WORDS THAT SPEAK, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Some word are greater than others. Names, for instance, hold a power of their own. Titles, also. There are words that resonate in most people’s minds, words such as war, peace, love, hate.

Then there are words that are more personal, words one discovers over a lifetime. You may not even think about it, but chances are there are certain words that resonate specifically with you, words that when read, project an immediate subjective draw. These special words in a book title may compel you to buy the book, or in a movie description, may pique your interest in the film no matter what it’s really about.

Here are some of my words. I don’t know why these particular words. I don’t know when I developed the connection. I don’t know if these words speak only to me or to people in general. I only know that I stop, look, and listen whenever these words come about:

Dark: I recently read this apocalyptic noir cat mystery by Clea Simon, “As Dark As My Fur” 

Lost: One of my favorite films for one of my most compelling words is “The Lost Room,” the 2006 SyFy Channel miniseries that was far too unique and intelligent for its time.

https://vimeo.com/62914731

Noir: Noir is a genre of dark crime drama with no happy endings, such as the 1944 film, “Laura”, or the modern Lennox Cooper series by Lily Gardner. Noir translates to black in French, but it is so much more. Even the artwork is compelling.

Twilight: As the word, twilight, gained notoriety through the vampire books and movies, it lost some of its personal draw. To me, twilight summons a different image, the lessening of the light, the lengthing of shadows, and that day-meets-night period when anything can happen. Then there’s always the Twilight Zone.

Moon: So far and yet so near, moon is a perfect jumping-off point for the imagination. Movies include Moon (2009), Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902), and Cat-Women of the Moon (1953). Books, Bouncing offthe Moon, by David Gerrold, De la Terre à la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne 1865), and of course the classic Goodnight, Moon. People whose names are Moon include Moon Unit, daughter of Frank Zappa, and comic character Moon Mullins (1924).

Rose: Is it because I was born in the City of Roses I felt compelled to incorporate the word, rose, in two of my former art businesses, Woodrose and Rainbow Rose?

Sky: To me, the word, sky, brings infinite possibilities. Authors, song writers, and film makers seem to feel the same. Here are only a few titles: Sky King (TV), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Film), Ghost Riders in the Sky (Ballad), and October Sky (Movie).

Ion: Simple, elegant, scientific. What’s not to like about the word, Ion?

(This photo is on a molecule, but as close as I could get.)

There are many other words that command my attention, such as cat or trek, but those make sense because they stem from my interests. The list above has crept into my psyche from who-knows-where, a very different place indeed.

Do certain words draw you down a rabbit hole or zoom you up into the stratosphere? Bring sudden images of the universe expanding, or maybe just make you want to buy a book when you see them in the title?

Golden Twilight, by Irene Sheri

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

A Gift of Words

Hi everyone, Isabella Norse here. It’s hard to believe that a month has passed since my last post! As we enter this holiday season, I have gifts on my mind.

Ernest Hemingway is credited with saying “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” While few authors still use typewriters, there is still much truth in that quote. You see, a book is far more than just words and paper (or pixels, as the case may be). Every book ever written contains a bit of the author’s heart and soul.

We write when the words come easily. We stare at our laptops, mumbling to ourselves when the words don’t want to come at all. We write in the evenings after a full day at work, after the kids are in bed, and after the elderly parents have been checked on. We write when we should be doing other things, such as exercising or balancing the checkbook. We laugh when our story amuses us and cry when a beloved character dies. We experience the magic that occurs when our characters say and do things that we never imagined. (What do you mean you want to be a missionary? You’re supposed to be a hairdresser!) We agonize over book titles and character names. We wonder if anyone will ever read our words and hope that if they do, they will laugh and cry in all the right places. We tell ourselves that we must be thick-skinned, that we must not read our reviews. Then, we read them anyway and curl up in a corner with a box of tissues, five pounds of chocolate, and at least one cat while we cry over the mean-spirited ones.

Mostly, we write because we have to. We have been given a gift of words. Not using that gift leaves us feeling incomplete. So, the next time you pick up a book, be it a paperback or ebook, remember that you are holding more than just a story. You are holding a magical gift that not only transports you to a new world, you are holding a tiny piece of the author as well. Handle it with care.

In the spirit of the gift-giving season, I will be giving one lucky commenter a signed copy of the Nine Deadly Lives anthology. So, sound off in the comments. I’d love to hear from you and who knows, you may win a free book. ;-) Good luck and until next month, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  

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