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Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus February 2005 Newsletter

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Every month Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus Newsletter features a group of phrases from the Phrase Thesaurus.   Sybrina's Phrase Thesaurus is packed full of descriptive phrases on every subject
...from descriptions of the body, and how it looks, moves and interacts
...to word pictures describing all types of landscapes, waterscapes and skyscapes

...and much more.

 

I hope you enjoyed this month’s issue of

Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus Newsletter.

 

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ARTICLES & TOOLS OF INTEREST

Every thought of doing public speaking?  The Mystery Writers of America maintain a directory of over 600 libraries looking for mystery writers as speakers.

 

Contracts: Top Ten Things to Negotiate and What's Not Worth Your Time—By LAURA RESNICK.  Article from Novelists Incorporated newsletter.

Article by Ken Rock about joining a local Writer's Circle or linking up with an Internet authors ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTESTS & ANTHOLOGIES/CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

Spring Into Romance Writing Contest—San Diego RWA Chapter—Deadline April 4th, 2005.

 

Songwriting.Net Songwriting Contest—Deadline May 31st, 2005.

 

True Life Stories Writing Contest—Deadline November 30th, 2005.

 

Flash Fiction Contest from WordSmitten—Deadline May 1st, 2005

 

Disclaimer—These listings are not necessarily endorsed by Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus Newsletter editor.  They are for your convenience only.  Always, do some research on your own before deciding to enter any contest.

 

 

 

 

You just read a few of the 25,000+ phrases from some of Minor Sub-categories in the Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus Tool. 

· The tool contains 8 MAIN CATEGORIES!  They are “Physical Attributes”, “Moving Parts”, “Body In Motion”, “Emotions”, “Colors”, “Daily Activities” , “Expressions of Speech”, and “Earth Views”.

· It also contains 250 Major Sub-categories such as “Hair” under Physical Attributes, “Hands” under Moving Parts, and “Embarrassment” under Emotions.

 

So if you’ve hit a brick wall with your writing...or you can’t get the creative juices flowing…

If you wish you had a better way with words...or you just enjoy reading unique, descriptive phrases, this is the tool for you.

 

Sybrina’s Phrase Thesaurus Tool is available in PDF format for just $12.95 - no shipping, no handling, no tax.   Adobe Acrobat PDF files work with all operating systems and the viewer is available for download free. 

FEATURED PHRASES FROM SYBRINA’S PHRASE THESAURUS

February’s Featured Vignette

“All For My Lady...”

by Wanderer

You would like the story of the Monster of the Greenwood, my little ones? Well, then, if you will not go to sleep for a warm meal or a bed by the fire ... no? ... then tell it I must.

It all began long ago, in another place and time ...

 

I could hardly hold in the shouting. I wanted desperately to yell it to the world, the galaxy, the universe and beyond!

 

The Elfland group wants me! Me! ME!

 

When I finally put together my costume for this year, I wanted to make it special. Oh, always something to do with wolves. They're my favourites, after all. But something more ... impressive. So I used casts of real wolves' teeth from the natural history museum for the teeth, and even checked out Mech's book three times running to get the fur pattern right. I even positioned the sheath directly in accordance with the best five sources on canine and lupine anatomy in the library. Then tricked the jaw out with a hookup to my own lips. Sure, it cost me in terms of diction, but the little rims that held one jaw to the other gave me a movement that was almost eerily lifelike, while the spring hinges guaranteed a quick return with my lips.

 

Then the knight appeared. I couldn't believe the fluid grace with which he carried the armor, and I could tell by the movement that the metal wasn't off of some old Volkswagen Beetle or something. We're talking craftsmanship, here.

 

"Monster?"

 

I nodded and gave a grunting growl. Apparently he hadn't expected that addition, because he paused a second before continuing. "My Lady, the Queen of Elfland, desires your presence this moment. Will you come?"

 

I used every ventriloquist trick I knew, and managed to growl an understandable, "When Titania calls, none may deny her. I come." Then I locked eyes with him ... and let the animal inside me have a little fun.

 

I don't know what happens when I do that, and I can't get a straight answer from anyone I do it to ... but it always gets a reaction. This time was no exception. But the reaction was not what I expected.

He paused a moment, looking into the depths of my eyes ... then nodded, turned, and led on.

My inner beast isn't used to such a challenge going unanswered, so he drew back, deciding to wait and learn more before he tried that again.

 

At the door to a large suite, the knight stopped, the door was opened, and he said, "The Monster is presented."

 

As he strode inside, and I kept three paces behind, checking every shadow, for I am a nervous beast, we came to the central room of the suite. There, upon a carpet of artificial grass, sat the Throne. And on that throne was ... The Lady.

 

"The Monster is presented, My Queen."

 

"So I see", she purred in a silken-sweet voice, "and am seen. Let the Monster approach."

 

Hesitantly, I moved forward, my eyes tracking every visible member of the court as they took in the sight of me, moving from my counterbalanced legjacks, up to the chest, where the form fit rather nicely in my opinion, and on to the head. Then, at a gesture from the Queen, I turned halfway around, presenting my tail and back to the view of the court.

 

"Turn."

 

Turning, I could see a small smile on the Queen's face.

 

"Has the Monster a name?"

I managed to growl, "My kind need no names. My name is My Queen's to give."

She almost seemed to start then, but recovered nicely. "Such a marvelous voice, and such magnificent work! Truly a well-made monster. But is the beast agile?"

At a motion to my right, I turned, swung, and connected with a small figure, hurling him back at least three feet as he screamed. I bowed to him, then turned to the Queen. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I am unused to being approached at speed for any good reason."

"Oh, well hit, Monster! But swiftness of arm is not the same as swiftness of leg." She gave me a sarcastic smirk, then continued, "Have you quickness in your other limbs as well?"

In response, I elected to show instead of tell. Leaping forward and to the right of the Queen, I pushed off, rolling and coming to a crouching position, from which I glared at the assemblage.

And growled.

Recovering from that lapse in control, I rose, bowed to the Queen, and stood at ready.

"Ingenious. Mannerly yet mighty. Truly, a beast as I have not seen in a long age. We wish you to join our court, Monster, and be presented with us in the competition this eve. How say you?"

"I am My Queen's to command, now, always and forever. By oak, and ash, and thorn, I so swear."

A hush went through the court then, and a murmur, stilled by the raised hand of the Queen. "Pretty words. Let us see if they are more than that. Come this eve at the hour of six. You are to tell no-one the purpose of this, nor speak to anyone about our court or your joining us. Should you do so, your membership in my court shall end as it begins. Do you understand?"

"Yes, My Queen."

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Physical Attributes—Hair

HR4  HAIR 4 (THIN)

her hair was a cobweb of silver

 

HR9  HAIR 9 (WAVY)

dark commas of hair

 

HR11  HAIR 11 (COARSE)

hair as stiff and black as a raven's wing

 

HR13  HAIR 13 (TANGLED)

an unkempt head of hair

HR14  HAIR 14 (COLOR - BLONDE)

the golden mist of her hair

 

HR16  HAIR 16 (COLOR - BLACK)

hair as black as Manchester coal

 

HR20  HAIR 20 (HEALTHY)

her dark hair glistened like polished wood

 

HR22  HAIR 22 (STYLES)

hair tied back into an uncompromising ponytail