Tag: books

Live Novel Friday…

Wiwohka7 Comments

The Wharf…

Episode V

Keeping the baby in her room that first night wasn’t all that difficult, as the tiny creatures satisfied himself with snuggling into Maiyah’s favorite pillow, and sleeping the night away. Most likely, the little creature hadn’t slept much while hiding in the fish shed. She assumed he’d been there for at least two or three days, before she was able to lure him out from behind the old fish barrel.

Once they’d safely made it to her room, he simply crawled up onto her bed and fell fast asleep. It was a good thing that he was so tired. Maiyah had a days’ worth of choring to catch up on, before anyone were the wiser.

Quickly clearing the dishes from the tables, she set about getting them washed, dried and put away before Ollie made his way down from his room. The orc ran the tavern into the wee hours of the morning, so he rarely woke before the noon hour. This gave her time to catch up on the dishes that waited for her, within the kitchen.

Once the dishes were clean, Maiyah slipped up the tavern’s back stairs to check on the little one. Opening her bedroom door, she was appalled at the scene awaiting her arrival…

The tiny little monster had somehow chewed through one of her bedposts, made a mess of all her clothing, and was happily gnawing on one of her shoes. Apparently, the baby was teething something fierce!

There was nothing she could do about the mess til her shift ended, so Maiyah retrieved the broken wood, but left the baby happily chewing on her favorite boot. Perhaps Ollie would replace her ruined things, once she handed him the baby. One could always hope for the orc to have an understanding nature, though she had her doubts.

That day would not be one to approach the orc, as she’d seen what a mess had befallen the tavern on the previous night. Ollie was forced to break up numerous brawls, and finally had to close the tavern, just to clear out the drunken offenders and mop up all the spilled ale. It had been a costly night for the orc…

Ollie went to bed very angry, if all the mess and broken furnishings weren’t enough evidence.

Maiyah would have to wait at least another day, or two. It usually took the orc time to regain his composure after losing his temper. She would manage the little boot chewer a bit longer, for Ollie’s sake.

Returning to her chores, Maiyah made one last sweep of the kitchen and dining area, before Ollie came down. Assured that nothing was amiss, she headed out behind the tavern to finish the days washing…

With laundry washed, and hung out to dry, Maiyah made her way inside to help serve the lunch crowd that were already filling the tavern’s tables. Once the customers began exiting, she quickly cleared their plates, making sure to stuff any leftover food into her apron. It was less likely that anyone would notice food disappearing, this way. She could simply pick up a few edible bits from off the plates she cleared, here and there. The scraps would have otherwise been thrown out, anyway.

When she returned to her room that afternoon, she cleaned up the mess made by the baby and repaired her half eaten bed post. The baby sat on the floor, happily eating the food she’d managed to pilfer from the dining room. Once full, the baby began to yawn, and then settled down into a pile of clothing in the corner of the room…

Watching the baby drift of to sleep, softly murmuring to himself, Maiyah considered what her options were. Though he was adorable and sweet, she would run herself ragged if she were to try keeping him hidden in her room, much longer. She was only one person, and it wouldn’t do to simply let the baby crawl around her room, unattended, for all the hours of the day, while she was working. She would give it one more day.

One more day came, and then went. Yet another fight broke out that night, just as the night before…

And, again, Ollie had to break up the fight. Once more, the tavern had to be closed, repaired, and mopped up.

And, another day came and went…

Maiyah was beginning to think that there was never going to be a favorable moment to tell Ollie about his son…

It had been a full week of drunken brawls, broken tables, and shattered kegs of valuable ale. To live upon the wharf, one had to be accustomed to violence and chaos, nearly every day. It hadn’t been Maiyah’s choice to work in a tavern, but it had been Ollie’s choice in the owning and running of said establishment. The orc would have to be given the letter soon, along with handing over Brugo, the grumpy orc’s own responsibility.

Knowing it was time to reveal the baby was one thing, but knowing how to do it was another thing, all together. Maiyah couldn’t just slap the letter on the bar and fling the baby at Ollie. If she wanted to do the right thing, and keep her job, diplomacy was definitely in order.

Should she give Ollie the baby first, or the letter?

What’s in the letter, aside from telling Ollie that the baby is his?

And, where is Brugo’s mother?

Monday Messages…

WiwohkaLeave a comment

Now that we’re back aboard The Torrent, I’ve set about reading through some of the books in Wiwohka’s office.

