def get_word(self, word=None):
        ''' creates a new word '''
        word = word if not word == None else self.initial
        if not self.terminal in word:
            if len(word) > self.average_word_length and \
                    self.terminal in self.links[word[-self.chunk_size:]] \
                    and random.randint(0, 1):
                addon = self.terminal
            else:
                options = self.links[word[-self.chunk_size:]]
                addon = random.choice(options)

            word = word + addon
            return self.get_word(word)
        return word[1:-1]
creates a new word