Saturday, April 2, 2016

B: A to Z Blogging Challege

For my 2016 A to Z Challenge, I’m sharing three facts for each letter. The genres I write and love to read are mostly science fiction and high or epic fantasy. In fantasy, there is often magic associated with crystals or metals. They also used herbs both for medicine and for magical spells. Each day I will post a short description of an herb or a mineral you might find in medieval or fantasy writings. For the record, most of the herbal remedies I’ve investigated are not recommended by the FDA. Many are actually poisonous and dangerous. As tribute to my second love, I will post a scientific fact that may deal with physics, biology or health science. And because another name for a writer is wordsmith, each day I’ll share a strange word that I would probably never use in my writing, but that amuse me in some way. So enjoy my trio of quick facts. And don’t forget to visit the IWSG site where we’ll share a writer’s resource for every day of the challenge.

Barm  Another word for beer foam.

Bilberry  Native American used Bilberry to treat diabetes. In WWII, British pilots ate bilberry preserves to improve their night vision.

Beryllium is a gray metal that is stronger than steel while being lighter than aluminum. It can be carcinogenic when airborne. It is a relatively rare element.

Tomorrow, besides keeping up with A to Z, my local writing group is starting a writing challenge of getting at least 50 words written over the next fifty days. I mentioned this last time we did this. It will be a good way to make sure I keep writing on my WIP instead of only doing blogging during this month.

From word to deed is a great space.

Hopefully, I'll get the deeds done this month.

Do like some barm on your brew? Think you could use some bilberry jam? Ever heard of anything made of beryllium?


42 comments:

Nicola said...

Nice to hear you are meeting with your writing group. It's all down to balancing the writing with the blogging. Wishing you lots of writerly fun. Thank you for the B words :)

Zannie Rose said...

your site seems familiar- maybe I visited last year..looking forward to having a collection of 3x26 New words and facts by the end of the month.

visitor from planet A-Z a mighteous and expanding realm

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - good words .. the barm is fun ... I don't often drink beer and didn't know about beryllium .. have a good month - cheers Hilary

Susanne Matthews said...

Great information. Good luck with your 50 word a day challenge.https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/

nashvillecats2 said...

I do enjoy coming to your blog, most interesting. Well done Susan.
Yvonne.

Fran Clark said...

I read somewhere that bilberries are good for eyesight - mine is failing so I better get on the case! I also think I should keep up my WIP, going around so many blogs is time consuming.
Fran
@FranClarkAuthor
Writing Women’s Fiction

M.J. Fifield said...

I don't care for too much barm on my brew...which is why I let someone else do the pouring. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I don't want barm on my brew either. Or a barn. That would be disgusting...

messymimi said...

Bilberry jam is good, but difficult to find. Mostly you have to look at farmer's markets.

Rajlakshmi said...

I just read about Bilberry today, in one of the A to Z posts :)

Visiting from A to Z Challenge
Pam's Unconventional Alliance Team
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

Whenever I see Beryllium my brain always goes to Galaxy Quest and the Beryllium spheres they use to power the Protector or The Shadow where it is what Farley Claymore is making to create a bomb :)
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

Ava Quinn said...

Only the berylium sphere in Galaxy Quest. Happy atozing. Love your theme. :)

J.L. Campbell said...

Didn't know about 'barm'. That's my new word for the day. Thanks!

Pat Hatt said...

Wonder if it really improved their night vision or was just mind over matter type thing.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

I like beryllium, very nice word
Open Minded Mormon A-Z

betty said...

I have heard of bilberry; if I remember correctly I think I've seen it in some weight loss supplements too. You do have an interesting month ahead with also trying to keep up with your writing challenge :)

betty

Patrick Stahl said...

I don't drink (except a little bit when I was in the Bahamas, since I'm legal there at 18). Maybe on the jam. I definitely did some chemistry problems with beryllium my junior and senior years, but I don't recall any specific compounds it appears in. It sounds useful.

Robin said...

My night vision is terrible. Maybe I need to start taking bilberry supplements....???

A Tarkabarka Hölgy said...

Improve night vision? I would seriously need some of that...

@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog

J E Oneil said...

Barm is the coolest word. I so want to find a way to use it. I wonder how bilberry improved night vision, or if it worked at all. I'd love to learn the science around that.

Jo said...

I didn't know about pilots eating bilberry jam. I thought they ate carrots for night vision

Michelle Wallace said...

Fifty words per day sounds doable.
I've heard of strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry...but not bilberry.
Writer In Transit

Mike said...

Neat words

Anonymous said...

Next time hubby has a beer and there's lots of foam I'll have to remember to say his drink has a lot of barm. =D

Unknown said...

I'm surprised Native American people even contracted diabetes. I thought it was a recent disease because of all the processed food we eat. Thanks for the interesting facts. Visiting from A-Z (Australia).

cleemckenzie said...

Barm? Seriously? I'm pulling that one out the next time someone pours himself a beer.

Sarah Foster said...

Had no idea there was an actual word for beer foam! Guess you learn something new every day...

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Very good choices. Beer foam. I've see a bear foam. Not a good sign.

Think Positive, Be Positive said...

Hi there!

I’m stopping by from the #AtoZChallenge. I don't drink beer but like Joylene I've seen a bear foam...;~)

I have two blogs in this challenge…my author blog at THE STORY CATCHER (www.donnalmartin.com) and my KICKS Kids Club blog (www.kickskidsclub.blogspot.com.

If you get a chance, check them out and good luck with the challenge!

i b arora said...

had heard of only one word, the last one

Elizabeth said...

I have heard of beryllium and bilberry, but I did not know beer foam had it's own name. Good luck with your WIP!

Anonymous said...

HA hA I havent actually heard any of these words before. Thanks for sharing

http://meotherwise.com/2016/04/02/beaches-and-taste-buds-atozchallenge/

Leanne said...

I think bilberries sound like the way to go for improving on my declining midlife eyesight!
Leanne @ cresting the hill

Sharon Himsl said...

I buy bilberry for my husband, who's a private pilot. I keep wondering if I can grow them.

Pioneer Women in Aviation A-Z



mshatch said...

Bilberry, huh. Maybe I should try some.

Unknown said...

Hi Susan: How Clever (creative) in that you are providing us with new learning opportunities while also giving us the opportunity to learn about you and your writing. Very nice!

Nilanjana Bose said...

Barm is a new word learnt today. Thanks.

Nilanjana
Madly-in-Verse

Unknown said...

It's stgill so hot here that a beer is always welcome....come on autumn!

Sue H said...

You mention physics...I'm such a fan. I even am trying to go in that general direction with my WIP fantasy debut novel. Magic is not a force, it's a talent (like juggling for that matter): the ability to manipulate the fundamental forces of nature.

Not exactly a "new" concept, others go this way, too. I'm trying to focus on my characters to make it interesting! Thanks for the writing tips!!


Sue Hernandez
Wordpress Blogs: writing and A to Z Challenge

Patricia Stoltey said...

Barm is a new word to me, even though I do like a good micro-brew with a bit of foam on top.

Dan N Jaye said...

I'm a chemistry major, so having fun with that in your blog. But, "barm?" Surely the British slang, meaning eccentric or daft, came from drinking too much barm? The stuff wrapped around those bubbles is beer, after all! Thanx for a fun new word!
--Jaye from Life Afloat

Unknown said...

All words I haven't come across. I'm glad Berryllium is a rare element. :-) #AtoZChallenge