2012 has been an interesting year. I’ve worked with a diverse bunch of clients, discovered some wonderful writers and rekindled my passion for creative writing.
I thought it would be fun to sum up the year with a list of my 10 favourite words from 2012. These words either appeared in manuscripts I worked on, something I wrote or something I read that struck a chord.
1. Rhizome (noun): an underground rootlike stem bearing both roots and shoots.
- Betty held the thick, twisted ginger rhizome out in front of her; unbeknownst to Betty, vampires don’t have a problem with ginger.
2. Delinquent (noun): an offender (juvenile delinquent).
- Generally speaking, there isn’t much difference between an adolescent werewolf and a juvenile delinquent.
3. Optimism (noun): a tendency to take a favourable view of circumstances or prospects; confidence.
- Despite the oozing red bite on her arm Sally was confident she wouldn’t become a zombie. Her optimism was boundless.
4. Idle (adjective): (of a person) not working, doing nothing.
- When Stephen saw the undead horde spill across his lawn, he too was idle no more.
5. Thanadoula (noun): A person who provides end of life care to people who are dying. Combination of the Greek words thana (death) and doula (servant).
- Having been undead for several years, Amelia decided to pursue a career as a thanadoula. Assisting the dying was something she had a knack for.
6. Logistics (plural noun): the detailed organization and implementation of a plan or operation.
- In order to survive a zombie apocalypse, it is essential that your logistics are foolproof.
7. Catalyst (noun): a person or thing that precipitates a change.
- When Alastair saw the vampire emerge from the shadows, he knew her fangs were a catalyst for his life.
8. Gruelling (adjective): extremely demanding, severe, or tiring.
- Decapitating vampires and zombies was gruelling work; Sam had definitely earned his cold beer.
9. Resolve (noun): resoluteness; steadfastness.
- Watching the adolescent werewolves pee on her petunias strengthened Cecily’s resolve. She had to get rid of them, so she reached for her box of silver bullets.
10. Erstwhile (adjective): former; previous.
- As an erstwhile human, Harold was surprised by how much he wanted to eat one.
Note: All definitions, except thanadoula, come from the Second Edition of the Oxford Canadian Dictionary (2006).
Do you have a favourite word that sums up 2012 for you? Please feel free to share if you do.
———————————————————————————————–
Image credit: © Comugnero Silvana / Photoxpress.com
They’re all vampire, zombie, or werewolf related! lol that’s awesome!
Thanks Kim! I try to keep my examples entertaining – glad you enjoyed them!