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lauraanne_gilmanBack in touch with a client who took time off for a family crisis, just in time for me to do my "must take a week off" thing. A dance of bad timing, but there's nothing for it. Meanwhile, am writing again. So happy about that. And not just because it means my brain's forgiven me the coughing and come back home.
One of the things that you have to do when creating a new culture is also come up with new words, sometimes for new concepts, sometimes for old concepts that require new slang. It's fun, and yet also a damned difficult thing, because for every term ("grok") that works perfectly, there are ten dozen that not only don't work, but actively cause snickers among those who hear/read them.
(this is akin to coming up with culture-specific and reasonable-sounding proper names, which is another long post altogther)
I managed to come up with a term today for a slightly rude act that sounded completely inoffensive to outside ears, if slightly suggestive of not-polite-behavior if you were thinking that way. Which is exactly what I needed, and was born not out of my sitting there thinking what word to use, but the character mouthing off to another character, and my fingers typing the word as he mouthed it.
Which means it fits, and is fitting, and hopefully won't make readers snicker. At least, not in ways that weren't intended. Small things, these details, but important ones.
Meanwhile, my "g" key seems to be broken. Or at least cranky. Yesterday it was my tab key. Give it up, guys, I'm not buying a new laptop right now.
Also? Thank you to AMC, for repeatedly showing "Blazing Saddles," uncut and unbeeped, while I was sick. Nothing cheers a sick meerkat up like classic Mel Brooks. Especially if it includes Gene Wilder.
One of the things that you have to do when creating a new culture is also come up with new words, sometimes for new concepts, sometimes for old concepts that require new slang. It's fun, and yet also a damned difficult thing, because for every term ("grok") that works perfectly, there are ten dozen that not only don't work, but actively cause snickers among those who hear/read them.
(this is akin to coming up with culture-specific and reasonable-sounding proper names, which is another long post altogther)
I managed to come up with a term today for a slightly rude act that sounded completely inoffensive to outside ears, if slightly suggestive of not-polite-behavior if you were thinking that way. Which is exactly what I needed, and was born not out of my sitting there thinking what word to use, but the character mouthing off to another character, and my fingers typing the word as he mouthed it.
Which means it fits, and is fitting, and hopefully won't make readers snicker. At least, not in ways that weren't intended. Small things, these details, but important ones.
Meanwhile, my "g" key seems to be broken. Or at least cranky. Yesterday it was my tab key. Give it up, guys, I'm not buying a new laptop right now.
Also? Thank you to AMC, for repeatedly showing "Blazing Saddles," uncut and unbeeped, while I was sick. Nothing cheers a sick meerkat up like classic Mel Brooks. Especially if it includes Gene Wilder.
