Tag: Writing

Word Wednesday – Not Just Anything

Word Wednesday – Not “Just” Anything

This isn’t my usual etymological Word Wednesday post, but is a post about a word and it is Wednesday, and I created Word Wednesday and am free to switch it up as I choose. 🙂 I am an introvert, though I can play the part of an extrovert when needed. At my core, I am happiest when alone. I tend to think up witty retorts far better on paper (or on screen) than in conversation. Which is really why I’m writing this post. Last week, I had a conversation with an acquaintance who asked what I did for a living. I told her I worked with kids who have autism but that my primary source of income is my writing and editing business. “Oh, you’re just a writer” she replied “that’s the usual fallback for people who don’t know what they’re good at right? Because everybody can write”. I smiled politely, because by the time I’d processed the fact that she’d just completely dismissed my craft, she was already prattling on about some other subject. Having had a few days to stew on the matter, here’s my response.

I’m not “just” anything. The word just when used as a modifier is awful. It diminishes and belittles the subject. Nobody is only one thing, nor can anyone be defined by one attribute. It seems that the word seems to be applied to those of us in the creative class more than those who have chosen more traditional or prestigious careers. I have heard friends referred to as “just graphic designers” as if being a graphic designer required no talent – a fact which I know not to be true. I’ve never heard a surgeon referred to as “just a surgeon” so why is it okay to call someone “just a housewife” or “just a writer”? It’s not. Yes, I realize surgeons do intensive years of schooling and work experience but that doesn’t necessarily equate to their job being better or more valuable to society. Without writers, who would have written the textbooks that the surgeon studied from? That’s not to say that writing is more important than any other career; in my mind, whatever job a person does, is important. What I don’t like is when people diminish themselves or others by saying another person’s work is “just x” or that they are “just a y”. We are all more than we appear, and we are all valuable.

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Which brings me to the part of the statement from my acquaintance that really gets my proverbial goat. “Because everybody can write”. My years of being a graduate teaching assistant tells me that no, not everyone can write. Despite the literacy test implemented for grade 10 students over fifteen years ago, many people cannot craft a strong sentence or write a post that is coherent and clear. Which is where my talents come in to play. Whether it is writing things from scratch or making someone else’s words shine, I have a way with words and the knowledge of how they work best together. I am a lot of things but “just” anything isn’t one of them.

So, the next time you are tempted to use the word “just” to describe someone else’s career / life choices / belief system stop, and choose a word that affirms their choice, not one that makes them feel inferior. It’s not up to you to put a value on their career choice, and this may come as a shock to you but the other person most likely doesn’t really care what you think anyway. I know I don’t.

April 5, 2016
Word Wednesday: Nothing if Not Persistent

Word Wednesday: Nothing if Not Persistent

For those who know me off-line, it comes as no surprise that I characterize myself as persistent and mildly stubborn. It’s not that I don’t like change, it’s that I need time to get used to the idea and adequately prepare myself. I will never be the type of person who heads off on a vacation with nothing more than an airline ticket and a dream. There are times when I really want to be that kind of person, but even the idea of doing that stresses me out to no end. My best friend is moving soon, and will be without a place to call home for two weeks. She has 2 kids, works for herself, and has a husband who commutes and can work long hours. The idea of not having a firm place to call home for just me fills me with anxiety, yet she is unflappable. I know this wasn’t the plan, but it’s just how things worked out with the closing date on their house and the one they’re moving into. She took it all in stride – I envy that quality – I’d be freaking out. I wish I could be so trusting that everything will work out but I’m an obsessive planner.

Which means when things I’ve been planning and counting on fall through, I can be a bit of a mess. This week has been bad for that. I’ve had plans cancelled at the last minute, I’ve had a big freelance job put on hold indefinitely because of circumstances beyond my control, and I’ve had a few things pop up that need to be dealt with “right away”, which forces me to alter other plans to get things done. Yet, as stress filled as I am right now, I persevere. I do it mostly out of stubbornness and because I don’t know what else to do. I continue to work freelance because it gives me a quality of life I enjoy and because I really like having the ability to work from home or the cottage or wherever I have an internet connection. Sometimes it means working until midnight and on weekends to get stuff done, but it means I can do things like spend a couple of days with my best friend’s kids over March Break, so it’s a fair trade in my opinion. This month marks the end of my first official year of doing freelance work, and I’ve had a lot of success but also my share of failures.

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I was talking with friends over the weekend about perseverance, and how both perseverance and resilience are skills that need to be taught at a young age in order for kids to internalize them. Kids need to know that it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to not be good at everything, and that sometimes if you really want something you have to work hard for it and try different approaches along the way. I think that we need to force kids out of their comfort zone and teach them that failure IS an option. It WILL happen to everyone at some point in life, and it’s how we act in the moments following failure that shows our true character. I’m not saying that I’m comfortable with failing, in fact I hate it when I fail at something, but I don’t let the failures stop me. I keep going. I persevere. I use the failure as motivation to do better next time. So today’s Word Wednesday word is persevere.

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The origins of persevere are late Middle English: from Old French perseverer, from Latin perseverare ‘abide by strictly,’ from perseverus ‘very strict,’ from per- ‘thoroughly’ + severus ‘severe.’

