Today's word is...

Since yesterday's word was abate, I decided to use a related word (an antonym of abate): Exacerbate.
It is a word that I have been coming across more and more and I know what it means, but I have not yet been sure enough with myself to use it in speech,

Exacerbate:
–verb (used with object), -bat·ed, -bat·ing.

1.

to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease,ill feeling, etc.); aggravate.

2.

to embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate.

For more information on the usage and meaning of exacerbate, please visit

Dictionary.com

Now, I will attempt to compose a Twister (a very short, often one sentence story that is posted on Twitter) using the word exacerbate.  


I hope you will surprise me with your own maximum 140 character Twister (inspired by fellow Twitter Arjun Basu).

The loss of her one true friend exacerbated the depression that had started the day she had discovered that her friend's disease was terminal.

Tweet

Let's Learn a New Word Every Day!

Recently I have had the desire to go back to growing my vocabulary artificially, like we did in school.  By this I mean that instead of just learning new words by the natural methods of reading, watching movies and talking to smarter people, I have been trying to use the dictionary, a thesaurus and dictionary.com to try and grow my vocabulary.  The only problem is that, since I am no longer in school, I don't have to take a vocabulary test and therefore I just forget these new words long before I have a reason to use them.

Vocabulary is the arsenal of the writer.  You don't want to have to resort to describing everything just because you don't know the one word that would describe what you want to say perfectly. I feel an urge to become more articulate.  This won't just improve my writing, but my speech too.  I thought for a bit and I think I figured out how to learn a new word every day, while helping others do the same.

I will be posting a new word right here, almost everyday and probably more on some days.  The thing is, I want those who read the words and learn them to post a comment with the word used in the comment, hence making them learn, not just memorize the word.

Let's go then, here is our first word:


Abate:  
(used when talking about an unwanted or negative object) 
to diminish progressively, decrease, weaken, subside.


For more history and information about the usage of the word click here (Dictionary.com).


...and my sentence:


The effects of this recession is surely to start abating soon, only to be replaced with the slap of another consumer era, leaving us exactly where we started.


Let's hear your sentences now.  Trust me once you think about a word long enough to construct a sentence around it, you learn what it means.
Tweet

I'm back and I'm on fire...

Yesterday, I had an epiphany (Thanks to Writer's Digest- If you are serious about writing subscribe now!) I realized that if I am going to finish this book, I am going to have to write, every day. That wasn't all.  I also needed a network.  I need people that will support me and encourage me.  I am back from my break.  Let's just leave it at that.  I have ideas now, I am ready to restart the revision of my novel, get it done an sell this book.  I am craving freedom, social contact and more life experience in general.  I absolutely had no idea until yesterday, that Twitter had a potential to help me sell my book.

A brilliant article by an Internet savvy Jeanne Veillette Bowerman in the November/December 2010 issue of Writer's Digest opened my eyes to the world of opportunities that is Twitter. Follow Jeanne on Twitter: @jeannevb.  I already had a Twitter account, but my only follower was a friend from high school and my only two tweets had been about a TV Show.  So, I rebooted.  I deleted the stupidity and decided to post the stuff I find on the internet every day,  the articles and the videos I enjoy and information that sometimes takes hours to find, but is just what I had been looking for.  In the 24 hours that have passed since my Twitter "revision" I now have 5 more followers than I did yesterday, one is an editor and another an author.  

Don't get me wrong please, this isn't going to be easy to master.  There is so much about Twitter and social networking in general that I have to learn still I find the task slightly daunting, but at the same time I am excited to make new friends and get updated by people in the field.  It is definitely a new planet to discover.  I even figured out how to post a feed on Blogger, from my Twitter account (I think).

Perhaps when people become interested in my ideas and writing, I will have the motivation and encouragement I really need time to time.