A good friend of mine recently begged to read the first chapter of my wip. I have a harder time allowing my friends to read it, because in my vivid imagination, they're talking to each other behind my back and saying, "Have you read the crap April's writing? Gee, take a writing course and get clue." But that's not really the point of this post.
She was reading it and there's a part where my heroine thinks the hero is "yummy". She's in a food setting and it just seemed like an appropriate thought. My friend said, "I don't think I like that term in that context." And I thought... how many times have we been out and seen an attractive guy and said, "Yum!" But I said I'd give it some thought. When people give me criticism, I try not to react immediately, but to mull it over. That way I don't make any emotional decisions.
Then I started thinking about all the quirky phrases and terms I've read, used, and said over the years. Here are a few off the top of my head:
1. Brain Fart (you know when you're brain takes a break on you)
2. Yummy (apparently this is quirky;-))
3. I'm such a boob
4. Frickle Frat
5. Got my goose (ok, this one may be a southern thing)
And I wondered if these were terms that were particular to me. And I then I wondered if I used them in my writing would readers think... "huh?" So, I'm curious... Do you have any wierd phrases or terms you use and if so, would you use them in your writing?
April
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5 comments:
Hi April! I like yummy! I've just used it! So... :)
But I do know what you mean - I too try and take what one says and contemplate their words. For all sorts of reasons. Did they understand it totally or were they not able to read enough? Or were they 'reading' as a book/story or as a critic? (Big difference) Or are they just unfamiliar with it? Which is ok too.
I like little sayings/quirks - it gives the story a bit of you in it! Something that makes it unique from everyone else. And sometimes, I keep something in just because of this. Perhaps a way something was said. Yeah, I realize that it might not be proper language or my friend says hmmm, do you mean...? And I say yes or no. But...sometimes... I still keep it because, I hear it in real life and I want my characters to talk like real life - sometimes. :-)
So, have fun! And the world is always looking for new phrases and ways of saying/hearing things! You could start a whole new trend!!! Now wouldn't that be cool? *grin*
Cole
Sweetiesnooks, I use odd little terms all the time. It's my thang. (Like using "thang" instead of "thing". And, if I could get away with it, I'd use British comma usage, so I could end my sentence as in the previous, with the comma AFTER the quotation marks around "thing," which makes since to me. The comma in the quotation marks is stoopid. Oh, "stoopid" is also one of my "thangs.")
Although, I tend to say Yumsy rather than Yummy, as in the following: "Sean Bean is not only a terrific actor, he's YUMSY!"
And nutter for crazy. And I love the word "noggin" and try to use it often. And oogly. And horsepucky. And fugedaboutit.
Brain blip is the one I use, rather than brain fart, cause I loathe the word "fart." Ugh.
Oh, and I use Ugh a lot. :)
Mir
Since I write historicals, I try to be very conscious of what I say in them. :) Sometimes modernisms sneak in, though.
As for contemporary phrases that I use, I'm guilty of--"How cool is that?"
Great words! I didn't think yummy was out of place there. So I guess I'll forego her advice and leave it in there. Because he IS yummy.
I agree Mir, "fart" isn't the best word. But it's just how I feel sometimes :-). I use "noggin" too. Lots of great words there!
I guess "brain fart" wouldn't fit in a historical, huh, Michelle? :-). I overuse "cool" and "awesome" I guess it's a holdover from being an 80's child ;-)
Stacy, I'm not sure where your CP lives, but here in SC (not the best educational system) but we have French in our public schools. You have to take two years of foreign language and you usually get to pick from LAtin, French, German, and Spanish. Spanish seems most popular. But since I'd already taken 3 years of it in private school, I took French. Maybe it's not like that everywhere though :-)
I love "blubbered", Emma. I often feel like I'm doing that. Like, I'm blubbering my way through my wip :-).
Hi April,
Although I have loads of weird sayings, I try to keep most of them out of my books. It's a hard line to balance... you want the book to have wide appeal, but with enough flavor to be interesting and unusual. Too many unique sayings can be disconcerting for the reader... especially if the reader is from, oh, say Alaska and you're sayings are seriously Southern.
Steph
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