Quandrum. If a quandry (perplexity in a difficult situation) and a conundrum (vexing question) had a baby, it would be…a quandrum.
Writers love words, but they’re less in love with words that are quandrums. “What does that mean?” “How is it pronounced?”
A long-standing joke at our house is how I pronounce Chequamegon National Forest. (FYI, I don’t have a problem with the words national or forest.) Actually, the laugh factor is no more. It took a while, and a lot of attempts at Chuh-kwa-MEE-gone, Check-wa-MEE-gon, CHECK-wam-eeg-on, CHUCK-a-me-gone. Now I can confidently rattle off SHWAH-meh-gun with the best of the locals. It sure looks like it should have four syllables, doesn’t it? But no. Shawano, Wisconsin was another challenge. Seems simple enough–Shah-WAH-no or perhaps SHAH-wah-no. It’s officially pronounced with two syllables instead. SHAH-no.
Details like this might matter when your book is being narrated by someone unfamiliar with the area or the subject matter. Perhaps the narrator is someone who, say, has only seen the word in writing, not heard it in conversation with locals. Savvy authors often create a pronunciation guide for narrators to refer to.
How do you pronounce query?
Query. Early in a writer’s journey toward publication, they’ll discover that curious (double meaning) word tossed about at writers’ conferences and in books on the craft of writing.
Unlike the commonly heard “KWARE-ee,” the actual pronunciation is “KWEE-ree.” In essence, a query is a question, but that doesn’t help us at all with pronouncing it! It is the author’s inquiry (usually by email) in which the author presents a brief description of the nonfiction’s premise or the storyline of the novel. A good query includes the author’s qualifications to write the book, a clear definition of its genre (see below), and target audience. All of the above in just a couple of paragraphs. A query is a question asking, “Would you like to see a proposal?”
Take note of these other definitions and/or pronunciations with which an aspiring writer is wise to become familiar. Also check out this link for an even deeper dive.
Words as Quandrums
Archetype (ARK-ih-type)–a perfect example or model. “She was the archetype of a strong but not heartless businesswoman.”
Denouement (DAY-noo-MAHn)–Like the cool-down period after a workout, the denouement is breathing again after the resolution or conclusion. It is in essence the moments of silence before the symphony conductor lowers his or her arms, the words that lead the reader to a satisfying sigh.
Deus Ex Machina (DAY-oos ex MAHK-ee-nah) Otherwise known as “what not to do with your story.” Deus ex machina means you have too neatly wrapped up all the plots and subplots in one fell, quick, swoop. Any writer who is at 98,000 words of a 100,000 word novel understands the temptation. It is considered a little too tidy to be believed. Or a lot. It’s manufacturing an answer artificially rather than the answer unfolding naturally. And that robs, frustrates, and cheats the reader out of a believable resolution.
Words that start with E
End Matter (also called back matter) If you hear editors talk about end matter, they’re referring to the material that follows the end of the text of the book (additional resources, bonus material, acknowledgments, author bio, sneak peek at next book, etc.)
Epilogue (EHP-eh-log) An epilogue is a comment, conclusion, or even a “Two Years Later” (if you said that with a Sponge Bob Square Pants narrator French accent, extra credit for you) scene that comes after the conclusion of the text but before the End Matter.
Epigraph (EHP-eh-graf) An epigraph is a short quotation or saying that appears at the beginning of a book, or the beginning of a chapter, is and is set off by itself. Its intention is to hint at the book’s or chapter’s theme or tone, its mystery or its wonder, or to otherwise set up the reader for the reading experience. It is sometimes used to connect the reader with the inspiration of the book’s title.
Even more quandrums
Genre (ZHAHN-ruh)–a category of literature characterized by style, form, or content. Technically, category is broader–fiction, nonfiction, poetry, academic, children’s… Genre is more specific–Romantic Suspense, Dystopian, Spiritual Growth, Historical Thriller, Leadership Development, Crime Drama, Memoir, Devotional. So nonfiction is the category and memoir is the genre. Fiction is the category and Romantic Comedy is the genre.
In Media Res (in MEE-dee-uh RESS) In the middle of the action. Books that begin in media res often appeal to readers because they are dropped immediately into the action or crisis or pinch point.
Stutter (STUH-ter) If an agent or editor has pointed out repeated use of a word or phrase close enough together–next sentence or next paragraph–they’re commenting on the stutter concept. Readers will remember the word or phrase and be drawn to the mechanics of the writing rather than carried along in the flow of the text. (I can see some of my clients rolling their eyes when I pick up on a stutter, but it’s real. It has a name.) If repetition is used intentionally, it will drive a point home. If unintentionally, it will or can distract a reader.
