#the panoply armor is more useful but this one is definitely more of a look

[wrenhavenriver]

Abyssal Armor

Forged in secret by the Mad Smith for the Four Horsemen shortly after they swore an oath of allegiance to the Charred Council. The armor was hidden away and meant to be utilized for the eventual End Times; however, Fury's Abyssal Armor was thought to have been lost or possibly stolen by a cunning demon.

[linguisticsbunker]

The Flammifer of Westernesse

And now for something completely different. 

Like many people who write about language on the internet for fun, I like weird words. Even more than that, I like archaic words with odd meanings. And today, we’re going to look at the etymology of some interesting archaisms brought to you by J.R.R Tolkien’s Lay of Earendil, a long poem detailing the adventures of the hero Earendil and his wife, Elwing. (I am using this text because it is free online and contains a lot of odd archaisms and I’m on a train at six am, so please forgive me for using what I know. It is a nice train, for anyone who wanted to know, and I have some skyr and a lotus moon cake to eat for breakfast, but I have not had very much sleep.) 

 Panoply: A panoply is a full suit of armor, from the Greek panoplia, from Greek pan, meaning “all”. It was first used in print in the 1570′s. In the Lay of Earendil, this word shows up in the second stanza, referring to Earendil’s armor as he’s being prepared for his quest. 

Habergeon: Another word from the stanza about armor, (yes, there is an entire stanza devoted to armor, welcome to Tolkien,) a habergeon is a chainmail jacket that is shorter than a hauberk, another type of chainmail jacket/shirt. Habergeon comes from French, brought into English by the Normans, and it means “little hauberk.” 

Adamant: Adamant is a word of varying and somewhat unclear definition. In Old English, it was the word for any type of very hard stone, but the Old French word it was borrowed from referred to both diamonds and magnets. The modern word is usually used to refer to something unbreakable, often made of diamond. Interestingly, while the word can be traced back to Ancient Greek “adamas”, it is unclear where it came from, as it is apparently a strange construction for a Greek word. 

Errantry: Errantry is a noun construction of “errant”. Today, “errant” is usually used in the sense of a stray animal or wandering child, but in medieval chivalric romances, an errant knight was a knight that was not in the service of a lord and instead wandered about in search of adventure. Errant comes from two identical French verbs with different meanings, both spelled errer. One meant “to err” and the other meant “to travel, to wander,” and both were combined in the adjective’s original meaning. In the Lay, Earendil is said to “tarry there from errantry” when he reaches the elven city of Tirion, essentially meaning that he stayed there and hung out for a while before continuing on his quest. 

Carcanet: There are very few people who know the word “carcanet” from something other than this poem. It enjoyed a some popularity in the 1500′s, first used in print in 1530, but it has definitely dropped off since. A carcanet is a piece of jewelry, usually a heavily jeweled collar, but sometimes a headband or circlet. It is probably from Middle French carcan, meaning “yoke,” implying something heavy worn around the neck.  

The final word I wanted to include in this post was flammifer, but I think Tolkien may have made it up, because I can’t find it anywhere except for Tolkien-related sources, and the only etymology for it is based solely on the Lay. In any case, a flammifer is an exceptionally fancy, epic lantern. 

[authormarialberg]

  Day 20 Word count: 39,387 words Word count goal: 40,000 words Mapping the Hero’s Journey: Resurrection Save The Cat: Darkest Moment

#vss very short story

Once Harry shed his husk, he thought he could go home again. He was sure his family would get used to his new form over time, but when he arrived, there was a bigger problem. There was no home to go back to.

Plotting with Tarot

The Resurrection Card: The Seven of Wands upside-down- when you achieve a position of leadership, there will always be others who crop up to challenge you.  You will have to face the jealousy of those who want what you have.  You will encounter situations when it will “appear” that everyone is against you – be realistic about the odds you face.

What MC feels he has failed at doing: Six of Swords upside-down- your emotions are stirred up and your physical or spiritual journey becomes stormy.  Trying to “attack” a long standing problem – especially one that has been accepted by others – only agitates the situation.  Unsatisfying or oppressive situations can go quietly along for years until someone decides to do something about it.  Trying to remove the swords from the boat will sink it – they are plugging up the holes.  When “swords” symbolize unhappy memories where “silence” has become the defense, communication will be painful – but it will also begin the healing process.

