor. So, I will add that I can see myself as an optometrist. I joke about becoming an eye doctor when I turn 50, so maybe I’d do it early! Helping people with something so vital from a cozy little office seems so fulfilling.

4. How do you choose the names for your characters?

It definitely varies. Most of the time it’s an intuitive process, but for example with Tahomas, I wanted something different but not too strange, since Hunter and Healer takes place in a future alternate universe. Though I’ve not read it, I always liked the names in The Hunger Games series, like how Peeta sounds like Peter. It’s still familiar. I saw the 'Tahoma’ font option in my email and added an ‘s’ so it’s like 'Thomas' said with a slight stutter.

5. What aspect of telling your story did you find particularly difficult?

That’d be the flashback of Tahomas and Kyo’s fight. It’s tricky for me to keep up the natural flow and energy of an argument— maybe that’s because I’m not great at confrontation in real life!

6. When was the first time you realized words held power?

I’d say when I was a kid and first heard ‘Come Together’ by The Beatles. The line “got to be good looking ‘cause he’s so hard to see” really unlocked something in my mind!

7. Do you strive more to be original or write what you think the readers want?

I definitely value originality over popularity. I tend to write what I’d like to read. I believe when a writer is specific with their tone and style, it lends more meaning to the connection with the reader. It makes me think of wearing an obscure band t-shirt— it's that vibe when you run into that one random person that actually recognizes it.