@golgaloth I think this counts - the first piece of fiction I ever got published involved a character getting strangled with a phone cord. I'm envisioning some blank looks on that concept.
#WordWeavers 4/4: Is there writing advice you used to follow but changed your mind?
When I started out, I wrote either with no chapters at all, or long, endless ones. I mean, I was writing Epic Fantasy, and that means long chapters, right? (Wrong.)
Since then, I've come around to using shorter chapters, especially when changing perspectives. (The headhopping I did as a newbie was atrocious.)
If you want to see my awful newbie writing, check out Der Ritter von Lar Elien...
@Firlefanz My own psychology has influenced my chapter lengths more than anything. I've always been a bed reader, and have the habit of glancing at the clock, then checking how long the chapter is before delving into it. I'll justifyβone chapter at a timeβreading six chapters of five pages each before the light goes out, but if the chapter is twenty pages long? Maybe tomorrow. π
I was feeling very sorry for my container clematis, which has been brown and forlorn since December (though it was still blooming happily in November!). But look! It's growing again already! π
I come from that area in Germany where the "cleanest" high German is spoken. Yet, I most certainly have an accent when speaking other languages (my English accent is a weird mix of German und MidWestern US).
It quite honestly never occurred to me that any of my characters might have an accent. Maybe they do. But I don't put that down in writing because I find it exhausting a reader. π€·ββοΈ
@anderlandbooks I grew up hearing from my grandmother that she found "high German" difficult to understand; in her mind it was the language of politicians and not the common folk she'd grown up around.
Years later, I learned that "high" and "low" were terms related to geography and not social class. So what my Bavarian-born grandmother likely spoke was high German, and as for the people she couldn't understand? Well, I don't understand a lot of what comes out of politicians'' mouths today. π
If you could remove one rule of grammar, which would you choose?
English isn't my native language hence it'd feel presumptuous to consider changing grammar rules.
That said, language is a living, changing construct. These rules aren't set in stone and will change through (lack of) use over time or by some language keepers deciding on changed rules (as happened for German grammar during my lifetime). So, these rules may be there for a reason, but not forever.
@gahlearner@Saposcat I also find the dynamic quality of language fascinating. Changes in English over several hundred years mean we can still use numerous Shakespearean phrases verbatim, while some of his rhyming couplets...er...no longer rhyme.
As a native English speaker who can speak just enough German to procure a room and a hot meal, I'm curious...what changed in the language rules, and who has the power to effect that sort of change? The "language keepers" sound ominous. π
#WritersCoffeeClub 9: How would you write an online chat or text message conversation in your novel?
No one online chats in my books, apparently. You'd think Caeso might, but it still involves talking to people even with PCs in the way...
I have a couple of old, short prompt pieces from Alex and Milos and their SMS conversations though. I use bold text for the messages because I don't use it for anything else. I might use a different font if paperback publishing, but Alex doesn't text much...
@PaxAsteriae If you ever decided to update this one, I don't think you'd need to lose that bit about paying by the character for texts. It's a funny line whether or not you've ever paid for texts like that.
Pixley Falls. The weather was perfect and the hiking trails were amazing! The 50-foot waterfall is the main attraction, but there is also an abundance of smaller waterfalls dotting the mountain stream. https://youtu.be/Vnp2NZN38wo