One of the books I’m reading right now is The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King. I remember the first time I looked at the title, I wondered if he was talking about bizarre bad dreams because these two words cause a glitch somewhere in my noggin’ that makes me not know which is which. Or which has which meaning. If I think about it for a few seconds, I remember which is witch; I’m sure people all over have those words.
Did you see what I did back there? It was deliberate. Honest.
I wonder if it was some kind of witchery that made whoever came up with the English language (or any language?) invent words that sound the same that are spelled differently. You know, just to confuse us. Someone who, one day, was at a bazaar maybe and picked up a clementine and a tangerine and thought, “Well that’s bizarre. Two fruits that look the same and taste almost the same but have different names. I can come up with a language that’s that confounding!” And so English was born. From a little orange. Which is something else altogether.
And that’s the sort of post you get from Linda when she’s tired. 😛 Because really, she loves making up stories. They just sort of … fall out. Or leak out through her fingertips. Why the hell am I referring to myself in third person all of a sudden? It’s like I’m not me. Sometimes when I write fiction, I’m not me. I disappear and stuff comes out of me. Bizarre, isn’t it? Stuff of words and language and characters and sometimes it’s like I’m being taken over by something outside of me, something that guides me. Sounds scary, but it’s not. It’s freeing.
I wonder if this is how horror writers write. To think up something that we’d never do takes a certain je ne sais quoi. I know this because I write horror, but when I started this paragraph, I was thinking about Stephen King, who started this whole idea for a post in the first place. Damn it, Stephen! Yeah, I know it’s not his fault, but what to do?
But back to the whole “how am I able to come up with horror ideas that I’d never do in real life” question. I think it comes from fear. Fear of having things done to us by others who are capable of them. And with a vivid imagination comes a lot of fears, I’m afraid. Ha! I’m afraid. Get it?
Probably time for bed.
This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link and join in! And while you’re there, check out some of the other posts in the comments. https://lindaghill.com/2017/07/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-1517/
July 17, 2017 at 6:44 am
I love all of this, your post and thoughts plus the conversations taking place here in the comments.
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July 16, 2017 at 8:08 pm
I haven’t read a Stephen King book in way too long. But you know what’s coming out in two weeks!! Dark Tower will be a movie!!
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July 16, 2017 at 4:07 pm
This was a fun read. I often wonder about homonyms too. Etymology is good stuff.
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July 16, 2017 at 1:00 pm
I love the complexity of the English language. I know it can be confusing and annoying, but it can also be great fun with so many words to play with!
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July 16, 2017 at 12:01 pm
I like the way you flow, Linda. I am hoping to remove the rod which is in my mind’s butt as a result of participating in your SoCS🤞🏾 My mind is so anal😒😆
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July 16, 2017 at 11:12 am
Homophones…. gotta love ’em….
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July 16, 2017 at 9:20 am
I like tired Linda writing. My worst words are desert / dessert – I almost always have to look them up. I don’t know who came up with English, but if I were in his army, I’d desert.
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July 16, 2017 at 11:56 am
Love it! And I totally agree😆
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July 16, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Dessert has two tees cause it’s better than desert.
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July 16, 2017 at 4:32 pm
Um?
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July 16, 2017 at 4:57 pm
It’s a way to remember which one. Dessert has two tees. Desert has one. It’s a teacher thing. Works on kids, maybe not Dans. 🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 5:28 pm
But it doesn’t have two tees 😦
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July 16, 2017 at 5:54 pm
HAHAHAH! Oh my goodness! Yes, of course, two esses. I don’t know what I was doin. Sorry.
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July 16, 2017 at 8:03 pm
I was trying to figure out what I was missing 🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 8:45 pm
Well I needed a good laugh, and sure gave myself one — Sorry I tangled you up in it.
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July 17, 2017 at 6:36 am
Of course, you know that’s how I’m gonna remember it from now on 😏
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July 17, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Whatever works! 🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 6:48 am
I love the Bazaar story as the birthing English… The most bizarre language ever also confused by American and Canadian not to mention Australia and New Zealand… I dare not go on !💜🤐
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July 16, 2017 at 3:23 am
Love this Linda!!!
English is a truly confounding language. Whoever thought it, and all its nuances, up, was obviously high!!!
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July 15, 2017 at 11:37 pm
We love playing with words in our house. And a clementine is a tangerine! 🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 1:49 am
I thought a clementine was a mandarin orange, not a tangerine. But I could be wrong.
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July 16, 2017 at 11:10 am
Hmmm. I guess you might be right. 🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 11:19 am
Well, as I like to say, I may not always be right, but I’m never wrong. 😉
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July 16, 2017 at 11:22 am
LOL
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July 15, 2017 at 11:29 pm
Haha it’s no wonder we love writing stories as they just “fall out” of our fingertips as you say, Linda. I worked on a short story today and the guy turned on me. I thought no he’s turning bad.. my fingertips demanded something darker for him.
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July 15, 2017 at 11:26 pm
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to consider the English language as originating from some bizzare moment in a Bazaar.
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July 15, 2017 at 11:17 pm
I have not actually gotten to start Bizaare yet! I have it in my reading to do list and I can’t wait to crack the spine and read it. I love King! He is one of my writing idols and writes some of the most amazing Horror stories. I wonder what he’s thinking when he’s writing! I would love to know!
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July 15, 2017 at 10:54 pm
Very streamy. And clever, too! Fun to read you when you’re tired. Now, time for bed, she said to herself. 🙂
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July 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Ha! The third person thing is catching. 😀 Thanks, JoAnna.
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July 16, 2017 at 12:57 am
🙂
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July 16, 2017 at 11:44 am
Lisen, talking in the first person is strange for me as talking in third is for you! I speak more in the third than the first and sometimes, I drop a “we” every now and again 😂 It all helps to identify the particular ‘me’ which other folks like and don’t like. So ‘we’ end up having a family circle to either correct or give pep talks. 😁 This is me loving ALL of me!
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July 16, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Fine by us! We approve. 😉 😀
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July 16, 2017 at 10:48 pm
YAY!!!!!🙌🏾
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July 15, 2017 at 10:28 pm
I like what you did there haha
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July 15, 2017 at 10:44 pm
😀 Thanks! What did I do?
😉
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July 15, 2017 at 10:46 pm
Playing with words like they’re Legos
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July 15, 2017 at 10:47 pm
Oooh, I like that. 😀
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July 16, 2017 at 11:38 am
I love the imagery of your statement, Dan👌🏾
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