Trope (trohp with a long oh sound)– A trope used in our context is a plotline or character stereotype that is familiar to readers but risks becoming too familiar if not written creatively. Boy-meets-girl, villain redemption, must save family farm/ranch/restaurant, rags to riches, main character returns to hometown to heal from betrayal/care for elderly relative/inherit a piece of property they never wanted, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, the last shall be first… Some publishers are looking for very specific tropes–plots with small towns, rescued animals who become heroes, shy steps out in courage, etc. Recognizing tropes and writing them creatively and with depth brings both challenge and reward.
End notes for this blog post
We could spend many blog posts exploring the language of publishing, the meanings, and word pronunciations. This handful may have made you think of others you’ve wondered about.Which of the above words were new or surprising to you?
What words local to your area or your realm of expertise are often mispronounced or misunderstood? Please spell them phonetically in the comments for us. Life-long learning–a writer’s best friend.
Is it gaol or is it jail,
or maybe durance vile?
Do you wear a veil in Vail
for archetypal style
that makes you a conundrum,
a problem hard to puzzle,
but way back where I come from,
veil hides mouth like a muzzle,
which reminds me of my aunt
so tiny like formicidae
(which should be in italic font
in formal scientific way),
and thus I offer up this rant
in loving tribute to said aunt.
***
I need a beer.
I’m irked when people pronounce town at the tip of Illinois, Cairo, and pronounce it like it’s in Egypt since this area is called Little Egypt. It’s pronounced Karo like the syrup. And a little north is Vienna, not the waltz capital of Illinois, it’s pronounced Vie-anna.
Great examples, Kim! And for so many people, unless they’ve heard it from a local, they’d have no idea! I’m taking notes! 🙂
My favorite place on earth presents a quandrum. Mackinac Island is pronounced “MACK-in-awe,” but interestingly, Mackinaw City shares the same pronunciation. However, tourists frequently scratch their heads here in Michigan, wondering whether it should be pronounced “MACK-i-neck” or “MACK-i-knack.” I feel their pain. I missed it up for years!
I noted three of your words—not because I struggled with their pronunciation, but because they piqued my interest. I’ve revised my manuscript, one-sheet, and proposal to reflect the correct terminology of “End Matter” and “Epigraph.” Speaking of the third, “stuttering,” did you catch it in my first paragraph? It was challenging to do intentionally, yet surprisingly effortless when unintentional! LOL
Yes, Aleisha! So clever! Mackinac Island trips up many a person! And it’s such a lovely place.
I have two cities whose names are often mispronounced. I grew up in Arizona, and locals pronounce the city of Tempe as Tem-PEE. Visitors almost always say TEM-pee. Now I live in Alaska, a few years ago, the city of Barrow changed its name back to the original native name of… Utquiagvik. When I first read about it, I tried several over and over to figure out how to say it. I finally had to hear someone say it. It’s Oot-kee-AGH-vik.
I learned several words in your blog post. I love that the stutter effect has a name. My favorite word from this article, however, is denouement. Your metaphor of the silence before the conductor lowers his arms is beautiful. I can feel the moment.
Thank you, Judi. You added some great examples…and you changed MY understanding of Tempe!
As a former high school English teacher, I LOVE all these terms . . . and used to teach them to my students.
Deus ex machina actually means “god from a machine”–yes, what not to do in a story. Instead of the protagonist overcoming his flaw and rising to the climatic challenge, he is saved. The classic example is from Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which my English 12 Brit lit students read. A naval officer suddenly appears at the end and tells the manic boys, “What the heck are you doing?” Bleh. Unsatisfying. We all hate that book–but it’s a great example of that term. Such a writing mistake can happen even in children’s picture books if the adult is solving the kid’s problem.
You’re right, Janet, about the technical definition of Deus ex machina. It would be interesting for someone to write a book someday about how so much of what we see around us is reaching for too easy conclusions, manufacturing what can only come from our literal God, or even stereotypical heroes riding in to save the day when they haven’t been involved in the story before that moment (like a book-long crisis solved by a rich uncle writing a check. 🙂
Yeah, it makes me crazy when people think God’s will means that all the formidable dominoes will just fall down neatly in a circle. Or that a couple rejections means a book shouldn’t be published.
Ha ha! Yeah, I can never pronounce Denouement or Deus Ex Machina. As someone who started reading early and learned so many words that way, I struggle, ha! There is this great scene in the 90s cartoon The Tick, where the supervillain and the heroes all define denouement for a reality TV host. So fun!
I’ll have to look up that cartoon! Thanks, Kristen.
Oh, and we are in a part of the country which retains many Native American names that can baffle visitors. The closest town to us is Peshastin and the closest city is Wenatchee.
We need the pronunciations! Help us! Pesh-ah-STEEN? Wen-AHTCH–ee?
Oh, ha ha! It’s
Puh-SHA-stin and Weh-NA-tchee
And the city of Yakima is two hours away and even though we live so close, I can always tell a native of that area by how they say it. In the rest of the state, we call the city Yak-I-maw but the people who live there say Yak-I-muh and they say it faster. It’s pretty interesting that a couple of hours will change the pronunciation.