Acronyms and Abbreviations

[Dan Jones]

In my WIP (sorry, I mean, Work In Progress), I've got a scene between two civil servants. One of them mentions to the other that he's doing some some work for the CSA.

Now, anyone want to have a stab at what the CSA is?

No?

It's the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor. Now, in civil service circles (in which I, er, revolve) no-one would ever actually say "I'm doing some work for the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor." They'd say, of course, "I'm doing something for the CSA." It's a known quantity.

But what about when I'm writing something and want the dialogue to remain realistic in this sense, but am endangering alienating or confusing the reader? What to do?

Just to mention, I have mentioned the fact that the CSA is the Chief Scientific Advisor earlier in the piece, but it's the sort of thing that could get forgotten.

Advice, please!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ah. Well, it's also the Child Support Agency. So, Houston, you might have a problem. Anyhow, it happened to me a lot, especially in Inish Carraig because my darn readers didn't speak Norn Irish. Context is everything here. Or, even, whisper it, the occasional info dump. Just the occasional one.

 

[Droflet]

Yep, DG, I've had this problem myself. DPT's. What are they. Defensive Pulsar Turrets of course. It's where and how you place the info. If I said, DPT's without reference or context it would have the readers running to Google.Placement and context good sir.

 

[Brian G Turner]

When using acronyms, it can be helpful to give the full term first, then the acronym directly after, to provide a context.

For example:

"The Chief Scientific Advisor is on his way."
"What's the CSA want?"

 

[tinkerdan]

I try to mention it in narrative somewhere where I can say ESP ( Extra Sensory Perception) [this might pull some people out of the story] or at least give it a full mention in one sentence and the abbreviated version later.

Since mine show up a lot when they show up at all I usually revisit the whole name at seemingly random points to break up the overuse of the acronym and to remind the reader. There was a point through beta's that I had readers complaining that I had enough acronyms that they kept forgetting what they meant. So trying to cement those into the readers head early on doesn't work well enough if you have a large number of acronyms for them to remember and you may have to remind them now and again.

 

[Dan Jones]

Well, it's also the Child Support Agency.

Well there you go, that reinforces my point exactly.

Ok, thanks chaps. Context is everything I suppose. To be fair we know the characters are working on a new robotics programme, so it's more likely to be Chief Scientific Advisor than Child Support Agency (although one can never entirely rule it out...).

I suppose I'll have to slip it into dialogue somehow and hope it's not too clunky.

Thanks, A-Team

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Yes, NRA here is National Roads Authority, Not National Rifle Association.

CSA to me goes with DIN, UL, IS, BSI, CE etc as I used to design Electronics. You always need the thing in full 1st time unless totally unambiguous to everyone (i.e. USA, NASA)

 

[StuartBurchell]

I am writing military science fiction and i mix the abbreviations with the full exposition, but with, say the rank PO, in speech it's PO or WO but in the actual text explain it from time to time, like 'Petty Officer Bell reported.' or 'The Warrant Officer acknowledged.' Ranks are fairly easy to remember, so most times I use the abbreviation but something like SOM or FAC needs to be spelled out first and often enough without sounding like you are hammering it into your subconscious. (Surface to Orbit Missile and Fast Attack Craft)

 

[Tim Murray]

In my WIP (sorry, I mean, Work In Progress), I've got a scene between two civil servants. One of them mentions to the other that he's doing some some work for the CSA.

Now, anyone want to have a stab at what the CSA is?

No?

It's the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor. Now, in civil service circles (in which I, er, revolve) no-one would ever actually say "I'm doing some work for the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor." They'd say, of course, "I'm doing something for the CSA." It's a known quantity.

But what about when I'm writing something and want the dialogue to remain realistic in this sense, but am endangering alienating or confusing the reader? What to do?

Just to mention, I have mentioned the fact that the CSA is the Chief Scientific Advisor earlier in the piece, but it's the sort of thing that could get forgotten.

Advice, please!

I use them in Thumar. I generally spell out the words the first couple of times I use them. IE: Alliance Special Op's, then I feel comfortable using ASO's later on. I hope that helps. Happy Writing!

 

[Ursa major]

I suppose I'll have to slip it into dialogue somehow and hope it's not too clunky.

What you need is the presence of a character in that** conversation who doesn't know who or what the CSA*** is.


** - Or in a conversation not too much earlier in the story than this one.

*** - My guess would be that it's Confusion about Several Acronyms...

...or Confusion about Similar Acronyms....