If there are things we’re needing to know while at sea, I need to be able to read these old books. More than just reading them, though. I’ll need a better understanding of many older terms and phrases than we’re used to reading in modern writings. I’m not just talking about all the thee’s, thou’s, or hence forth, and such. Those are easy enough to adjust to while doing my reading, but I get derailed every time I come across words I’ve never before seen used. Thus far, much of my reading has been from current publications that come across the desk. Nothing in all that will be useful in deciphering old maritime maps, scrolls, and letters from abroad.

I know Wiwohka says she doesn’t need my help in all this, but who am I, if not for a literary entrepreneur, right?!

So, how does one become more familiar with the wide world of words? Why we use the good ole World Wide Web, of course!

Where to start our educational search, is the first question to ask. Well, I simply went to Mr. McGoogle and typed this:

“Unique and unused words in the English language”

And so it has begun…

According to Google’s AI overview,

These unique and rarely used English words are often prized for their specificity, evocative sounds, or niche meanings, ranging from poetic descriptions to obsolete, humorous terms.

Unique Words for Specific Moments

  • Apricity (noun): The warmth of the sun in winter.
  • Petrichor (noun): The pleasant, earthy smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.
  • Psithurism (noun): The sound of the wind in the trees.
  • Sonder (noun): The sudden realization that every passerby has a life as complex and vivid as your own.
  • Eucatastrophe (noun): A sudden, positive turn of events; a happy ending.
  • Limerence (noun): The state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person.
  • Phosphenes (noun): The light and shapes you see when you close your eyes and apply pressure.

**I used the internet to create appropriate sentences**

One must take a word by it’s meaning and then re-create it in a usable fashion, right? Let’s see how I do…

The early mornings apricity felt pleasant on her skin, as she made her way across the snowy expanse.

I know, a rather long-winded sentence for making the meaning clear enough to understand. I have much work ahead.

The air was thick with petrichor as the storm broke, rejuvenating the parched earth.

I guess it’s a decent enough word, though I might just as easily have said that it smells fresh after the first rain of the season. Oh well, one must broaden their vocabulary if they wish to become wiser.

The only sound in the forest was the soft psithurism of Autumn leaves.

Why do we have to make things so complicated, I wonder. I would just say that I could hear the sound of the wind in the trees. In truth, it takes longer just to make sure that I spell the word correctly.

She felt a quiet sonder watching the commuters, wondering about the hidden stories behind every stranger’s face.

I don’t know that I shall ever find need of this particular word, but you never knows when I might come across it in one of these old books.

Against all odds, the unexpected rescue felt like a total eucatastrophe to the stranded hikers.

While I wouldn’t exactly find a use for this word, it’s easy enough to understand the meaning if one already knows what a catastrophe is.

Sarah experienced limerence for her new coworker, finding herself constantly daydreaming about him.

Can’t we just say she had a crush on him? So much easier to say, although it’s understandable that no one would understand my meaning, unless they were already familiar with my choice of words.

This last one’s easy, and I don’t even need the internet’s help with the sentence…

When she rubbed her tired eyes, she saw phosphene’s.

Everyone is familiar with seeing stars, right?! I’m so glad that at least one of these words seems easy enough to remember, and not so hard to write down, either.

Just wait! You’ll see. Before you know it, I shall become one of the most renowned seafaring journalists in all the seas, with none matching my literary prowess! Well, it could happen, you know. We’ll never know unless we try, right?!

Am I really Sunshiny material?

Wiwohka3 Comments

Thank you so much for the nomination, Ian M Dudley (please don’t judge me, as I can’t get the link to work for your site). Will this nullify me being picked? It’s completely understandable, as there are so many chain letter rules to abide by.

Setting aside Ian’s response to the nomination, which by the way was hilarious, I don’t wish to be flippant nor disrespectful for the vote in my favor. By the way, Ian, how ever did you come up with all your questions for us nominees to answer?

The questions are extensive, so I set aside my normal Live Novel Friday episode, just so that I might make an honest effort at some good ole answers. Plus, I still have to make some nominations of my own, as well as, creating my own set of questions for my victims… I mean, nominees. While I hold no aspirations of becoming the next ACTUAL Sunshine Blogger, I will make the effort to display my sense of honor and appreciation for such a sweet award. Again, thank you Ian.

