Hello...
"Welcome to Mars!" --- Benny the cabbie
I am working on the sequel/additions to my book. I did 3200 words last night, not bad, but actually it was more then that, because a lot of it had to go in the appendixes, which I don't count in my word counts. Writing from Mars is difficult, because you have to not only invent an alien culture, but you have to do it in such a way that it is relateable and enjoyable to read, while feeling alien. Looking back, there are characters and dialouge that feel very 'normal' for English language speakers, and far too modern for the late 18th century. However, as their language would be translated to our language, their words would matter less then the connotations. In other words, if you had a wise-cracking Martian warrior, the translating from his language might be "Yo, what's up?" which is slang for us. Of course, since we don't have the actual transcript in his own tongue, it may be assumed that he was also using slang that was translated.
All of this of course transcends complications such as using terms that just don't fit. I remember reading "Dune" and seeing the term "will-o-the-sands" thinking "Oh no... that's so wrong." A will-o-the-wisp was a reference to a Celtic/Gaellic mythical creature that haunted the mists and fogs in Britian. It has since taken on the meaning of something that isn't realy there when you go to search for it. Thus, in Dune, the writer should not have used the term, because will-o-the-whisp makes no since in a world that doesn't know Gaellic. Or he could have assumed that the reader would know the term and enough said, but don't try to mix it in like that, because it looks clunky and choppy. Will-o-the-sands... if the people on Arakis don't know the mists, they don't know the rest of the reference. That's all there is to it.
Still in all, as I write, I have to be aware that animals are different ("You dog!" that would not not apply). So that needs to be changed to "You scum", which makes more sense on a planet that has no dogs. Changing "Men and Women" to "Males and Females" makes more sense. But even though it is a matriarichal society changing "By the gods!" into "by the goddesses" feels wrong. If I'm using an English term, I need to stick with it. "By the gods" is a term used to mean "Oh crap" or something like that... if I want to mean like "Amen" then I change it to reflect that.... and so forth).
The section on Mars I've worked on is now about 8000 words, which is a good start. But I have been fleshing things out slowly, and not recently. Yesterday I was inspired, something I largely attribute to getting my music to work again (and praise to John Williams, the greatest composer of the first, second and third milleniums... so far).
For those of you interested, I may forward on a chapter or so for your perusal. Luckily, at this time, though I am working with new characters and concepts, the worlds and places are all protected under copywright, so that's good news. But these chapters are previously unprinted and therefore unread, not reworked materials, so it will be new writing.
Please let me know if anyone is interested in seeing anything... and I hope everyone is doing well.
I apologize for my long hiatus
peace
joe
I am working on the sequel/additions to my book. I did 3200 words last night, not bad, but actually it was more then that, because a lot of it had to go in the appendixes, which I don't count in my word counts. Writing from Mars is difficult, because you have to not only invent an alien culture, but you have to do it in such a way that it is relateable and enjoyable to read, while feeling alien. Looking back, there are characters and dialouge that feel very 'normal' for English language speakers, and far too modern for the late 18th century. However, as their language would be translated to our language, their words would matter less then the connotations. In other words, if you had a wise-cracking Martian warrior, the translating from his language might be "Yo, what's up?" which is slang for us. Of course, since we don't have the actual transcript in his own tongue, it may be assumed that he was also using slang that was translated.
All of this of course transcends complications such as using terms that just don't fit. I remember reading "Dune" and seeing the term "will-o-the-sands" thinking "Oh no... that's so wrong." A will-o-the-wisp was a reference to a Celtic/Gaellic mythical creature that haunted the mists and fogs in Britian. It has since taken on the meaning of something that isn't realy there when you go to search for it. Thus, in Dune, the writer should not have used the term, because will-o-the-whisp makes no since in a world that doesn't know Gaellic. Or he could have assumed that the reader would know the term and enough said, but don't try to mix it in like that, because it looks clunky and choppy. Will-o-the-sands... if the people on Arakis don't know the mists, they don't know the rest of the reference. That's all there is to it.
Still in all, as I write, I have to be aware that animals are different ("You dog!" that would not not apply). So that needs to be changed to "You scum", which makes more sense on a planet that has no dogs. Changing "Men and Women" to "Males and Females" makes more sense. But even though it is a matriarichal society changing "By the gods!" into "by the goddesses" feels wrong. If I'm using an English term, I need to stick with it. "By the gods" is a term used to mean "Oh crap" or something like that... if I want to mean like "Amen" then I change it to reflect that.... and so forth).
The section on Mars I've worked on is now about 8000 words, which is a good start. But I have been fleshing things out slowly, and not recently. Yesterday I was inspired, something I largely attribute to getting my music to work again (and praise to John Williams, the greatest composer of the first, second and third milleniums... so far).
For those of you interested, I may forward on a chapter or so for your perusal. Luckily, at this time, though I am working with new characters and concepts, the worlds and places are all protected under copywright, so that's good news. But these chapters are previously unprinted and therefore unread, not reworked materials, so it will be new writing.
Please let me know if anyone is interested in seeing anything... and I hope everyone is doing well.
I apologize for my long hiatus
peace
joe