Made-Up Words

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JuliePgh

This answer to my question is probably a matter of personal style, but I'd like to see what everyone else has to say.

In my latest novel, I need to make up words for new positions/roles of characters. Words like Dream Catcher and Spell Thrower. I go back and forth on whether or not the words should be kept separate as adj and noun or made into one word.

Is 'dreamcatcher' preferred over 'dream catcher'?
Is 'spellthrower' preferred over 'spell thrower'?

Opinions anyone? Thank you.
 

macalicious731

This might be something more easily discussed on sci/fi-fant. board, but I'll say that while I don't have a preference on 'dreamcatcher,' I do think that 'spellthrower' shouldn't have spaces, and it would probably be best to keep everything in the same style.
 

James D Macdonald

Be consistent, tell the story, and don't worry.

Whether you divide the words or run 'em together should tell something about the society in which your story is set. Everything needs to support the over-all effect.
 

veingloree

I suggest making up totally new words. Dreamcatcher already has a meaning which might distract people.
 

Jyndral

Personally, I agree with veingloree on "dreamcatcher" especially. But if you're going to use it and the other word, don't separate them.

Of course, I say that because I think it's probably just my personal style. I have a character who is a GemSpeaker and when his father dies and he takes the throne, he'll be the first GemSpeaker King.

~Jen
 

Writing Again

To be technical you are creating titles, not making up words. Creating titles is not limited to a fantasy setting. It happens in business every day.

A long time ago I was a clerk in a store. I was an employee. Stores no longer have employees. They have associates. For a while creating titles was a mania. The standard bearer was "Sanitation engineer" for garbage man.

However the two titles you suggest are not created titles they are borrowed titles and both have heavy connotations. I am also certain I have seen them used as titles before. Unless these connotations are necessary to your story I suggest you delve deeper.
 

Jamesaritchie

words

There's a difference between made up words and using already existing words to describe something.

Dream catcher or dreamcatcher not only isn't new, it's both a verb and a noun. The Lakota make actually something called a "dream catcher." Type either version into Google and you'll get hundreds of thousands of hits. The phrase "spell thrower" also isn't new. It's been around in witchcraft circles for centuries.

I think making up new words and phrases can be a wonderful thing, but you have to make sure they are new, else it's just confusing to readers.
 

JuliePgh

Let me clarify, I intend to use existing words to explain peoples functions, their titles as Writing Again appropriately corrected me.

I realize Dream Catcher is a known Indian object, and spell thrower has likely been used before. I'm not necessarily trying to create new words.

If I were to use Dream Catcher as a person's title, it seems to me I shouldn't have to worry about how others use it in reality or other novels as long as I define its meaning early within my own world/novel (and don't offend anyone in the process as well).
 

Jamesaritchie

titles

You can certainly use either dreamcatcher or spell thrower any way you wish. Just be aware both have been used many times as titles, and to define someone's ability/function. Both are old terms, and both have been used to describe a person's funtion for at least a couple of hundred years.

Stephen King, of course, even has a novel that carries the title "Dreamcatcher."

This in no way means you shouldn't use them, but it does mean you should check and make certain you aren't using them exactly the same way another writer has already used them, if you wish to be original.

Using them is fine, but they aren't new, even when used to describe a person's function.
 

Writing Again

If you are going to use existing words to give titles that describe the functions people perform, and Dream Catcher and Spell Caster do in fact describe, then I would use them.
 

Antaren1

my input on the topic of making up words and names is to spell normal words and names backwards

for example the town name "Ispep" is actually "Pepsi"
maybe not the best example but you get the idea
 

preyer

as a title, i think i'd rather prefer them as one word, because if i'm reading that a hundred times, i can skip over having to read the whole word, know what i mean? breaking it up just seems to be a tad bit more taxing to have to read, and when i get on a roll and are reading fast, i'll see the word 'dream', assume the next will be 'catcher,' find out at some point it *isn't* and i'm re-reading the whole sentence again because i've got the concentration and comprehension skillz of paris hilton on x.

alternately, maybe using a hyphen might be the way to go, eh?
 

Jyndral

spell normal words and names backwards
Click to expand...

I've come up with some really good character names by doing that. :)

A couple place names, too, but most of the ones I've done have been more appropriate (in my view) for character names.

There's Anodyl (from a former friend's name) and Nylhsa (from my neice's name), especially.

~Jen
 

auntiebebo22

I've had some fun with made up words in my WIP. Although i'm not sure readers will get a kick out of it, even if they notice.

name of two dark sorcerers: "Master" Ful and "Master" Loch


Chuckles anyone? Too corny?

Billie
 

macalicious731

Billie, do you want your readers to laugh at evil sorcerors? Because they just might, and it could also take them out of the story, too.

If you have a lighthearted, comedic fantasy it might work, but if you're going for something more dramatic you might want to consider changing names.
 

auntiebebo22

The dark sorcerers are rather inept and there is a lot of humor in my book, although i would not go as far as say it was a lighthearted comedic fantasy.

Billie
 
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