The Astra in Game 3 thread

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KnightRandom
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The Astra in Game 3 thread

Post by KnightRandom »

I have to say, I'm really, really enjoying these threads. They're very... old-school, in a good way. It's comparatively short and simple and based on the sense of wonder and feeling of discovery, which is a nice change from some of the more complex, novel-like stuff I've tended to write lately. (Though I've got some of that in the pipeline now that my finals are all over.) I particularly like the Tyger branch. Good job on the latest episode, Anableps.

Ib: While I've really enjoyed all your recent stuff, it's had one small flaw: there is a difference between "it's" and "its." Seeing them confused is like fingernails scratching on a blackboard for me and hurts otherwise good pieces of writing like "The bite of the elements sunk it's fangs deeper into her soul with each passing second." in episode 72236. (Spelling "though" as "tho" is perfectly fine and since it's kind of archaic actually fits the mood of this thread, tho.) Episode 71876 also suffers from this a bit. Could you correct them?

(And I'm sure there's a typo in this post somewhere, because posts correcting spelling and grammar always have errors in them somewhere.)
Hi! My name is Ib!
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Post by Hi! My name is Ib! »

Haha! Sure no problem, man. I'm always open to criticism and I will amend the problem! I aim to please! While I've always enjoyed your work, it HAS been fun collaborating with you lately.

Speaking of typos I've been reading some of the journals of Lewis & Clark lately. What a fascinating tale. The misspellings are exquisite. For instance,

"Ocian in view! O! The joy!"

There's a bunch of others but I can't think of them right now.
Hi! My name is Ib!
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Post by Hi! My name is Ib! »

And yes, Anableps, glad to see you're still here. You really bring the writing to another level and I've always really admired how any thread you're involved with takes on an aura of real gritty, well...REALISM. Maybe it's a British thing because JH has that same sensible touch.

I've been trying to catch up on the Checker's thread lately. Still have a ways to go. Real work of brilliance, Anableps. Seriously.

Hope you enjoy my latest addition to the "Tygre" thread. I'm starting to really have a great affection for all things 19th Century.

Did I get the "it's" right that time, KR? I went to a private school and had one of the strictest grammar teachers ever and yet I'm still a total dunce.
JH
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Post by JH »

Yes, you had the right "it's". :) It retains the apostrophe when it's short for "it is" but loses it when it's a possessive.

As far as I know, Anableps has no connection with Britain. He's certainly currently domiciled in the US.
JH
Anableps
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Spelling conventions

Post by Anableps »

JH is right - I have written most of these in North America. I use the Commonwealth spelling conventions in the medieval stories, or stories that obviously take place in Europe. In the rare cases where the action is obviously in North America, such as a Western, I will use either the Canadian or American conventions. (Which is why I used 'trunk' instead of 'boot' to describe the back part of a car in the "Thor meets Jules and Vinnie from Pulp Fiction" story. The story is set in New York.) I change the conventions primarily because it helps set a certain mood, certainly for myself, and I hope for the reader.

By the way, that is also why, if I have to use units of measure to describe something, I try to avoid the use of 'feet', 'meters', 'miles', or 'kilometers'. To me, those words seem to move the action to the modern world. If I can compare an object to something that exists in the character's world, then I prefer to do that. Otherwise I use 'paces' (about a yard/meter) or 'leagues' (about 5 km or 3 miles).

And, Ib, to let you in on a secret, while the UK is officially metric, Imperial units are still around, unless something has changed within the last two or three years. I found that out while driving from Sligo (Ireland) to Enniskillen (UK). In Ireland, all the speed limit signs are in km / hr. The border is unmarked, and the only signs on crossing were a traffic calming sign, and a big sign that said "30". I was disappointed - it was going a very slow trip to Enniskillen. Somewhat further down the road, there was another sign, notifying drivers that all distances were now in miles.
JH
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Post by JH »

Yes, all road signs in the UK are still in miles and mph. The other thing for whixh non-metric measures have been retained are beer and milk, which are still sold by the pint (and half-pint). That's the "Imperial" pint measure which is different from the US pint. (I think Americans call ourr pint a "long pint", but I could be wrong.) Otherwise we are officially fully metric, although people's heights are still almost always expressed in feet and inches and their weights in stones and pounds (one stone = 14 pounds).
JH
Hi! My name is Ib!
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Post by Hi! My name is Ib! »

Silly me!

In fact it WAS your spelling that gave me the assumption you were a blimey Brit.

Or something. I don't know. Your writing seems British, duuuude. It just...does. You must be lying. You're British as far as I'm concerned and I'm a stubborn Yankee and that's all she wrote, so there!

I'm really going to catch up with that checker's thread. Really cool stuff, man. Very subtle and believable, which makes the parts that are fantastic stand out even more.

English is a horrible language when it comes to the grammar of writing, THO. The spelling system is horrendous. You look at a language like Spanish and it all seems so simple. Very easy to read ( I should know I spent my entire 8th grade year in Nicaragua and attended school there). Yet Spanish is too long and drawn out when spoken, and takes too long to complete a basic thought at that. Which is why Spanish speakers talk so fast.

English as a SPOKEN language is actually quite simple and wonderful.

And wasn't America supposed to convert to the metric system decades ago? Whatever.

If inconsistencies in units of measurement were our biggest global problems right now then what a wonderful world it would be!!
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