The Writer's Mailbag: Installment 205

Useful and interesting information as always. Thank you.

Bill

I'm working on instalment 3 of my 'Scorpion' series, and I'm planning a historical fiction (possibly cum Romance but we'll see how well I write that).

That'll keep me busy for a while, and I'm glad you agree that slang should be in fiction, I was writing some today, but trying to tone it down so that people would understand without losing the 'flavour'. Not easy, but so worth it.

I was very interested in your discussion of slang since I taught for a short period of time once at an English language school abroad. I looked up American slang to go over with the students some phrases they might not be familiar with and I was amazed at what is considered slang, terms like cop, freebie, glitch. I could go on and on, so many words and phrases that we take for granted are not known to non-native English speakers, but it would be hard to write, especially fiction, without using these terms. See what I mean here. http://www.manythings.org/slang/slang4.html

Oh dear! Now I also have that Bugle Boy of Company B reverberating in my head. I also heard that catchy tune in the 50s when I was a child.

It is interesting to see what questions pop up each week and reading your responses to them.

It's amazing that so many first-time questions continue to come up. May the well of unanswered questions never run dry.

I love the one about using slang. I recently read a non-fiction book where the author fluctuated between using formal terms and commonplace slang. It seemed to be a bit contradictory in tone.

It's always a learning experience to visit here.

WEll, Bill. I finally got here. Later is better than not at all, but not as good as sooner. Anyway, thanks for another week of information. It is amazing how after all this time you still get first-time questions. Carry on, my friend!

Great info as usual. Thanks for another mailbag, Bill.

Hi Sir billy you are indeed a fountain of wisdom :) You have answered one of the questions in my heart :) i just wanted to know that is it normal to have fear when your plot for a novel thickens and that I feel afraid of writing altogether as those around me think that its my own experience? I think fear is the one that keeps me back from moving forward with my writing :( Don't know how to let go of that one ...

Bill, thanks for your replay about the chickens. I appreciate that, my friend. Were you able to successfully integrate the picked-on chicken back into the flock without them being abused again? We are worried about that, and she has become my special little pet.

"what are you working on lately?" - I got to prepare a presentation for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of this month, trying to persuade them to shut down a nuclear power plant that's been built in the 1960s and it's past its due date. (It's also very close to my house lol)

"That just seems polite, you know?" - Yes, indeed. It seems polite, in my opinion to say (when meeting someone face to face): "Hello, good (insert time of day here: morning, day, afternoon, evening, night), how are You?" Or, if we're on friendlier terms: "Hey, how You doin'?"

The more we sit in front of a computer screen and less facing each other, the more we will lose social skills, etiquette, traditions, etc. We live in interesting times. That I will admit.

"I think that comes from being an introvert but also from being curious by nature." - So, how You like being an introvert? As one myself, I actually enjoy it quite a lot. I tend to entertain myself well enough and I can go on for long periods of time without the need for any interaction with other humans. I always talk to animals and birds, even rocks. So, I'm never really alone anyway.

"My responsibility to myself is to write the absolute best novel, or story, I am capable of writing at that moment." - When I write: "I put my heart on paper". That's how I always phrase it because that's what writing means for me.

Instead of being interrogated, someone received the “third degree.” - See, I didn;t know this one. Thank You for sharing. Since English is my third, or even fourth language and since I am not much interested in popular culture, I often miss-out on certain slang terms, or name refrences.

" I’m wondering if I should use names of real people from that time?" - Always remember: "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." It is just that simple lol

Thank You for your piece of writing here. Always good words and things to learn here. All the best with those chickens and all!

Until again : )

Happy that you are still writing here on Hub Pages! It has been a long time since I've visited HP and would guess that the platform has evolved, hopefully in a positive manner, a lot since my last visit. Anyway thank you for being here, I've always enjoyed your content. I am in Puerto Vallarta for now and am looking forward to having this time to focus on my writing!

What am I working on? Not nearly enough. Besides the articles I write for HP I have been working on editing the novels and novellas for the publishing house I work for. But I haven't been getting enough of my own fiction out. Seem to have lost the drive - I imagine it will come back eventually but I need to push it. Thanks for asking. So what's going on with you? I know you told us but keep up updated. Thanks for another informative and interesting article.

Great to see new questions still entering the mix.

What am I doing? Reading more about positivity, encouraging my coconut trees to grow faster and working on designing more products.

Sadly the writing has taken a backseat for the near future.

Regarding using slang, I love to read it, write it and use it in conversations. It keeps the English language evolving.

Hope your week is going well.

Very intelligent questions. I think we do our best to communicate ... to reach peoples' mind and hearts. Some are quite receptive, others take what they need and the third group finds us impossible.

Perhaps this is why the Buddha said: "Don't even believe in me. I'm happy that you have come. If I say something that you find useful, then use it. If not, let it go."

What am I doing? I give motivational talks to kids who seem to have been abandoned by the system. I try to inspire hope.

