Andrew Kaufman's Rules for Inventing New Words

Here is today's tip on  becoming a better writer: We can get boxed in by our own language and limit the way we see the world. What if, as an individual, you started expanding your language, creating your own words? You might find the box you were living in becoming larger, having flexible sides, forming cracks where light started shining through. You might laugh more.

What if, as a writer, you started making up your own words? Think about the new energy that could come into your writing, the fun that you could have.

Read Andrew Kaufman’s blog, "We Need to Invent New Words", and practice the rules on inventing new words. When you find out what a cidiot is, you will be on the road to being a better writer.

Look what fun Lewis Carroll had with the Jabberwocky poem in Through the Looking Glass

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
 All mimsy were the borogoves, 
And the mome raths outgrabe.

`Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
 The jaws that bite, the claws that catch !
Beware the Jujub bird, and shun
 The frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand: 
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
 So rested he by the Tumtum gree, 
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
 The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 
Came whiffling through the tulgey wook, 
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
 The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
 He left it dead, and with its head 
He went galumphing back.

`And has thou slain the Jabberwock? 
Come to my arms, my beamish boy! 
O frabjous day! Calloh! Callay!
 He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
 All mimsy were the borogoves, 
And the mome raths outgrabe.