Stuck for a descriptive word.

Torakx

I'd like to get some help on figuring out some words for a "thing".
I'm starting a creative writing contest, for a short story.
I am very close to a title.

So far I have " Trancending Echoes".
My intent is to swap out trancending for a better more descriptive word.
To trancend is to go above, to reach a greater distance in relation to an original thing.
This "original" thing that the echoes "trancend", is simply a process for the real original thing, or at least the more distant (in space and time) influence.

il try again...haha

I suppose I want a word to describe a force effect, that comes from an occult intention, is inpercievable and causes a visible symptom in an environment.
The symptoms of this force effect are these echoes.

I could use some help in finding a word for that.
A friend suggested putting the descriptive word on the end instead, which is a nice idea too.
"Echoes Trancending", it sounds better and feels more "flowing".
Maybe even drop the echoes?
Some variations to sum so far.

Trancending Echoes
Echoes Trancending
Of Echoes and Trancendance(or better word)

The intention with genre, is to do it mainly for fantasy, but to sneak in some science fiction as well. Occult magic, could be explained through pseudo physics theories.

Mr.Nice Guy

I'd suggest 'nebulous echoes'; or if you want something more basic, 'rippling echoes.'

Brian Lighthouse

Hi.
A variant of the word "transcend" was written in the OP eight times and each time one of these words appeared in the post it was misspelled.

Normally that doesn't bother me, but in this case it did and it bothered me enough that I logged in to register my irritation at seeing that the OP was edited by the author eleven minutes after posting.

I suggest you invest in a physical copy of a thesaurus or employ the use one of the many free online ones. Both are effective tools to assist a writer in selecting an alternative word while ensuring the meaning of the statement remains.

Another hint on exceeding at word selection is to excel at thesaurus use and eclipse singular word selection by surpassing mere repetitions such as using a variant of the base-word.

Do not - as a writer - surrender to the inferior writing practice of failing to use a thesaurus. Instead, transform your writing by trying to beat your best by becoming better. Outshine your anticipations, outdo your assumptions, outstrip your notions, overstep your outlook, out-vie your rival and out-rival your vying counterparts - leave them behind.

Be superior, rise above and leave them in the dust while you go above them all.

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/transcend?s=t

I enjoyed that. Thanks for the exercise.
Brian

Torakx

Thanks Brian!
That was very helpful and I will take more time to study everythign you did there.
As you can see I misplaced that "g" in the word everything. If I didn't spend ages adjusting my posts, it would probably drive you mad haha.
I have noticeable dyslexia. Some words I just can't remember which vowels go where or how many. The picture gets fuzzy.
So I will indeed begin a practise of using thesaurus. A good habit I see
Nice little exercise there to practise.

While I'm here, I could use an exercise for improving grammar
I have 3rd year english and the rest of my english is fantasy, psychology and philosophy books, respectively over the years since.

Mr'nice guy, Thanks also for that. Ripple is a good description for the process I'm thinking of. I had imagined bubbling, but ripple is more accurate.

Brian Lighthouse

Normally typos don't bother me, but one word misspelled eight times did. It's not a big deal, but it bugged me. I didn't spot the missing "G". I noticed I omitted a word in my reply, and I'm really upset about that - yeah right.

Anyway, don't worry about anything and especially don't worry about upsetting any grammar Nazis. When you have your piece finished you can always ask someone for help with proof-reading for typos and the like. In fact you should always get someone to check pieces for errors. Invariably there will be mistakes not spotted by the writer. Production facilities have teams of quality control personnel who pass and reject finished products. One person writing is bound to have some quality issues.

I didn't really do anything there, just threw some words that are related to transcend together in a sort of literate manner as an example.

Did you finish school at the Inter/Group/Junior?
Don't worry about that either, just know what you want to show in your story. When you show the reader a scene they can imagine it for themselves, telling the scene doesn't add any effect.
For example:
Sean was livid with anger. His eyes frantically searched the target to see where the knife landed. (telling)

He grabbed the new knife, the sharpest one and flung it toward my path. I froze, it whizzed past my ear and pinged when it hit the door. (showing)

But, you'll learn all of that sort of stuff on your creative writing course.

Back in 2003, Lynne Truss wrote a book entitled "Eats Shoots and Leaves" and it's goes into a huge amount of detail about grammar. "Angela's Ashes" author Frank McCourt wrote the foreword for it. Anyway, here is a link to an accompanying educational workbook for the book and you can learn a lot from this: http://www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/eatsshootsleaves.pdf

YouTube hosts thousands of videos on writing techniques. Some of them can be a slog and heavy going but there are a few gems who explain things in simple everyday language.
I find Ellen Brock easy to understand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnCHGBUpnzQ
Kat O'Keefe is bubbly in her presentations, if that helps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHEAmAyMdG0

Have fun, and best of luck.
Brian

Torakx

Junior cert level, but that was back in 1996 or so.
Really I didn't pick anything up in school, although I always passed subjects fairly ok with personal study and was the best at poetry.
I got most of my english from reading books. Around age eleven I read "The lord of The Rings" and from then on I got my english education from books.
Auditory dyslexia made it difficult to follow along in class.

