on writing: mammal brain getting the upper paw

[lagilman]

Sitting around last night waiting for my dinner companion, I pulled out my notebook and started playing around with a term in the book I knew I was going to have to replace [because it had all the wrong overtones]. I used the same method I use when coming up with titles, learned during years of packaging meetings (aka 'cover conferences'): I wrote down as many 'trigger words' as I could think of, in order to make my mind seize on one.

magic
retained
blood
spit (spittle)
bones
mage
sperm
condense
vital
(etc)

From the list, ideally, I'd connect and combine and be thus inspired.

While doing that, part of my brain chewed over what it was I needed the term to do -- what load of the story it was supposed to carry. What is the term describing? What does it do? What IS it, on more than a surface level?

That in turn brought me to another question: what does the presence of this term imply/signify about the culture? I thought I knew, but if the term changed, then maybe so did the significance? Words have power, after all...

and just like that I understood something about the culture that I hadn't before, and saw how it tied into the world as it was set up, and the motivations of the characters, and instead of two layers to the story, suddenly I had a third that wouldn't change anything that was done but deepened the motivations -- and the cost -- for doing it. One very large step closer to daylight.

I still don't have that new term, though. :-( That's on the docket for today.



Also, if you ever break a toe and have to get dressed and go outside? Cowboy boots. Spectacular protection.

Comments

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

::sigh:: I'm such a slave to the sexualization of my society. First thing I thought was, "uh, sperm mage? that would be interesting... surely there's a d&d porno about that somewhere..."

[lagilman]

I'm sure it's been done. And that's even before we start talking about Gor.


(personal magic and fecundity/virility discussions are sort of inevitable, really...)

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

It's very true, and besides (or perhaps because of) it makes a whole lot of logical sense for a sperm mage to exist (especially looking at the succubus as a potential threat for such a creature). Still, darn geek culture and it's destruction of what could by my innocence anyhow. ::grins::

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that for some reason you don't want to make up a new "slang" or a foreign word for this thing.

[lagilman]

Hrmm. You mean say "bahallth" and be done with it? One of the problems with that is "bahallth" means nothing to the reader on an intellectual or emotional level, requiring at least one explanation within the context, and therefore bringing it to awareness well before it should be in the readers' (or the characters') awareness. This needs to be a shiv, not a sledgehammer.

[lagilman]

*shakes head sorrowfully*

They're trigger words, people, that's all. If you can't move past that, we're never going to get anywhere....

[autojim.livejournal.com]

Okay... well, proceeding on the assumption that you haven't found the term yet... TRIGGER WORD SALAD! (Lightly tossed, with a lovely vinegarette):

Lymph
Ether (or Aether)
Essence
Vitae
Core
Centrum
Gravitas
Frame
Structure
Foundation
Bedrock
Anchor
Tether
Tension
Line
Path
Road
Lane
Channel
Flow
(skipping Current as that has its own definition in your universe)
Resistance
Friction
Heat
Radiant/Radiance
Emission/Emit

All stuff you have probably already sorted through, but what the heck, figured I'd throw a brief brain squall of words out. Maybe the answer is in there. Maybe the trigger for the answer is in there. Maybe none of the above. :)

[lagilman]

skipping Current as that has its own definition in your universe)

Different universe!

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

Ejacumancy!

(I'm ashamed to admit how much time I put into that stupid, stupid word.)

I have about two and a half weeks before I turn in my second book. Currently, I'm working on revisions, but once I email it away, I will be thrown into The Hell Of No Titles, which will be even worse than the hell book one put me through.

And I'm totally going to steal this technique.

I mean, I tried something like this for book one, but not so organized. So thanks.

[lagilman]

there is SO a story in that title...

Also: yeah, the technique is surprisingly useful. I find it works better with a partner-in-crime and a bottle of wine, too. Then again, most things do...

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

Weirdly, Google gives a "no documents found" when I run That Word through it.

My partner-in-crime brought home a bottle of "glow wine" which I have no idea what the hell it is. Maybe we'll give it a try tonight.

[autojim.livejournal.com]

Ahh, well, then the placeholder can become the actual word then. :D

You authors with all your crazy different universes. :D

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

We named the shop like that. Some of them had to be ruled out fairly fast, however. This is the problem when you do this kind of thing in a pub.

[spiritworld25.livejournal.com]

That's a great idea to get the mind to work out what it needs for a particular piece in the story. Happy to hear that you got the meaning that needed though not the word, that will come to you in another section perhaps. :)

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Yes, a good reason. Sorry I don't have a suggestion.

I suppose you could make a new word from one or more commonly-recognized Greek or Latin root words, or even modify an English word, if you don't find an existing word that works.