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

And just to add, here in New Zealand CSA is Community Supported Agriculture which will be the first thing most farmers a food sellers will think of. Though we also have a Chief Science Advisor - Peter Gluckman - who keeps popping up on the idiot box but is never referred to as a CSA.

My thought is that acronyms are always a risk, and as a writer you always stand on the razor's edge with them,balancing precariously. On one side if you fall you risk upsetting the readers who think you're insulting their intelligence by telling them what an acronym they already know stands for. On the other side you risk confusing them as they forget.

I would suggest that the better option is to explain the acronym without actually explaining it. (I haven't had my morning coffee yet so that might explain my words!) But think of something like the FBI. Pretty much everyone in the western world knows who or what they are. There's no need to explain the acronym. But say a large proportion of the world didn't know what it stood for, then why not go for slang? Eg:

"I'm with the FBI!"

"Oh, so you're not just a pig you're a federal pig!" was the reply.

Now from reading this exchange the reader knows the FBI is law enforcement without you having to tell them what the acronym stands for.

In some of my books I've used multiple agencies which I suspect most people would recognise, but used this device or similar. For example DOD or Department of Defence, I've often simply shortened to "Defence". NSA or National Security Agency I used a throwaway line for which I think went something like:

"So what does National Security want with me?"

And where you make up an agency eg: Department of Yesterday - for a time travel enforcement agency, make up a nick name like "time cop"?

Cheers, Greg.

 

[TitaniumTi]

Could you refer to the CSA by his name?
As a parallel, I can imagine a US civil servant of the 1990s would have said he'd been seconded to work for Greenspan, rather than seconded to work for the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States.

Alternatively, can you give the CSA (or his department) a nickname -- the Cassies , perhaps?

 

[Loren]

Central Sewage Authority?

I would find a creative way to weave in the definition somewhere in the text if putting it in the dialog is clumsy.

 

[Foxbat]

It's also the Confederate States of America.

 

[Luiglin]

I'm having a similar problem, although not with abbreviations but military ranks. Trying to provide the reader with enough to work out the names in connection to real world ranks without some stupid infodump was a nightmare.

 

[Loren]

Just read a passage in a book where the author was faced with the same issue. His solution was to write it within a character dialog as follows:

"There's not much he doesn't know about Insert Your Acronym Here — the man practically wrote the book on IYAH."

The actual acronym used in the book is a real one, but clearly obscure. In this way he can educate his reader without losing them. There are other creative ways you could resolve the problem, but this is just one of them and it doesn't have to be within a dialog.

I have read fiction books where acronyms are defined in a glossary at the back of the book, too.

 

[StuartBurchell]

I'm having a similar problem, although not with abbreviations but military ranks. Trying to provide the reader with enough to work out the names in connection to real world ranks without some stupid infodump was a nightmare.

A glossary does seem the best way to deal with your problem.

David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series, sometimes also gives a character list as well.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I have read fiction books where acronyms are defined in a glossary at the back of the book, too.

I think that can be terrible ... even in non-fiction. Breaks flow.

although not with abbreviations but military ranks. Trying to provide the reader with enough to work out the names in connection to real world ranks

Perhaps then it's too complicated. Is it entertaining fiction or a treatise on a better way to organise military hierarchy? It's accepted and largely unsaid that almost all SF & F not set on Contemporary Earth is a "translation". Most Historical fiction earlier than 18th C. isn't representative of how people really spoke either, though it will have real titles and ranks as used at the time.
In one Alien SF series the society has zero connection with Earth and their "mediaeval" age was perhaps 6000 years ago. Yet Western European Mediaeval titles for governmental / civil service rank (sometimes with Chinese equivalents translitterated) and limited number of English ranks used for security/police/military equivalent. The fiction is that the Aliens choose these English equivalents for English, as most conveying the same idea. One or two titles don't really have the same meaning exactly, but that's obvious in context.

I think making up ranks and titles needs to be very well done and self evident to avoid detracting from story. There needs to be a minimum of less familiar acronyms. The old Len Deighton (lesser known security agencies) or Terry Pratchett footnote method works badly in eBooks where they become essentially a hyperlinked single glossary that breaks flow of reading even worse than a footnote on the page.

Worldbuilding is fun but needs to be a hidden structure supporting the story and not intrude.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Also relevant
http://xkcd.com/483/
(hover mouse)
Randell Monroe says unless you are Lewis Carroll or Tolkien you are allowed five made up words per story.

 

[Luiglin]

The WiP is fantasy based and while ranks are included they only cover a basic corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and major.

I've other terms for Mayor, Priest etc so wanted to avoid using standard ones for the garrison.

It was nightmare but one I've got around by introducing them over a series of scenes.