How he will be transformed by this event: Seven of Cups upside-down- Allow yourself to experience your emotions – KNOW what you really want.  Look at your deepest desires and recognize which goal has enough meaning and power to sustain you – then focus all your energy on it.  Focusing on all of your desires and allowing them to break your attention will eventually tear you apart.  Experience your determination to create something from your dreams and do something with them. An unexpected event will take place now – it will be beneficial and improve your attitude, for it will be a definite change for the better.  Believe and always trust that you are on the right track – continue to pursue your goal without wasting time, for success is yours in time.  Watch for any glimmer of success and follow it through – never give up your ideas – even when it is hard to carry them through.  Ignore any opposition – offer your insecurity up in prayer and it will be replaced with spiritual strength.  Persist in studying and you will reap great rewards. – from Crystal Clear Reflections

My interpretation: I feel like all of the cards being upside-down shows that my MC’s life has been turned upside-down. Because of the light coming from the window, I had to take the picture from the other side of the table, so the cards were right side up (I rotated it in Paint), so I may need to think about the cards upright as well.

My character is coming to a point when he feels the whole world is against him. This stirs up emotions and unhappy memories that have created silences in his relationships even put wedges between himself and the people closest to him. He learns to re-assess his priorities and instead of always fretting over his long to-do list, to put his passion into one thing at a time. The most important goal, what matters the most.

Ask Your Character

What future inventions do you hope for?

What would you not do for a billion dollars? Why?

What gifts would you enjoy receiving?

Word Of The Day

panoply: n. 1. a splendid or impressive array; 2. ceremonial attire; 3. a full suit of armor; a complete defense or covering

8 Action Verbs:

appraised          collected          defended              expanded

instituted           observed         reproduced          supported

Poem prompt

Today’s prompt is inspired by Day 5 of the PAD Chapbook Challenge:

For today’s prompt, write a self-destruct poem. I come up with these prompts before the month starts, and I admit I’m not sure what my original thought was with this. But now, all I can think about are those self-destruct messages from Inspector Gadget and Mission Impossible. Of course, many things and people can self-destruct, including athletes, politicians, and about everyone else on the planet–in large and small ways. I hope this prompt does not self-destruct in 5 seconds.

One way to build suspense and conflict in your story is to add a ticking clock. This poem prompt made me think of writing a poem ticking down to an event.

Five Miles in Five Minutes

Five miles from his home They ordered lattes topped with foam in a swirl, From a girl in a bikini Whose breasts plopped out of The drive-thru window When collecting her tip

Four miles from his home He took a sip and burned his lips And tongue, The searing pain Made him loose his grip He jerked back as the cup fell His flailing caused the driver to swerve

Three miles from his home The swerving driver hit a cat In the road, Which made him sad He had loved his flabby tabby And recently had to put him down Someone’s beloved pet lay dead He stared at the road With burning read eyes

Two miles from his home The road turned to gravel then dirt, jostling the passengers The trees grew taller and closed-in The car became quiet and pensive The passenger turned on the radio The driver turned it off

One mile from his home Guns began to click Safeties turned to off Bullets in the chambers Everyone knows the plan? Grunts the only answer

At his home An old man tends his garden In neat rows, He does not recognize The car coming up his drive Approaching quickly raising dust He hurries inside To grab his shotgun To defend his home

Awesome Sentence Challenge

Exploring the quality of words:

formal/informal

general/specific

abstract/concrete

Write sentences using these different qualities of words. Write a formal sentence or two. Then make the same sentences changing the formal words to their informal counterparts. Write a couple of very general statements, as general as you can make them, then write the same statements using most specific words you can find. Do the same exercise with abstract to concrete.

Today’s Simple Task

Increase the stakes: Show your Main Character’s growing strength. Training Day: make self better, find new ally

Warm-up Exercise

from Daily Warm-Ups in Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer edited by Bret Anthony Johnston.

Today you get to make a choice. Spend 5 minutes describing (choose one, or more):

A strange experience in a car.

A strange experience in a restaurant.

An unmerited award.

A good deed that backfires.

Recommended Word Crawl

The Egyptian Tomb Crawl

Happy Reading and Writing!

#NaNoWriMo Day 20: Approaching Climax Day 20 Word count: 39,387 words Word count goal: 40,000 words Mapping the Hero’s Journey: Resurrection…