I wouldn't have it any other way. The compensation involved mentally, enhances visual and philosophical thinking(contemplation I mean).
The down side is that I see so much and contemplate on everything, but can't find the means to express it properly.
Thinking in feelings and visions, leaves written and spoken language far behind, with it's insights and complexities.
My torment is described wellby Carl Jung in one of his rare interviews(youtube), where he describes the intuitive introvert.
The one who has all the answers and sees all, but is a fool for opening their mouth
For they give away the game and are never understood.
That resonated with me a lot
I think the intuitive introvert, might be someone who grows up with dyslexia in some form or other and has to adjust their thinking in order to adapt. I measure intent through body language for example and facial expression. So I live in an alternate world to most Shared with animals ofc.

Thanks for those links. I have started my entry tonight. The working title for now is " Of Echoes and Faith". I have less than a month to write 15k words. I think I might have trouble squeezing it down to that amount. I'm thinking of making the entry a prologue.

Brian Lighthouse

Well, there, you have it. A wealth of stories at your disposal, and all it cost you was your own experiences.
Get writing now, and don't stop till you reach home.
Try not to get bogged down with small details just yet, build a frame, then hang the decorations.
It will be some achievement when you get it all done. A feather in the cap as they say.
Enjoy it.

Rubecula

Per Ardua Echos? Seems a bit classy It is the first part of Per Adua Ad Astra meaning through difficulty to the skies/stars

Geniass

For what it's worth, I like the title you have - Transcending Echoes. For two words it's quite emotive.

Rubecula

I suppose I want a word to describe a force effect, that comes from an occult intention, is inpercievable and causes a visible symptom in an environment.
The symptoms of this force effect are these echoes.

Minor suggestion but why not Trance-ending Echoes? (see what I did there?)

zeffabelli

First of all TRANSCEND does not mean to go above. ASCEND means to go above.

TRANSCEND means to go out side the limits or boundaries of of something. Example would be how the mystical branches of religions transcend the religion itself.

Transcending Echoes could mean an implicit subject moves outside the limits of the echo. It could even read as a how to book, as in how to transcend an echo, or Transcending in this context could operate as an adjective.

Echoes Transcending - this is less ambiguous, though the missing object does leave ambiguity.

So do you want ambiguity or do you want clarity....that is the first question and decision you must make.

There is a consistent mechanical error you make. Periods and commas always go before the end quotation marks.

It would be a good idea to get Strunk and White or a very basic book on the rules of punctuation and grammar. It is not pedantic but necessary because all of these rules modulate meaning.

"I suppose I want a word to describe a force effect, that comes from an occult intention, is inpercievable and causes a visible symptom in an environment.
The symptoms of this force effect are these echoes."

I don't get this part. echoes are not visible, they are audible....so do you want a visual word or an audial word?

Manach

Harmonic?
In that this echos the Ancient Greek belief of how there is a unity in all things and that a striking just the right harmonic frequency at one level , on earth, will make the heavens vibrant : origin of term music of the spheres.

Torakx

Thanks everyone. Lots of great comments.
I really appreciate the notes on grammar and punctuation.
I am struggling to figure that out, so I will try learn the rules.

I decided to go with "Of Echoes and Faith".
Here is the intro.
Always happy to have criticism.
I will probablly change some of it still, but it's a start. I have only about 2 weeks to hand it in though. max 15k words ^^ Maybe it's ok to dohalf that, not sure..

Prologue

Ko ta ele fur yi baruil mer - llows closely.
I pity you that let its fetters fall from opened arms.
To you I grant the rite of Amun-Bel. It will lend you spirit, as surely as it takes your soul.
High councillor Aehlor
IX VI AC – Tera Suil

Above a forest of blossoming trees and sparse rocky rivers, black feathers shimmered in the sun, creating a ripple of elongated rainbows dancing to the tune of wind and peaking hot summer currents.
The heat of the sun came in soothing waves, bringing moments of enveloping warmth. Its blessing was interrupted with every fresh breath of wind, a reminder of the need to press ever forward.

On tracks born of frequent travel, two riders casually made their way through a white forest of blossoms and tangled shrubs. The soft clink of bridles and plate buckles, sent echoes drifting softly through the air.
Blossom leaves tumbled lazily towards the ground, at moments seeming to suspend in time, then caught by the wind and carried away.
Holding a hand up to signal, the lead rider slowed his horse to a halt. “We’re here!” he announced loudly. A hint of a smile crept to his eyes as a quiet shuffling sound came from the rider behind.
Durik twisted slightly in his saddle to look around. ”Do you still grace me with your presence Goad? Or passed away in sleep?”
“Don’t worry about me, Durik. I need only to follow my horse” came the glib reply, as the other riders mount took him close to his companion and stopped. “Besides,” he added, his expression sombre, “Where the gods rest. . .” and with a playful arch of his eyebrows, Goad kicked into a trot.
Durik smiled to himself and set his tall black gelding to a walk.
Up ahead the young priest of Suil veered off the track and deeper into the forest, just fifty spans before the clearing ahead.