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This week: What makes the story true to the period? Edited by: Storm Machine  
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Recently I read a submission for a writer's workshop. I had to mentally count though my mind to understand that it was most likely set in the 1870s with some attention to the fae brought into the story. I loved the deep theme and how it was carried out.
However, the story didn't know whether it was in present or past tense, and the names did not feel very common for the period. I felt a modern tone to the thing, and I had trouble getting involved within the story. My brain wrapped around the math and vocabulary and I couldn't enjoy the story properly.
Each period of time has its own words. Think back older movies, little things your parents or grandparents say, or even your children or grandchildren. I know in high school we said words that mean nothing, and those words have changed as I've gotten older. (Haven't heard anyone say Pshaw in years.)
But not only each period of time, we also have to take place into account. Are your characters educated? The education received, whether it would be an internship at a local factory or college education or domestic drudgery would give clues about your character's background. Is there a reason that they would know specialized words or have a vocabulary that isn't shared with the general populace? In one of Jacqueline Carey's novels, a bunch of people from different cultures with different languages were imprisoned within a zenana, so they formed a common language with bits of words from all within.
Every story has a unique voice and each character has a part to play within the story. Many of them will sound true to the period so the current characters can understand. But others will sound out of place, like time travelers. They might try very hard to fit in, but if someone drops a bunch of 'likes' in the 16th century, the natives will look at them oddly. "Like, you know, that one time when we, like, had all these people over?" Remember which characters you want to have that odd feel, and give them appropriate voices. The rest might want to blend in. |
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The Run-on King PDG Member 
You know I just loved that last line of yours about choices. That is so very true. I use my secondary chars as the "magic users" subject to the main characters whims.
When your dealing with aliens I tend to make the aliens more human and let the living computers do the "magic." After all their technology is so far advance it would be magic to us. Thus we would have a hard time understanding them as you pointed out. But the humanoid alien using them that has feelings does make it gel and come together in my universe. I just never realized why I paired the two together. It looks like for once I made some great choices.
You are right it would seem strange for a computer to tell these stories. It is more believable coming from a human, or a human like alien then a machine.
I did do a story from a dragons point of view. To get around the alien nature of dragons as a species, I had them transform into humans thus they have feelings as humans and can relate to the reader. Now I understand why I did it that way. Great article I learned quite a bit from it. Thank you for taking the time to show us these interesting things we need to do as writers!
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I love aliens and creatures, and making them into human form is one way to make them more relatable.  |
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Fantasy: November 26, 2014 Issue [#6638]
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