Despite the plethora of words we have available to us, sometimes there just isn’t a suitable term to describe or define something. Rather than stumbling around looking for the right words, sometimes the best (and most fun!) option is to go off script and make up something.
For YAY’s second #forgoodnessmake challenge, let’s make up a word! Here are some ideas:
Onomatopoeia! Make up a word that is a sound.
A good fluffy snow is lovely to see. And then there’s the sound it makes when you walk on it… Part squeak, part crunch, something entirely its own. I had trouble describing the sound with existing words. So I made up a word: squench. What sound needs its own word?
Make up a word to describe a feeling.
Feelings are complicated—perfect fodder for word crafting. Example: That feeling of drawing a blank because you can’t remember a word? Bluncated. This is actually the combination of drawing a blank and feeling truncated. Which brings me to another great word-generating option…
Combine words to create a mash-up.
Combining two (or more) words can create something entirely new, packing the meaning of both words. I really liked this example from Dan Dark:
@sara_mc Yes! Once I accidentally combined the words dramatic and drastic and said “dramastically” and it made sense/is fun to say
— Dan Dark (@indydandark) March 16, 2017
I’ll give this one a whirl. Making up words is dramastically underrated.
Go totally nonsensical.
It’s your word, after all. You get to create and define it. As long as it makes sense to you, that’s what matters.
If all else fails…
Make up a word that rhymes with orange.
After all of these years as singular and unrhymeable, orange must be feeling lonely. Perhaps we can collectively give orange enough ammunition for a ballade or a villanelle.
So, what’s the word?
Make up your word and give it a definition. Think through the spelling and pronunciation. Try it out in a sentence or two. Are there variations? Multiple meanings? Bonus points: Create an illustration of your word for even more fun.
Tag your creations #forgoodnessmake to share them with us. Can’t wait to learn your new words!
#forgoodnessmake is a call to create. Yes and Yonder issues these prompts to rekindle the creativity that lives within all of us. Being our most creative selves takes practice. Follow along via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram