Fifty Cent Words

The Playfriends left today for their great Scotland adventure and I'm here by myself wondering what to blog about. I can't talk about planning a trip or the wild days preceding it. Next month maybe -- when we're getting ready for RWA in Dallas. Heck, I have already started "The Hunt for the Perfect Rita Dress."

So I decided to talk about the Playfriends behind their backs. Hehe. That'll teach 'em to go off and leave me alone and in charge.




Isn't it amazing how we have this group of letters -- 26 in all -- called the alphabet and we can take those letters, arrange them in a multitude of ways and come up with all sorts of different words.





Words are what we writers use to tell stories, pass along facts and just communicate in general. Today we're going to have a vocabulary lesson with three words I think are really cool. And I'm going to tell you how they apply to the Playground and Playfriends.





Synergy is defined this way: The effect of two or more agents working together to produce an effect that is greater than the sum of the parts. The combination of factors which each multiply the effects of the other(s) rather than merely addingto them. In the regular world 1 + 1 = 2. When synergy is in effect, A + I + PC + SP + PM = The Writing Playground, a group more powerful than each individual alone. Each of the Playfriends has strengths, which are pretty useful in and of themself. But combine our strengths and there's not much we can't accomplish.



Syzygy is the astrological condition of alignment or straight line configuration of three celestial bodies such as the earth, moon and sun. You hear us mention astrology from time to time and we've ranted about Mercury in retrograde (and this will happen again between June 15 and July 9), but syzygy is an astronomical term. The key word is alignment. For a group of five very different women, we have an amazing alignment of the minds. Sure, we have differences of opinion, we write different things and we read genres of all varieties, but when it comes to the Playground, we are in amazing agreement. Sometimes it's kinda scary how much we think alike. But lest you think we're like lemmings who mindlessly follow one another over a cliff, fear not. We're equally as independent as we are in agreement.



The last word is serendipity. Serendipity is finding something unexpected, special and/or useful while searching for something else entirely. Sir Alexander Fleming was just cleaning his lab when he discovered that penicillium mold had contaminated one of his old experiments. Thanks to this unexpected find, countless lives have been saved.

When I joined RWA and then Heart of Dixie, I expected to learn about writing. I figured I'd meet new people along the way. But never, ever in my wildest dreams did I expect to find four such great friends who wouldn't just come bail me out of jail should the need arise; they'd be right there beside me in the cell (well, maybe Angel wouldn't) slapping me on the back and saying "Damn that was fun!" And no how, no way did I ever think I'd be on a first name basis with the Mavens. Every once in a while I have to pinch myself and make sure I'm not dreaming that I know these awesome women who have sold so many books and topped so many bestselling lists.

What's your favorite word? Give me the definition. Use it in a sentence. Tell me if or how it applies to your life. The best word today gets a copy of CRAZY COOL by Tara Janzen or SEDUCED BY MAGIC by Cheyenne McCray or THE KILLING HOUR by Lisa Gardner -- your choice.