My Nomination Questionnaire…

  1. If you had to convince me to save your life over the life of a member of my family, what would you say? I make better cookies?
  2. What is your fondest childhood memory? Eating watermelon in the rain, while watching the firefighters practice routines on the old water tower beside our apartments.
  3. Of all your innumerable childhood traumas, which haunts you the most? Spending nights wandering on the streets alone, or having to sleep in cold alleyways.
  4. Is there a specific sight or smell that brings you an immediate sense of calm? Cotton Candy.
  5. If I had to fight you, what weakness could I best exploit with the least amount of effort? Ask me a why question, and then just sit back and watch me commandeer the whole conversation. I can forget anyone else is even in the room when I get on a chatty bender. You could then easily defeat me.
  6. What person or event has had the most impact on who you are today? The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
  7. Have you seen the movie Marathon Man? How many teeth do you think you could have drilled before you cracked? Sorry, I haven’t seen that movie. However, I am squeamish when it comes to teeth and pain, so I would have been defeated before even beginning the drilling process.
  8. Is there one moment in your life where you failed to do the right thing and as a result, it changed you so you would never fail like that again? Yes. My first marriage failed, and I caused irrevocable damage to my children. It fully altered the entirety of my journey, thus far. Many scars, broken bridges being mended over a great span of years, and the dance of forgiveness that followed.
  9. How often do you find yourself rooting for the antagonist in a book or movie? Not the anti-hero, but the straight-up bad guy. And remember, this is for posterity, so be honest. I think the only bad guy I ever rooted for was Gary Oldman in Bram Stokes Dracula
  10. If you could only be remembered for one thing in this world, what would you want it to be? Why? The love of Jesus should be all that I leave behind.
  11. Do you really want an eleventh question? And remember, this is also for posterity so be honest. Unless you think it will hurt my feelings. No more questions please. I still have to come up with my own and you might steal one of them.

BONUS QUESTION: What exactly is the prize if I win this Sunshine Blogger award? Is there a cash equivalent I can claim instead if it turns out to be really lame?

For as hard as you’ve worked on all these questions, Ian, you definitely should receive some form of monetary compensation, I’m certain of it!

Ok, now for my own nominee selection, who do I wish to give a two hour assignment? Will they egg my virtual book store, here on WordPress Street? What if I promise to make the questions very brief, and then offer a treat at the end? Well, if I’m not to be shunned from all the important literary events in the future, I must make all efforts in fulfilling my nominee obligations. Hey, I’m an overthinking overachiever, though not quite as exuberant as Ian’s been. Here on WordPress Street, one must give a little to get a little, you know?!

Ah Hemmm… my nominees are as follows,

  • CreativeWays
  • BustingMyAsphalt
  • Lou Carreras
  • Rebuilding Rob
  • Writing From the Heart with Brian
  • M.A.D. Works
  • hMiller2014
  • Tamara Miller
  • MemoirsofMadness
  • Middle-aged Maverick

The following questions are more like yes/no than full answers, unless you find yourself desiring to fully explain…

Dear Nominees,

Do you like me… yes or no
Will you be a forever friend… yes or no
Do you desire being seen and heard… yes or no
Do you like cookies (this one’s very important) … yes or no
Do you pray… yes or no
Can you carry the world on your shoulders alone… yes or no
Is there a difference between being alone and being lonely… yes or no
Is it hard to admit when you’re wrong… yes or no
If love is a priceless gift, is it worth giving it away… yes or no
If there was such a thing as WordPress Street, would you move there… yes or no

May these treats sufficiently cover all the efforts made here today…

Tuesday Tinkering…

WiwohkaLeave a comment

Sometimes, trying to create an idea or image that fits with a story can be tricky. You can have all the right tools, resources, and materials, but still feel clueless. At times, I find myself feeling sort of like the little girl in the above image. She has everything needed for that letter, except the pen to write it!

Now that I’m preparing to work on Volume II of my book series, it’s important that I have a good working image or two, of the main characters within the story. It was rather easy to create our dragon, as I’ve always had a clear picture in my head of what he should look like. Maybe it’s because he was a baby when all this began. Who knows.

All I know is that it’s not been that easy to come up with visuals for our heroin, as I’m always focusing on the dragon in the story. Now that we’re entering the second leg of our characters’ journey, the heroin needs to find herself, in a manner of speaking. For this, I’ll need an image in my head that captures exactly who she is.

