Sunday 24 October 2010

Describing words.


I am always, ALWAYS, looking for new ways of describing things. After writing three full books of my own, I'm starting to feel like I'm repeating myself. I want another way of describing fear without the 'knot in the stomach' and 'racing heartbeat'. I want a better way of describing pain than 'stabbing', 'lancing' or 'flaring'. I have sat and endured a splitting headache in order to really 'feel' the pain and use it to inspire a new and vivid description - no, I'm not some kind of masochist, but I find the memory of pain fades if it isn't immediate.

Sometimes something will come to me, and I'll make a note of it, a sudden flash of genius that I save for a later date. And today my two year old son provided me with one. He came and asked me for medicine, not something he usually does. When I asked him what was wrong, he put his hands on his tummy, looked at me with a sad expression on his little face and said "Mummy, my tummy freezing!" I think that's the most original way I've ever heard stomach ache described...

3 comments:

  1. ROFL .... Brilliant ... out of the mouths of children .... ;-)

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  2. Poor L! But yeah -- we do need new ways to describe things. Maybe we should start a list . . .

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  3. I must add Logan is fine, btw! As for a list - where would we put it? I think that might take a blog all by itself.

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