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By Gary, January 29, 2008

Not a euphemism, nor exactly a misused word, but “mountain” is one of those terms so broadly defined and widely used that you could debate the value of it.

For example, I was looking at a website earlier today about Pigeon Forge cabin rentals, located in the Smoky Mountains. I’ve never been to the Smoky Mountains, although I’ve skirted along the edges on a couple of trips eastward from my home in Missouri. But are they really “mountains”? Or are they mostly just “hills”? How would you understand the difference — or is there a difference?

Likewise, I live in a region known at the Ozarks. This region has also been referred to as the “Ozark Mountains,” which is really inaccurate by the terms of just about any “mountains” I’ve seen.

Of course, there are the Adirondacks, the Appalachians, the Rockies, and the Cascades — all of them dubbed mountain ranges. I’m not sure about the Adirondacks. I would grant “mountain” status to all the others. And, oddly enough, I have been in parts of the Black Hills region in the Dakotas and Wyoming which I would grant are “mountains,” not just “hills.”

Much of my problem with “mountain,” I suppose, lies in the connotation I’ve given it — it really needs to involve serious rocks and craggy peaks or it just isn’t a mountain, it’s a “hill.”

What are some words which carry connotations to you that make them easily misused or misleading? Any? What are some of the possibilities in your writing related to connotations?

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By Gary, January 29, 2008

Euphemisms are those words or phrases we use when we want to dress up a word or phrase in something more pleasant. A euphemism often hides a more direct or even blunt term. I’m sure you know what I mean. I ran onto a website that listed dozens of euphemisms, several of which I use often, some of which just irritate me.

Most of us are familiar with euphemisms related to death: “passing,” “passed away,” “asleep with Jesus,” and “fallen asleep” are just a few. Concepts we are uncomfortable writing about directly often come easier when surrounded by euphemisms, such as: “hankie pankie,” and “fooling around,” when talking about sexual intercourse.

Here are some of my favorite euphemisms, for no special reason, they just make me smile when I hear or read them: “give up the ghost,” “kick the bucket,” “big boned,” “big, handsome woman,” “economical with the truth,” and “between jobs.” I’m sure you can figure out what the more direct words are hiding behind the euphemisms there, can’t you? If not, ask.

What are some of your favorite euphemisms? What are some that make you cringe, perhaps, or at least earn your ire? Let us know — or “clue us in,” or “enlighten us,” or “spill the beans,” or …

Technorati Tags: euphemisms, word games, writing tips at garyspeer.com

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By Gary, January 28, 2008

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, chances are you have to do at least a little bit of research. Is research something you enjoy doing? Where do you do most of your research?

The good old Internet has changed a lot of the options writers have for doing research. Some of the information which used to require phone calls, faxes, even extensive travel, is now available to me as I sit here in the recliner with my good old laptop and Tablemate. When I first started kicking the idea around for the Western novel I excerpted here, I made a trip to Denver, Colorado, and spent a couple of days researching in their Western History Collection — one of the best such collection in the world, by the way.

Today, I went to the Denver Public Library website, went to their Western History Collection, and found some of the materials I worked with back then — only they were at my nimble (?) fingertips here at home now.

But the title I’ve put on this post asks another question: Are you happier doing research or doing the actual writing. Personally, I can easily spend days even weeks researching the historical setting or technical background for a story rather than getting on the keyboard and writing the story. I’ve often wished I had pursued a career track that led to being a librarian, or perhaps an archivist.

I have friends who go nuts doing ANY research and would rather make things up completely as they go along, based on light reading and conversations with other friends to sketch in whatever details they need. I envy them, in many ways, because pulling the trigger on research and firing those shots of written words is much easier for them than for me.

But what about you? Does your writing demand detailed research? Do you enjoy research or not? Tell us about your experiences and your preferences. We’d like to hear.

Technorati Tags: research, writing, Internet writing, Internet research, writing tips at garyspeer.com