First, I set about asking Norbert, my ai assistant, for some images of a cloaked woman with a satchel over her shoulder, walking along a path…

While I like her face, I don’t like the suitcase. Not only is it the wrong style, but it’s also a completely inaccurate depiction of what I consider a satchel. It’s far too modern. Not only was the bag wrong, but since she’s walking in the wrong direction, I can’t really get a working image for creating the avatar.

I corrected the wordage on my prompt to reflect a frontal image, as well as, changing the style and positioning of her satchel…

Much better, but a bit too sultry. We aren’t doing a Victoria Secret photo shoot, here. Plus, she needs to have more of a hooded cloak to reflect a mysterious traveler. I don’t want that image of her face, but I will be able to use it for a pose image when I make the actual character.

I changed a few key words in the prompt, and asked again…

Much better, I thought. Her face is softer, and a bit more moody.

I took this image, along with three others that offered differing angles of our subject, and plugged them into the Character Creation machine…

I like her, though the clothing will need to be altered to fit the story. I was able to add another character to her image, which was helpful. There are two main characters in the story, so I needed some images of them together…

Now that we’ve a real heroin to work with, I just need to get this handsome fellow into his own avatar. But that’s for another day. For now, I will be satisfied with our somewhat successful creation of our first main character. She may change a bit, as time goes on, but I am connecting with both of these two adventurers… hopefully, you are, as well.

Is its or isn’t it’s…

Wiwohka3 Comments

So what gives with these s’s?

How is one to know the proper time to put the ‘ in the word? It’s very confusing to young readers like myself.

While I understand the logic of possession, where you use the ‘ to reflect that whatever it is, the item belongs to it. But then they go and throw in the side rule that says it’s also happens to be a shortened version of it is.

They have a whole list of words for this adorable little side rule, such as, you are = you’re, they are= they’re, and we are = we’re. These are just for starters. There’s a whole list of them, like the one I just used. It goes on and on.

The more I tried to understand the use of ‘ , the more confused I became. I guess it’s time t0 ask Mr. McGoogle why we’ve added all the extra ‘s’s to our vocabularies…

AI Overview

It’s is a contraction for “it is” or “it has” (e.g., “It’s raining”). Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form, meaning “belonging to it” (e.g., “The dog wagged its tail”). A quick tip: If you can replace the word with “it is,” use it’s; otherwise, use its.

Detailed Breakdown

  • It’s (with apostrophe) = Contraction
    • Use this when you mean it is or it has.
    • Examples: It’s cold outside. It’s been a long day.
  • Its (no apostrophe) = Possessive
    • Use this to show ownership or belonging, similar to his, her, or their.
    • Examples: The company updated its logo. The tree lost its leaves.

Why this answer doesn’t really help us, at all!

I already understand how to decide if I want to say it is, or it’s… but, what about all that possession stuff? All the ai wants to say is that little tiny bit about a tree?

Come on! It’s time to scroll a bit further…

According to Grammarly,

“The difference between its and it’s comes down to function: its shows possession, while it’s is a contraction of it is or it has. Its is the possessive form of it, used to show that something belongs to or is associated with something else. It’s is a contraction that combines it is or it has, with the apostrophe replacing the missing letters. To choose the right word, use the substitution trick—if you can replace it with it is or it has, use it’s; if not, use its. Avoid common mistakes, like using it’s to show possession or adding an apostrophe to its just because it “looks right.”

I guess if this is the rule we must abide by, then I shall not pursue the argument. As I am but a young, and newly educated ant, I shall follow the masses with this one. It’s just not worth arguing about, and I already seem to be doing it out of habit.

It is what it is, and it isn’t what I thought it’d be, with its rules about itself and all it’s exceptions, too. I guess it’s more about its uses in it’s daily life that makes it more about itself than about its use in our sentences, regarding it’s proper usage.

I thought I’d leave you with a tongue twister, but I’m sure there are mistakes in there, somewhere…

it’s alright.

Live Novel Friday…

Wiwohka1 Comment

The Wharf

Episode III

Maiyah woke with a start! She’d been awakened by the sound of a very grumpy Ogre, angrily cursing at one of the kitchen staff. There would be trouble if she wasn’t where she should be, so late in the morning.

She’d overslept!

Oh well, she’d heard Ollie yelling at the staff nearly every morning. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. The grumpy Ogre often yelled at everyone, as that’s usually what he did when he wasn’t eating, drinking, and/or carousing with the pirates that visited the tavern. Mornings were the worst, so Maiyah hurried to get to her assigned tasks before her tardiness was noticed. It never made for a pleasant day if the boss was cross with you… and the young barmaid made it a point to avoid trouble, at all costs.

