The Writer's Life 3/28 - Words, Words, Words

I receive email from a writers' web site I rarely visit. Today's featured an article on 30 words no longer in use. I've whittled it to ten and eliminated the commentary. I foolishly closed the application before writing down the author's name, and my History tab informs that it may not appear until later. I apologize:
1. Crapulous – to feel ill from excessive eating or drinking.
2. Groak – to watch someone silently as they eat, in the hope that you will be invited to join them.
3. Snowbrowth –  freshly melted snow.
4. Apricity – a cold winter’s day when the sun is just gloriously warm.
5. Twattle – to gossip.
6. Elflock – tangled hair after a night's sleep.
7. Gorgonize – to have a mesmerizing effect on someone.
8. Cockalorum – a little man who has a high opinion.
9. Snoutfair – a good-looking person.
10. Jollux -- fat person.
11. Curglaff – shock from plunging into a cold body of water.
12. Brabble – a rather loud argument.
13. Lunting – go for a walk and smoke a pipe.
14. Beef-witted – something stupid.
15. Monsterful – to something rather extraordinary and wonderful..
16. Callipygian – beautifully shaped buttocks.
17. Quockerwodger – wooden puppet controlled by strings, person who acts like one.
18. Resistentialism – malevolent behavior displayed by inanimate objects.
19. Lethophobia – fear of oblivion.
20. Sluberdegullion – slovenly.
21. Zenzizenzizenzic – to the power of eight.
22. Houppelande – a cloak.

I've completed the initial round of the reworking of the novel I first began in November 1975. When the meanies who have hacked my PC ruined the thumb drive on which I'd had an updated draft from about five years ago, I had to go back to the original hard copy manuscript. Remember those? It is 639 typed pages. My guess is it's 150,000+ words. Among the many awesome features in MS Word is word count. A single click reveals the most recent update is about 60,000 words. I've lopped more than half of the narrative. finishing a month before I'd expected. Too much of it involved the writing process. I probably cut that by 90%. Most of the other paring came in golf and tennis scenes. I was far less explicit sexually this time around. The most significant change came in the story line. I will not reveal the major one, as I hope it will be a bombshell to readers. Can a book shrunk to such an extent be good? I only know that's it much better, especially in language. The pretentious writerly nonsense has been excised. I don't see much expansion of its 179 pages. When I return to it, I will be adding color and reinforcing character development. I'd be surprised if it extends past 185 pages. I've protected it by uploading the file to Google Docs, and saving an attachment in my email archive. I will not publish it before January. I will go through it at least two more times and, knowing me, probably more than that. The title is Five Cents. There is no plot but the story has four levels: the readjustment of a combat veteran, a love story, the gift all humans enjoy through the senses, and the changes America is undergoing from early 1970 through May 1976. I recently added a line about the two assassination attempts on President Ford in September 1975.

The floating book shop was rained out today and 40 MPH wind gusts are predicted for tomorrow. Since I scored a great parking spot this morning near my usual nook, I will probably look to do something there. I would think of passing had I not been sidelined the past two days. I caught up on chores today, did a lot of reading and the Sunday crossword puzzle.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/