I talk to others who can afford to travel to an expensive hall and I ask the Divine to give me the opportunity to be of service. Like you, Bro. Like you.

It certainly is amazing that you received two first-time questions for the 205th edition of the Mailbag! As to what I'm working on, I'm updating an article, which I've almost finished doing, and thinking about my new one, which is about one third done.

It's been a busy time for me, Bill, thanks for asking. Trying to source some parts for our replacement vehicle so I can have the air conditioner repaired, also working on renovating the kitchen so there is a doorway onto the back balcony instead of just a sliding window.

Trying to squeeze some writing in around that and other everyday occurrences. Loved that you finished up with The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B. Thanks a lot, now I can't get it out of my head.

Hi Bill. So what am I working on? Other than my day job, working in my garden, and other duties around the house I am writing 2 new hubs. One is about a day trip we made to NYC a few weeks ago and the other is about a stop in Washington DC while driving from Florida to Massachusetts. At the rate I am progressing it will be a few weeks before either is completed, but at least I have a few in the works. Have a great week.

Hi, Bill, I'm doin' fine, thankee. You? Oh, I think you told us first. Great questions this week. I say if the slang fits, wear it! But only if you are using a dialect or if the slang is very common. I sometimes have problems understand slang of furriners, especially from Brooklyn or New Jersey. And never never in formal writing. Would you believe that my coworkers and I occasionally had to correct slang written by bill drafters?

Facts in fiction? Just the facts, ma'm, if it's historical fiction, but otherwise, hey, it's fiction, isn't it? I believe it is entertaining to have a little fun. That's why I like science fiction and fantasy, and other people like romance novels.

Me? I'm still trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear of that book I'm editing and rewriting for a relative of mine with a doctorate. I'm beginning to wish I'd never taken on that project. I'm also watching my new chickens grow up. My little Chickadee has been a problem from the gitgo. She's had to have extra attention because she is a couple of weeks younger than the rest, and now the others have pulled out all her tail feathers. Poor baby. She's now isolated in our atrium and she's lonely and calls for the rest of her flock. It's a pity that even among the animals, the abused look to their abusers for companionship.

I like the question about the writers' responsibilities to themselves. Without giving it the deep thought it deserves (I'm sure I'll keep thinking about it) I'd say it is partly to clear your mind about the issues life stuffs inside you). Makes a good topic, actually.

Another super-duper mailbag! Color me "editing". Updating and revising all 202 hubs to keep these babies fresh. Oh, and yes, just about ready to send you the revisions you requested for chapter 1. Ran into a block or two trying to be creative. Seems like I'm either on a roll, or nothing at all.

Love you Bill,

Audrey

Happy Mailbag Monday! How ya doin'? See how I asked how you were and used slang? :)

Anyhow...

Re: Handling the Truth. I see so many books that just scare the living daylights out of me in terms of storytelling or, should I say, kiss-and-tell. I advise authors that risks exist, and tell them to see a lawyer before publishing.

Re: Cockygate Update. Remember that nonsense about the author who trademarked the word "cocky" and wanted all other romance authors who used it to be banned from Amazon, etc.? Well, a judge denied the motion by the author, saying it was a common word. There's a great article update on it on Publishers Weekly if you want to check it out. Dang! There goes my plan to trademark the word "the." :-D

Working on another manuscript critique this week. So gotta go. Cheers!

My day did not start well as I was provoked to anger by a very simple comment. The party has started in our lake and I just can't find time to write or do things I need to do given the many visitors we have had and will have so I blew up. Just to let off some steam as the busy time has started. Now, I am sitting down and reading the mailbag and I feel more relaxed.

About the writers' responsibility, I agree about accuracy in non-fiction but even there, many writers highlight some things by picking only those facts that prove strongly what they want to say. What happens though is even when two people were at the same event, their truth could differ. My sister and I surprised ourselves when we had a different memory of the colour of our first car.

Yes, you were on the top of your game, today, Bill! Really feeling good, really answering well! What fun!! ;-)

To answer the question: I'm on a roll with two posts a week. Trying to keep both lines going, at the same time. Don't know how long it will last, but starting a new one this week, so we will see... ;-)

Hi Bill - Two 'firsts' for questions, those are long odds at this point in your long running series. Happy Monday.

Aw, awesome mailbag. As for me, I have been so busy today working on two different sponsored posts I will be sharing soon on my blog. And pretty much trying to get ahead as summer vacation looms for my girls. So, I want to try to get as ahead as I can to spend some lazy, summer days with them. Happy Monday now, Bill :)

Great mailbag as always Bill. Per Eric's question, for research, I do prep and research as well--via online mostly. I do email and phone interviews and send snail mail if possible.Books and magazines are good to get facts right. For Robert, I'm with you on your answer. My responsibility is to write a good novel, edit it until it shines, and get it down on paper or on the screen for publication. As for Sarah, she could answer people permission to use their names or change their names since it's nonfiction.