Hurriedly, she set about finishing all of her morning duty’s about the tavern. As she worked, Maiyah couldn’t help but wonder if her gifts had been accepted by whatever had installed itself behind the fish barrels. She’d tried desperately to stay awake long enough to see it emerge the night before, but fell asleep soon after sitting down beside the bedside window. One was rarely afforded a short work day, nor an early night to bed around the wharf.

One of Maiyah’s morning duties was to bring in the day’s first catch. Ollie prided himself on the fish he offered his guests. Many of the taverns morning customers were the owners of the other businesses along the Wharf, as well as travelers passing through. The drinkers were all still passed out in any one of the many alleyways along the wharf.

This particular morning, she hurriedly finished collecting the fish from the dock, and made her way back along the wharf. She knew that she shouldn’t, but she made a point to pass beside the fish shed. Maiyah’s curiosity was driving her to go against every rule she’d written for her own preservation.

Some part of her was calling out to offer aid to whatever might be hiding behind the fish shed. Maybe she felt compassion, or perhaps it was pity. Perhaps it was the memory of her own lonely beginnings, driving the young barmaid to break one of her own life preserving rules. Most probably, she was simply curious.

You know, many a brave sailor had fallen into Piracy, or worse, out of simple innocent curiosity. The barmaid had learned this while sailing with many of them.

But those days were long behind her, thanks to Ollie. The grumpy old ogre had purchased her from a band of pirates, for only two barrels of ale. Maiyah made every effort not to give the ogre any reason to regret his decision.

This morning was no exception. Carefully emptying part of the fish basket on the kitchen counter, she turned to leave. Without drawing attention to her actions, Maiyah casually slipped a few food items into the pocket of her apron. She then returned to the fish basket on the counter, carrying the rest of the unused fish out the doorway, and toward the fish shed.

Looking one way, and then another, Maiyah quietly slipped behind the fish shed. Kneeling down between several barrels, she placed the food gifts she’d pilfered from the kitchen. Sitting back on her heels, she wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on her arms. And then she waited…

After several long moments, there came a soft shuffling sound from behind one of the barrels. Slowly, and timidly, a small head emerged from hiding.

Maiyah sat quietly watching, as the tiniest of tiny little creatures peeked out from behind the fish barrel. Why, it was a baby orc! But, how on earth did it get behind the shed?

Softly, Maiyah whispered, “Hello there, little one. What on earth are you doing back here?”

The small creature said not a thing, but slowly reached out and picked up a piece of the bread, nibbling at it’s corners, nervously. Tucked into the folds of it’s tiny coat was what looked like a scroll of paper. Reaching forward slowly, Maiyah retrieved the scroll while the little orc was preoccupied with eating the fish.

She didn’t want to linger behind the fish shed, as it would begin to look rather suspicious why she was climbing around back there on her hands and knees. Somehow she must hide this little one, but the only safe place was her own room. She wasn’t even sure the little thing would come with her, let alone allow her to stuff him inside the fish basket she carried…

What was in the note?

Where did the baby come from?

How will Maiyah get the orc into her room without being seen?

Be sure to leave your answers in the comments.

See you next Friday…

Hugs

Live Novel Friday…

Wiwohka2 Comments

The Wharf…

Episode II

**As per our conversation last week, I’ve settled on Ollie for our portly Ogre innkeeper. He has a rough and intimidating presence, but for those who know him, there is also a kind heart hidden beneath all that muscle and aggressive demeanor. Our young barmaid has learned to avoid Ollie’s grumpier side, using her quiet and unassuming nature to sooth his rough mannerisms. Though his frightening appearance and frequent angry outbursts keep the customers in line, our young lass has grown to love the grumpy old innkeeper. We’ll call the tavern The Ogre’s Rest, and I think that Maiyah is a fitting name for our young barmaid. Be sure and answer the questions at the end of each episode, so I’ve a story to work up. Enjoy Episode II…

This night, like any other night here on the wharf, Maiyah has been busily serving customers and helping in and around the kitchen. The cook asked that she bring in another fish from the barrel out on the dock in front of the tavern, so she retrieves a container and heads outside for the barrel.

