Quick Fire Questions (A Place to Ask and Answer)

[David Evil Overlord]

I like that one, Springs.

 

[subtletylost]

i like it to so I am totally taking it.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Cool.

Okay, possessive works of the devil...

the master is Sonly's master (don't ask, long story, but it makes sense in the context)
The voice is the master's voice:

"said Sonly’s Master’s voice"


Is that right? I'm sure it's advanced posessives and I've never passed basic.

 

[Ursa major]

That's fine, in terms of grammar, but is, inevitably, rather unwieldy.

On the assumption that you have a good reason for mentioning the voice** (e.g. Sonly's master is not present and there's no telephone call - or equivalent - in progress), you could try:

," said the voice of Sonly’s Master.

It still sounds rather awkward. Is there no way you could introduce this voice and its owner? For example:

She heard a voice echoing in the air above them.

"That's my Master," said Sonly.

After that, you've got a choice of :

"I've heard a good tip for the 2:30 at Doncaster," said the voice.

or

"I've heard a good tip for the 2:30 at Doncaster," said the Master.

** - As opposed to, say, his smell....

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The context is sonly's master is speaking to someone else - in the same room - but the person being addressed can't look at the master - so its quite close, a bit claustrophobic, so I need closeness not distance but it is distinctly clunky, as you say Ursa. The voice of sonly's master is better, though ty

 

[Ursa major]

If Sonly's master is in the room, why can't the speech tag just be:

," said Sonly's master.

The tag doesn't need to mention, let alone keep reinforcing, the fact that someone is not looking at the speaker. (In any case, the reader won't be able to work this out unless they're told; once they are, it needn't be mentioned except where the non-tag prose is being used to make a later point of it.)

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Yep good point - I think it was because the pov character is the person being spoken to but the only identfier is the voice that I thought it needed to be in there - otherwise how does he know.
Maybe "said a voice he recognised as Sonly's master" ?

 

[David Evil Overlord]

A suggestion, Springs.

Not knowing the characters, it's hard to judge. But if Sonly's master is the callous, autocratic bas***d who would easily fit into the expensive shoes of the CEO of some ethics-challenged corporation, perhaps you could show, not tell.

For example, if Sonly is extremely conscious of his own superiority to the POV character, and uses every opportunity to rub POV's nose in that fact, when the master speaks, Sonly apparently has the polarity on his personality reversed; Mr Arrogant Superiority becomes Mr Politely Subservient.

 

[crystal haven]

said a voice, all too familiar - Sonly's master.

This might be another possible way of doing it, if I'm understanding correctly. With your own words of course.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks, DEO, I like it, but it wouldn't work in this context.
Crystal, that's what I was trying to get to, I'll shamelessly steal that. The realise gives too much awareness to the pov character, yours is closer to what I wanted, I think.

 

[crystal haven]

Glad it helped - steal away.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Thanks, DEO, I like it, but it wouldn't work in this context.
Crystal, that's what I was trying to get to, I'll shamelessly steal that. The realise gives too much awareness to the pov character, yours is closer to what I wanted, I think.

Alas, I can't put it into context if I don't know the context.

 

[hopewrites]

maybe if you conned the text into accepting your context?

 

[Vertigo]

Ursa, Ursa all is fogiven!

 

[Ursa major]

Ursa, Ursa all is fogiven!

I almost missed that apology....

 

[hopewrites]

when adding a Motto to personal insignia, does it have to be in latin? I've been going rounds with google translate to get the meaning to what I want and feel some of the poetry is lost once i get the meaning right way round.


2) which do you like better?

Solum amor domare fera

or

love alone can tame the wild

 

[David Evil Overlord]

I don't think it has to be in Latin. That's just the way it's historically been done.

I expect Gumboot will be able to tell you more than I can.

P.S. Nice motto.

 

[Pyan]

French is used as well - the best known examples are probably the mottos on the Royal Arms: Dieu et mon droit - God and my right, and the Order of the Garter: Honi soit qui mal y pense - shame on you if you think evil (of it)

The Royal badge of Wales has the Welsh motto Pleidiol Wyf I'm Gwlad - I am true to my country, which you'll find on the edges of some pound coins as well.

Some of the Scots clans have mottos in the Gaelic: the motto of Clan MacNeil is Buaidh no Bàs - Victory or Death

So it doesn't have to be in Latin - it's just that (as DEO says), historically, most have been. Use whatever you think sounds best in the context.

 

[Hex]

One of my favourites is the Macpherson motto -- 'Touch not the cat bot a glove' (bot = 'without').

I liked your Latin version best, hope, but I didn't understand it.

Does anyone know how precious, ancient books were stored before plastic? Were they wrapped in material? I can't believe I don't know this, but I have absolutely no idea.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

How far back are you going, hex? 20th century, further, medieval?