Trifecta Writing Challenge – 4/26/2013

Friday, April 26, 2013

Trifextra: Week Sixty-Five

This weekend we are bringing you back to class with a little refresher course on compound modifiers.  We are talking about two words that combine together to describe something.  Such as a well-rounded individual or a one-way street or a lightly-oiled pan.  Here’s a fun Trifextra trick: conventionally, if the compound modifier comes BEFORE the word it modifies, it requires a hyphen and counts as one word.  If it comes AFTER the noun, it doesn’t need a hyphen and counts as two.

For example:

The well-read woman had an extensive vocabulary. (7 words)
The woman was well read and had an extensive vocabulary. (10 words)

Your challenge this weekend is to give us 33 words about anything you want.  Your piece must include at least one hyphenated compound modifier.  Remember that the hyphen will join your two words together to create one, so you will have a bit more wiggle room with your word count and language.  You are free to use more than one hyphenated modifier in your post, but we ask that you be careful not to sacrifice readability in the process.

My entry: (Unfortunately, I missed the deadline)

Love of My Life

An oft-borne love withstood the test

Of near-fatal proof around the rest

Its mind didst shine with such a gleam

Only heart over-powered that beauteous beam

And gave more glory to the rest

____________________________

Namaste,

Scott