As the young barmaid is pulling a sizeable fish out of the barrel, she spies movement from behind the container. Briefly glancing down, toward the disturbance, she spies what looks like a tiny shoe sticking out from behind the barrel. Rule number three kicks in, warning her not to bring attention to herself, so she continues on about her business, carrying the fish inside to the cook.

As she cleans and serves food to the customers, several pieces of dried meat and fruit cake left on guests’ plates, happens to fall into her apron pocket.

Her sleight of hand skills rewarded her a small water flask, from the pocket of an old tinker, snoring blissfully in the corner.

Since her shift is coming to an end, Maiyah carries her cleaning supplies out to the shed, next to the barrel on the dock. Inside the shed she takes a strip of cloth hanging on the wall, folds the food and water inside, and casually walks back toward the tavern, discreetly dropping the small package behind the barrel as she walks past.

Once inside The Ogres Rest, Maiyah retreats to her room above the bar. Her room is small, but offers a window that looks out over the wharf, to the sea beyond. From here, she can see directly down upon the front of the tavern, where the shed and barrel both sit beside the water’s edge. She dresses in her nightgown and settles in at the window ledge to watch…

There is just enough light cast, from the tavern’s doorway lantern, for the young barmaid to have a clear view of the barrel. She spies movement from behind the container, but only enough to confirm that there is indeed someone there, but whomever it is, hides themselves very well. She falls asleep with her head resting upon the window sill of her tiny room above the bar.

Who or what do you think might be hiding behind the barrel?

With the clues given and remembering the three survival rules, what do you think Maiyah will do?

Be sure to leave your answers in the comments…

Hugs

Live Novel Friday…

Wiwohka10 Comments

***So, here’s how this works. I want to try for a graphic novel style, but with a twist. Each week, I’ll release a new episode accompanied by several questions for you to answer. These answers will determine the next weeks episode. Some weeks I may give you two alternative outcomes, while at other times, there will be questions that will direct the path of each character involved in the story. Sounds easy, right? I’ll do all the heavy lifting. Each episode will be flagged, so if you come in to the story midway, all you need do is scroll back on the feed to catch up. Let’s do this!***

The Wharf…

Episode I –

Life here can be very tough, for any soul not already hardened by life’s cruel realities!

The taverns and store fronts along the wharf are owned by varying disreputable men and women, both of which would sell you to the sea for the right amount of coin.

If one wants to eat, they must live and work in the midst of pirates, slave traders, treasure seekers, and drunkards. There was no room for anyone with weakness, nor naivety, of any kind. Letting your guard slip, even for a moment, might very well bring about your doom…

Within the Wharf lay a tavern, filled with all manner of vile men, most living and working on the filthy trade ships, arriving here daily. Few of the locals in the nearby farming communities ever come to the Wharf, let alone frequent such a dangerous establishment.

If you were a woman, either you came into the tavern to work, or you were dangerous enough to hold your own in a fight.

The Wharf was no place for kind folk, nor was the tavern safe for anyone carrying a coin purse without a gun or a dagger for company.

Inside the tavern you see a young barmaid, busily sweeping the floor near the doorway. She belongs to the owner of the tavern, purchased off one of the slave ships some years prior, when she was rather young.  

She is quiet, very obedient to the one who feeds her, and always works busily, both in and around the tavern. No one bothers her, nor do they pay her any mind at all! Everyone here knows that she is not to be touched, as the owner of the tavern would kill you for even considering it!

Don’t let her meekness fool you, as she is not what she seems. If you did look into her eyes, you would see danger floating within those dark pools of green, staring right back at you! In her short life, she has seen too much, felt too much and lost too much!

This has molded her into a very hardened and wise soul, for one so young. She is also very smart, both in book knowledge and being street savvy. Her three rules for survival are,

Don’t make the tavern owner mad…

Stay out of folk’s business…

Do not bring attention to yourself…

These three rules were born of painful lessons learned over the years of service to the owner of the tavern… most assuredly, the only reason she was still breathing air, even if it did smell of stale rum and dirty pirates!

*****************************************************************************

Question #1 – Our heroin needs a name. I’ve already a name in mind, but this is for you to choose, not me… not this time. What shall we call our young lass?

Question #2 – What should we call the tavern?

Question #3 – Will the tavern owner be a burly old one-eyed ogre, or should he have a hidden softer side to him?

