Quick Fire Questions (A Place to Ask and Answer)

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Checking with Mr Springs, who has a small bit of knowledge - stressing small - out of the sunlight, we think they would have used dark paper, or material like linen (don't think they would have used leather), and pretty sure they'd have had gloves when reading them. If you think of some of the university libraries from that era, that might give you an indication; specific storage rooms for collectables etc etc. Not sure how helpful that is...
 
David Evil Overlord said:
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.
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Mottos can be in any language you want. Although, if you want it to feel really authentic you shouldn't have a motto at all.

The more extra "stuff" a coat of arms has (crest, supporters, motto) the more likely it's fake/a modern invention. With the exception of a few very elite examples (such as the British Royal Family and the Order of the Garter), most really old coat-of-arms don't feature any of that stuff; they're just a shield (under UK laws of Heraldry the motto does not form part of the blazon (which is the actual legal armorial bearings) and can be changed at whim).

Another thing to contemplate is that once mottos started to become more popular (which is basically once heraldry stopped serving it's original functional purpose and became primarily decorative) the early genuine mottos tended to be word plays (called canting mottos), based on the name of the family. For example the Earl of Onslow's motto is Festina lente which is a Classical adage meaning "Make Haste Slowly", and a play on "On-Slow".

Of course, all of this only applies to European heraldry. If you're talking a fantasy setting all rules can be ignored or replaced with your own, so do what you like.
 
Fishii, unless your online readers know about Chrons then you have nothing to worry about. The sections posted will be small sections only and not a whole finished work, so I can't see a problem.
 
Question. In the case of the use of "said" and nouns, is the order a matter of style or is it a matter of differences between American and British English? Or something else?

I.e. this:

"I fell down the stairs," Bill said.
"I fell down the stairs," said Bill.
 
Been raised on my most recent critique and answered by two senior members whose comments I highly value, discussed with examples. Hope that helps you AC.
 
I and most other authors vary it. Sometimes it reads better one way and sometimes another. Often it makes no difference. It can be a matter of personal style if you want to make it so, but there's no UK/US difference as far as I know.
 
What about if you have dialogue between two people that goes on for a while?

he said
she said
he said
she said
he said
she said

etc. When do you start dropping the saids if at all, and how do you reintroduce them neatly when say a 3rd character butts in or you want to start adding some extra bits like 'he scoffed, turning his nose up at the idea..' ?

Or the other one is phone calls where the POV character is listening to someone make a call, so they (and the reader) can only hear one side of the conversation?
 
they say said is an invisible word, like and. My take on it, and I do have a lot of 3 way conversations that need designators is enough we can follow who says what to who (but I do use way too many saids.... Also, sometimes instead of a said, an action.
"What was that?" James got up to look out of the window.
"No idea," said Springs.
James sat back down. "Can't be important."
Telephone calls are a nightmare. Avoidance is my usual tactic :D
 
I've got a WIP that has this problem, James. A young couple arguing, and much of their arguing is first draft, which means mostly or totally dialogue. There are sections where I have no he said, she said. I'm working on clearing that up in the second draft, with the POV character slipping in some observations on how it's all so not her fault, and all his fault.
 
James Coote said:
What about if you have dialogue between two people that goes on for a while?

he said
she said
he said
she said
he said
she said


etc. When do you start dropping the saids if at all, and how do you reintroduce them neatly when say a 3rd character butts in or you want to start adding some extra bits like 'he scoffed, turning his nose up at the idea..' ?
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I would stop reading if an author did this. I doubt there are any straight rules of when to have "said," and when not to. Try on saying the sequence out loud, and ask yourself if it flows well or if it should be mixed up. I usually make it clear with one having "said," and one "replied," before just moving on with out it. I believe the dialogue flows better overall. If a third character comes in then you mix everything up by using some said, replied, yelled, whispered, or just have that person talking to a specific person.

"Ryan, why are you sick" asked Mike.
"I looked at your mom."
"She does that to you too," Matt replied with a smirk.
"Real funny, guys," Mike said before slamming the car door shut.

James Coote said:
Or the other one is phone calls where the POV character is listening to someone make a call, so they (and the reader) can only hear one side of the conversation?
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Give the readers a little hint and they can figure it out. Most people know that if you overhearing a phone conversation that it usually is one sided, unless stated otherwise.
 
fishii said:
If you are self publishing does it really matter how much or how little you put on the internet for critiquing?
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If you mean this in regards to exposing your content, than I can't imagine that it would matter.
 
I meant more when you get to the 23rd asked/queried/questioned/enquired in a quick fire conversation (obviously not just using boring old said) and you've run out of alternative ways to say asked or replied or whatever. Or should I not have dialogue that runs for more than a dozen lines without a longer sentence, or description or something thrown in to break it up?
 
I used to have unbroken chains of dialogue, and the feedback that came back to me, James, was it needed action to break it up. It doesn't need to be a break in the dialogue scene, but the movements that occur when we're speaking; he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. She set down her glass. The phone rang, but he was on his mobile. that sort of thing. Otherwise, it becomes a little static.
 
Hex said:
One of my favourites is the Macpherson motto -- 'Touch not the cat bot a glove' (bot = 'without').
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Ours is short and to the point: Fortiter et Recte - With Strength and Right

And as I'm always right*, it's accurate, too...:D






* And modest, to boot...
 
I have two nations in my fantasy WIP. The main is based on england, the second is based off of the Aztec. The time frame is Victorian. I give names based off of the Nahuatl language but only two characters are in the actual story. One of the characters is a child fighter from a small town that was destroyed by civil war, he joined a group that he thought was fighting for his village revenge. Do you think it would be cheap, lazy, or off if he spoke English? Any advice on having the two speak the same language but different culture?
 
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