Create Imaginative Words

By Annette Rey

Quings and Krongs – those words came naturally to my lips. I call my pets those names when they act silly, like cringing when I fluff a plastic bag, or flinching at a leaf blowing across their paths. These are substitute words, lovingly composed, but with particular meaning.

When I do this, I am reminded of the writings of Lewis Carroll.

The word Jabberwocky, from his work, has become memorable. I hesitate to call it a household word because I don’t know if reading of the classics has become passé. I’m thinking each newer generation gets further and further from being introduced to such inimitable writing.

I asked a man, a stranger to me of about thirty years old, “May I ask you an odd question? Do you know what a Jabberwocky is?” He said he was afraid he didn’t. I felt sad for him as I know he has missed an ethereal experience, exposure to the writings of this great author. I explained to him the Jabberwocky is a creature created by Lewis Carroll and from the Alice in Wonderland works. I’m hoping the man will read such stories to his children and thereby enrich his life. To me, no medicine on earth can salve the brain and heart like reading the magic-sprinkled pages of inventive writing.

So, today, like my quings and krongs, how about you writers out there create some imaginative new words and plug them into a piece of your work? They can be as simple as my nouns (meaning an animal acting skittish or silly or amusingly untrusting with its owner). I don’t use the words as verbs or adjectives, though I could, as in: Duke quinged at the rustle of Venetian blinds. And: Jake krongishly ducked to avoid the fluttering tablecloth.

Experiment with this writing technique.

But before you do, put some peace in your soul and read Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll at http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html. Read it aloud. It is for the ear as well as for the eye.