Persevere – per·se·vere verb

1. To persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite ofdifficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

2. To persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist.

March 30, 2016
Word Wednesday #BlissDom Canada ’15 edition

Word Wednesday #BlissDom Canada ’15 edition

It’s no secret that I’m an introvert by nature. I like people and once I’m comfortable with you, I’ll never shut up, but groups of people, make me seriously nervous. I get overwhelmed and then all I can think about is running away and hiding in a corner. Give me a group big enough that I can’t possibly interact with all of the individual members though, and I’m perfectly fine. I loved lecturing to large undergraduate classes, but for the first few weeks of classes, whenever I had to lead a small group seminar I wanted to hurl. Fortunately, I never did, and by all accounts I was really good at being a Teaching Assistant – at least if my feedback sheets were anything to go by.

Last year I attended my first BlissDom Canada conference. I was so nervous before going in to the hotel that I sat and cried in my car for at least 15 minutes, then spent another 5 trying to restore my makeup and make my eyes less puffy (so I wouldn’t look like I’d just spent 15 minutes crying in my car). I finally took a deep breath, and went in and had an amazing weekend. I made some amazing connections that have helped me immensely as I started my freelance writing and editing business and some great friends who have become a huge part of my life.

This year, when the call for speakers came around, I decided, with more than a little apprehension to go in with a couple of other editor friends and propose a session on editing. While we aren’t doing a panel discussion, together, we are all presenting at BlissDom Canada this year. I will be leading a Mentor Microsession in the #BlissWrites time slot on Friday about editing and how to self-edit effectively (and when you might need to hire a freelance editor like me). Even though I’m presenting about something that I’m super-qualified to talk about, I’m still quite nervous because the microsessions mean presenting to small groups (gulp). Which brings me to today’s Word Wednesday: trepidation.

Trepidation

Trepidation is one of my favourite words to use, because it rolls of the tongue so beautifully. While I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of feeling like a thousand butterflies have been set free in my tummy, I am used to the feeling of trepidation before any small group speaking engagement, social event, and even calling someone for the first time. Some would call me a worry-wart, I prefer to think of myself as trepidatious (yes, in part because a lot of people don’t actually know what it means so it sounds cool). I try to go through all the “what ifs” – What if my laptop doesn’t work? Can I do everything without a cheat sheet in front of me? (No – I am printing a copy and putting one on my BlackBerry too for good measure.) What if nobody comes? (I sit in the corner and weep openly? This one has actually kept me up at night. I’m up against some pretty awesome other sessions.) What if I screw something up? Everyone there will be very socially connected, it could be a disaster. (I’m pretty sure nobody would do that, I mean, we’re all very socially connected and everything but it’s not like we need to post EVERYTHING right? RIGHT?)

Anyway, trepidation is another Latin word (I know, I’m in a rut) coming to English straight from the Latin instead of via another language. The Latin root of the word is trepido, and the present active infinitive form is trepidare which means to tremble or be afraid of. The meaning hasn’t changed much over the years, in fact, the archaic definition of trepidation is “a trembling or quaking motion”. I may be experiencing some trembling out of pure nervousness right now.

It’s almost time to leave, I have a few errands to run in town and then I’m heading down to the airport to pick up my friend Brandee (who I’ve never actually met before but who I feel like I’ve known FOREVER) and we’re going to go to the Vaughn Mills Concierge experience before heading up to Blue Mountain. I’m hoping the fall colours up there are as awesome as they were last weekend at the cottage.

My favourite tree in the fall – Love the red and yellow

Trepidation (trep·i·da·tion) noun

A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

October 14, 2015
Word Wednesday – Again!

Word Wednesday – Again!

I swear I’m going to get a non Word Wednesday post up soon – life has been hectic and I’ve got a bunch of drafts started but haven’t managed to finish any of them. I’m also working on a new site so watch for that announcement coming very soon!

I make no secret of the fact that I’m a bibliophile. I LOVE books. I love holding them, reading them, reviewing them, talking about them, pretty much anything to do with books. In fact, today’s Word Wednesday word came out of a book I read recently. I keep a notebook beside me when I read and write down any really cool words I read so that I can use them in my own writing. (I know, I’m a giant word nerd and I’m proud of it!)

I loved the fact that I had to go look up what this word meant – I had pretty much figured it out from the contextual cues but I still like to look up new words to ensure that they mean what I think they mean. (*Said in my best Inigo Montoya voice)

Without further ado, today’s word is:

Infandous – isn’t it an awesome word?

Infandous – the word isn’t even IN most dictionaries today, it’s that out of use. Of course, having a subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary comes in really handy at times like this. (To be fair, the book I found it in was pretty old so I’m not surprised there were some words that are obsolete in it.)

Infandous – another word with a Latin root. This time the root is infantus – meaning abominable or unspeakable. This is also the same root as infant (or one who does not speak) which makes me laugh since the definition of infandous is “too odious to be expressed or mentioned”. Which is not what I think of when I hear the word infant!

Infandous – (In-‘FAN’-dus) Adjective. Something too odious or abominable to be mentioned.

So if you’re looking for a word that is no longer in use and need to describe something that is too horrible to mention, try using infandous. Sometimes, the old words are better than anything we have now.

June 20, 2015