Bill, I really enjoyed this one. Your good mood is infectious.

What am I doing? Writing two hubs per week (the Monday Q&A plus 1 more, of which I have 7 in reserve), garden (pulling the annuals that are spent and weeding the perennial beds (they take up about 1/4 acre, estimate), hand-quilting a new hanging for the entryway, and making a going-away gift for our Pastor and his family who are moving to Houston.

One part of slang that we fail to consider is contractions. Our language is so dependant on them, but they are difficult for ELS to comprehend. I am struggling (in my spare time) to write a novel that takes place over 2,000 years ago. No contractions allowed. Not easy.

Oh, and thanks for the ear-worm. I had successfully removed Bugle Boy from my head, and you've started it up again!

Very interesting mailbag with great questions, this week also.

I always respond to questions or greetings by reciprocating, just like you. That's the good culture that we dwell in.

I admire the questions from Eric and Robert. I think all writers might be doing a little bit of research at least through various means, not necessarily through the internet. And, we as writers try to present a good stuff that is quite worthy to the readers.

And, your advice to Sarah is great to avoid quagmires.

Wonderful advice this week! And since you asked, it's not writing related, but your mention of the Whitesnake video a few weeks ago, gave me the inspiration to create a new yoga challenge. Thank you so much! I'm pretty excited about it! I hope you are enjoying your summer!

You do make an excellent point what I am working on is both of my blogs that is why I haven’t been here much. My fitness blog and my limitless stories are taking up all of my time even when people don’t think it is I am still plugging away and will get where I need to go eventually. This is a great mailbag

That question of how people are does seem like mere small talk and people attempting to sound polite. In customer service, I see it every day. I don't always respond back because I am usually at the drive thru in a fast food place multi-tasking orders with taking cash. It gets tricky sometimes to keep up with it all and listen to both folks at the same time and make it at least seem like they have my undivided attention. And in general, it doesn't feel like most folks really mean it. The world is moving so fast these day with the technology and all that people hardly take time to interact with strangers anymore in person. Or so it seems to me. And with casual friends, it seems the same. Busy lives and hard to show that we really care. Shoot, sometimes with very dear friends, too. Have to deliberately make the time.

What am I doing? Practically the same things as last time we talked. LOL. It's always busy around here lately. Working. ..babysitting...attempting to file a court intervention. . . Trying to find time to write and to keep this apartment clean. Obviously cleaning comes first, but ... ugh. That means no time for me most of the time!

Speaking of babysitting, your first question reminded me of one kid around here I didn't exactly babysit, but he came over to play a lot. He just moved, but he always had me playing 20 questions. The strangest line of questioning, too. You know how with young kids, especially around preschool age, one question triggers an avalanche of more until you are buried in questions before long. LOL. The other day, it went a little like this with two four year olds: Shannon, why do we bleed? Shannon, why do we need blood? How do we stop bleeding. How long will it take for it to go away? Why did the grass cut me? So on and so forth. . . .And then a couple days later: Shannon, why do rats bleed? . .. Yes, he questioned about rats. The kid knows more than most kids his age! He's into dinosaurs and all kinds of animals. He's totally ready for preschool.

You make an interesting point, bill. Whenever I ask people how they are doing, they keep walking. I get the feeling that they are so used to people saying it and not meaning it that responding seems like a waste of time.

Happy Monday Bill!

Keeping it brief today, but enjoyed today's bag. I wish I had more to report on the writing front, but haven't been actively writing for a few months now. But, hoping to fix that now that my busiest time is over at work. Enough with the excuses! :)

Hope you have a great and productive week!

Yes we have responsibility to ourselves to be the best we can at that moment, or probably during the proof-read of that moment! What's the point in writing if it's not our best?

I agree with you about slang, apart from a humorous piece perhaps. I think of slang as just an alternative, albeit lazy, word for something rather than an idiom. For example, 'It's an old car' becomes 'It's an old banger'.

What am I doing? I'm writing a story inspired by a book I'm reading at the moment (from our book club). It's a mixture of an idea that came to me as I looked up from my book onto my just-finished garden yesterday, and my memoirs. It'll probably take years in the making but that depends on how much spare time I need! The house is nearing the completion of its renovation so that might be quite soon - I hope.

Mondays are for mates; thanks for being one of mine, bill!

Ann

Slang.. I really agree and believe your answer and approach to that question...oh wait.. hows your day going... don't answer... I really don't care...LOL... joking was trying to get you to snap.. oh and Eric's question.. he's a know it all... Bill I enjoyed this week's bag... honestly

The question about the name made me think of a neat online tool I ran into the other day. It was a random name generator. Enter the gender and it would generate a name for you and some biographical details you could use (or not). If you didn't like what you got, just give it another go. I thought it would be much better than leaving it to the old imagination that might have unwitting preferences.

To answer to your question, I'm working on several playlists in parallel, my daughter is graduating from high school, am getting ready for a trip to Peru, and am getting ready to write a collection of ghost stories.