Do you have any favourite words?

There must be research out there to say why we love our favourite words so much. Is it the sound, the tingle on the tongue, the memories evoked, or the possibilities unearthed?

These are four of my favourites. And they describe my little world perfectly right now. Let me elaborate…

Doldrums

This word rolls around my mouth like a gobstopper. It sounds ancient, like a relic from cultures long ago.

This one’s also a bit of a given, isn’t it? We’re all living in this strange hovering state.

But I’m also currently waiting for a few writing-y things, too. I’ve recently just finished the second draft of my current novel, and I’ve not really told anyone about it (well, apart from a few lines to my agent). But as I type, it’s currently in the hands of my husband, being read from start to finish. I’d usually wait a bit longer before giving it to anyone to read, but because I’ve had absolutely no feedback at all yet – it it’s frankly, quite a strange book – I thought I’d best get some big picture feedback before I start fiddling with the smaller stuff.

Good news is that he’s intrigued by it! Less good news is that it definitely still needs work. But that’s what beta readers are for, right? I’ll be ready to share it with a larger group of readers in a couple of months, and perhaps next month I’ll blog a bit about how to get the best from betas, too.

Goose

This word makes me think of soft grey feathers, a cold, still lake, and lightness of touch.

I’ve been doing a lot of meditating lately, too feel more still. Worry and anxiety cause my brain to flip flop like a fish out of water. I’m trying to stop thinking so much, and to let my mind and body rest. I’m also writing a lot of poetry at the moment while I wait for feedback on the current book. For some reason, the way the word ‘goose’ makes me feel is similar to the way contemporary poetry can make me feel. Clean, clear, and pure.

Multiverse

This word cracks in my mouth like an egg. It explodes into opportunities and wonder.

This word directly ties into my current novel’s themes, but I can’t say too much about that yet. But it also fits with the world at the moment because like most people I can’t stop wondering what everything would be like if COVID-19 had been managed differently, or if it had been dealt with earlier. I try not to think like this too much because there’s not much I can actually do about it. But our futures are also multiverses – once we’re free to leave lockdown, what will we do to remember what happened, what we lost, and what we gained? And even further in the future – what are we going to do when our options are much more open?

Crow

This word is all dark feathers and worms in the earth. If I changed my name to that of a bird, it might be Crow.

I’m currently reading Crow by Ted Hughes, and it’s absolutely bloody DELICIOUS.

I’m a huge Max Porter fan, and have given away my fair share of copies of Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and so I’ve been saving Crow to read at the right time. And with the world being so very dark and very strange, this seemed to fit. Because when I’m struggling to compute reality I turn to fantasy, and frankly the more shamanic and ritualistic the better.

Do you have any favourite sounding words? And why? I’ve become slightly fascinated with finding out, and why. When people are asked which word they don’t like, they often say ‘moist’, but frankly I quite like it! BUT WHY?!

Someone please tell me in the comments!