I wrote a novella. It was pretty cool. I also write stories for my students all the time. You probably do too, but I bet you think it's not good enough to share. (Wrong: the need is huge; the standards are low. Submit to Mille Noctes today!)
Tools
- DCC Core Vocabulary Lists for Latin & Greek: Part of the Dickinson College Commentaries. Lists of the highest frequency words in Latin or Greek literature, searchable and delightful in many ways. An extremely useful tool in creating vocab-sheltered texts.
- Glossa: An online version of the Lewis & Short dictionary, searchable by headword. Very helpful for checking usage.
- Diogenes: A downloadable program that allows you to search the L&S by parsed form as well as by headword. You can also plug the PHI texts into it if you happen to have the files. Also has the LSJ for Greek and can handle TLG texts, if that's your bag. I find it easier to use than Glossa, if a little harder to read.
- Logeion: A beautiful lexicon site (and app!) you can use to look up words by headword, but also to check their frequency within the Latin corpus. Includes information from Lewis & Short, but also from various post-antique lexica as well.
- Whitaker's Words: Quick & dirty, but helpful. I use this more to jog my English-to-Latin memory ("What's a word for snake besides serpens?") than for a real reference. Once you pick a word, look it up properly in Lewis & Short or the Oxford Latin Dictionary.
- Morgan-Owens Lexicon: A lexicon- in progress- of words used in neo-Latin for stuff Romans didn't have, like potatoes and rockets, and for daily use things they totally had but which maybe didn't come up in your Caesar. Very useful. Use the Adumbratio though, not Silva! If you get a kick out of this you should also like Patrick Owens' FB group, Neo-Latin Word of the Day.
- The Macronizer: If I could kiss the internet, I'd kiss this. MWAH. SO good. It does what you think it does, and more. Donate to the creator if you love it. Oh, but do check its work.
- Allen & Greenough's New Latin Grammar: Courtesy of the inimitable Dickinson College Commentaries project, online in a beautifully readable, searchable, indexed format.
- PHI Latin Texts Database: A powerful tool for checking usage! You can search and see if carmen and facere ever come together, for example. Contains all the major Roman works and a lot of minor ones. Does not include post-antique stuff.
- The Bridge: A project of Haverford, whereby you can compare and create vocabulary lists from a variety of different Latin and Greek texts and textbooks. Go play with it. It's awesome, especially if you use a textbook or are teaching toward particular authors.
Advice
- Novella author FAQ organized by Jessie Craft: This is not the live document, so it may be out of date.
- A three part series on Latinity in PUBLISHED works by me:
- “Classically Attested” & “Latinity”: The Latest Buzz by Lance Piantaggini, in response? to my posts maybe
Community
- Fabulae Latinae (FB): A support group for people writing novellas or short stories in Latin. A good place to find pre-readers and ask for advice.
- Officina Scriptoria: The Latin Writers' Workshop (FB): A place to ask your questions about word choice & usage. Lots of very clever people here, but they don't always pull punches, so prepare your pride.