I went easy on you this week, since this is a whole new thing, and all. Each episode will have harder questions, but you’ll know more about the story as time goes on. My hope is that you’ll become invested in this tale, which will only gain strength with each weeks answers. This should allow the story to expand and gain traction, as time goes on. Who knows where this will lead.

til next Friday…

Hugs

Hang on! I’m on the homophone…

Wiwohka2 Comments

Guess what I get to do this morning?

While Wiwohka has to go to one of her appointments, she’s given me my first actual job to complete in her absence. I’m doin WordPress this morning… ALL by myself!

The Daily Prompt wasn’t so bad, since I was able to pull from the archives, but I discovered something in the process of digging up an old answer. Wiwohka wrote something odd in her answer that sent me searching for some wordsy explanations. This ant has questions!

Did you notice the part where she used whether and weather in the same sentence?

While Wiwohka made it seem funny when she wrote it down, I didn’t get the joke. What was so funny about how she wrote that sentence? I needed some answers, because I have begun seeing this strange phenomenon quite often, while reading. What gives?

There are a great many words in the English language that have gathered a nefarious shadow word, which follows the regular word around but isn’t the same, at all! I find this very unfair to us young readers, wouldn’t you agree?

Out of necessity, and a good deal of curiosity, I posed my question to Mr. McGoogle…

“What are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings?”

The response was a rather wordy one… Literally!

AI Overview

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings are called

homophones (or heterographs). Common examples include to/too/two, there/their/they’re, pair/pear, see/sea, and hour/our. These words sound identical in speech but have distinct meanings, which can create confusion in writing. 

Here are common homophones categorized for clarity:

Commonly Confused Homophones

  • There (place), Their (possession), They’re (contraction of “they are”).
  • To (preposition), Too (also/excessively), Two (number).
  • Your (possession), You’re (contraction of “you are”).
  • Its (possession), It’s (contraction of “it is”).
  • Whose (possession), Who’s (contraction of “who is”). 

Everyday Object/Action Homophones

Action/Concept Homophones

I don’t really have any problem understanding the difference in the words that are similar in sound but not in spelling. These, I can easily understand to be different from each other by their unique spellings. But what about the words that remain almost identical in spelling, but only one or two letters change? Why did they have to make things so difficult?

It’s a good thing that our brains are capable of detecting even the most minute differences in how a word is pronounced, or spelled, for that matter!

Before you start thinking that I was done… I’m not, just so you know.

They didn’t stop at Homophones, no no. They went a step further into the art of confusion by adding another additional type/category for these words. Yes indeed, they did!

Mr. McGoogle calls them Homographs and Homonyms. Oh yay! Really?!

Check out these little rabbit holes in the English language…

Homographs: Spelled the same, but different meanings/sounds (e.g., bark of a tree vs. bark of a dog).

Homonyms: Words that are both homophones and homographs (e.g., *bat

These are dark days in the kingdom of words, my friends. Dark days, indeed…

Live Novel Friday returns…

Wiwohka3 Comments

I know it’s been three years since you last saw an episode of Live Novel Friday, but I think it’s time to bring it back… but with a but of a fun twist!

We tried The Tuesday Tattler, but it didn’t really go anywhere. That’s not to say that I won’t return to it (or maybe it’s already in the works), but I’ve other irons in the fire at the moment.

Namely, the publishing of my book. I’m going for it! As soon as I find the resources for its release, it’s boxed up, sealed and ready to go. With volume I being released, that means I’ve no excuse but to move on with staging volume II. The story move forward.

With that project, and several others I’m trying to get finished, AND the added responsibility of my grandbaby, here in another month… my time is limited. Because of this, I’ve opted for a really fun adventure that I think you’ll enjoy. I actually started it back in 2024, I think, but it didn’t really go anywhere. That’s not to say that it wasn’t good, nor was it your lack of reading. It just didn’t feel ready, if that makes any sense.

It feels ready now!

Here’s how it works. I release a fresh chapter, and then you guess the answers at the end. Those answers will determine the direction of the following chapter. See how that works? You are going to be able to choose how the story progresses.

I don’t know if you recall when I wrote this first episode, but it was called The Wharf. It’s going to be written as if you are right in the midst of the story. That’s why you’ll notice how it stays narrated but you feel as if you are walking alongside the character into the scene. If we can do this, I intend to dedicate the book to all of you.

So, next Friday, you should have your preferred breakfast drink in hand, a soft comfortable blanket, and your thinking caps on. Meet me here next Friday at 9 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, for some all new live Novel Friday…

The Wharf!

See you next Friday… hugs