Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[diamondpearl876]

I saw it via Reddit. Does anyone here know Korean?

EDIT: Can anyone help me with my Pixlr problem? No? Okay then...

I don't know Korean and I've never used Pixlr before, my apologies.

i don't speak korean, sorry.

anyway, a writing question: how should i write this interruption? which one of the following is better, or is there a better third way?

Spoiler

I bring the bag to the front door and begin dressing up.
“Why are you-”
Of course he has to interrupt again. I sigh loudly, not that it stops him.
“-dressing up so warm? You only need to go to the container.”

Spoiler

I bring the bag to the front door and begin dressing up.
“Why are you --”
Of course he has to interrupt again. I sigh loudly, not that it stops him.
“-- dressing up so warm? You only need to go to the container.”

the first one i guess is more consistent with how i do interruptions that don't continue, especially ones that cut off mid-word - but the second one is how i was taught to officially (in finnish, if that makes a difference, i hear some punctuation rules are different in different languages) break quoted text.

For future reference, your writing questions would fit better in the general writing questions thread, since this thread changes subjects so often and thus increases the chances of your question getting lost. And I... don't really know where I picked this version up, because it's not a common thing you really see in writing ever, but this is how I've always done it:

"Why are you"--of course he has to interrupt again. I sigh loudly, not that it stops him--"dressing up so warm? You only need to go to the container."

Your version looks better aesthetically and flows better, and I'm not sure if the version I posted is grammatically correct with two sentences in the middle.

 

[canisaries]

oh, sorry. i guess i just assumed general writing questions were more... well, general. that or i just forgot the place existed entirely. thanks for the input though!

 

[Nitro Indigo]

The subject of grammatical correctness immediately makes me think of this:

(Okay, this isn't the first time I've posted this video in this thread, but still.)

I've also recently been imaging publishing a book, and seeing what the translators do with it.

 

[diamondpearl876]

oh, sorry. i guess i just assumed general writing questions were more... well, general. that or i just forgot the place existed entirely. thanks for the input though!

The general writing thread fits a wide spectrum just like this general chat does, and one off questions like questions involving grammar issues can fit. At any rate, no worries - I just don't like to see writing questions get buried since people post so often here.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I guess people post here because the writing questions thread is slow?

 

[diamondpearl876]

Maybe! The likelihood of finding something to say here about anything in the world far outweighs the likelihood of posting questions about writing specifically. Because those threads are a bit slower, writing posts can get the focus and attention they deserve when they're posted.

On an unrelated note, I got some fandom t-shirts in the mail today. I'm 24 but I feel like a little kid on Christmas.

 

[canisaries]

my favorite shirt is a custom t-shirt i jokingly asked for and then my dad actually got it for me for christmas.
shirt in question: all black, except for the word "meme" written on it in white in all lowercase and comic sans
it was too big, but i use it as a pyjama
my memes will be my dreams

 

[Nitro Indigo]

There's this book called Oksa Pollock: The Last Hope which I got bored of reading a while ago, because it was so long and not much happened. Recently, I decided to flick through it, and...

Edefia has existed as long as the Earth, but it's a land protected by a solar mantle which cannot be seen by Outsiders. Why? Our findings suggest that the light inside moves faster than ordinary light. In Edefia, the barrier is impenetrable but visible because our eyes have genetically adapted to the amazing speed of the light which lends it a colour that none of us have ever encountered Outside. An unknown colour.

...This explanation honestly made me laugh.

(Also, it's a French book, but for some reason the first thing result comes up in the Goodreads search is the German version?)

 

[canisaries]

honestly i prefer any sci-fi explanation to be as vague as possible so i don't have to sit through ridiculous bs explanations. i'll take phlebotinum and magic over fakefacts™ any day
example: xurkitree is mentioned to "soak up electricity from the ground" or something of the sort and honestly that just makes my soul hurt

 

[Beth Pavell]

That's kind of why I always liked Warhammer 40K. Even when the stories took their own rules seriously - in terms of making internal sense - the "science" of the setting was unapologetically silly technobabble

 

[Nitro Indigo]

It's sort of like when My Little Pony fanfics keep talking about the various kinds of magic, and how it's inherent in the world and every life form's biology, and I'm just sat there thinking "what...?"

 

[AceTrainer14]

I do prefer it though when books reliant on a solid conclusion actually have a proper conclusion. I'm reading a book at the moment called Glow that has all these intricate, overly detailed metaphors for literally every single thing that gets described, but the revelations behind the central mystery were extremely tenuous. The author clearly put thought into the different parts of the story, but as a whole it makes for very weak connections.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I do prefer it though when books reliant on a solid conclusion actually have a proper conclusion. I'm reading a book at the moment called Glow that has all these intricate, overly detailed metaphors for literally every single thing that gets described, but the revelations behind the central mystery were extremely tenuous. The author clearly put thought into the different parts of the story, but as a whole it makes for very weak connections.

That kind of reminds me of how I feel about Cars 2: it has all the component parts to be good, but they were glued together incoherently.

I also prefer concise stories, where things happen for a reason and every plot point comes together in a way that makes you feel brilliant. It's why I like Harry Potter so much.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Don't forget about our collab contest - there are a few days left for people to enter!

 

[Time Breaker]

Oof... I had it in my mind all last week, and completely forgot for the last few days.

...Bah, who says 1000-4000 words can't be written in less than a week with school and all the pre-writing preparations and the proofreading? No pressure! I'll do it! I WILL!

 

[AceTrainer14]

Oof... I had it in my mind all last week, and completely forgot for the last few days.

...Bah, who says 1000-4000 words can't be written in less than a week with school and all the pre-writing preparations and the proofreading? No pressure! I'll do it! I WILL!

That's the spirit we like to see! Stories do not have to be intricate works of art or anything: some of the best short stories are simple snippets into other people's lives, the beauty of them defined by their mystery.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Unfortunately, 4000 words isn't enough to scratch the surface of the only subject I care to write about that fits the theme/criteria.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

Whenever I write short stories, I can only write faceless characters in nondescript places.

I realised earlier on today that my avatar, personal text, and signature are referring to three very different works of fiction, yet I still complain to myself that I don't like enough things. That's reassuring.

At the time of typing, my avatar is the awesome German cover of a fantasy-thriller(?), my personal text is a quote from the remake of a not-so-cute Japanese game, and my signature contains a quote from a fanfiction based on one of my guilty pleasures.

 

[Beth Pavell]

An overdue Long Walk chapter, Kanto: There and Back Again to keep going and an end-of-year essay - no time left over to write anything competition-worthy

 

[canisaries]

fun fact, i haven't actually read any lovecraft or even anything inspired by it

i just like cthulhumanoids a whole lot, i think cephalopods are really cute and cool when given human characteristics