Fic Talk > General Discussion
The Writing Thread: Orlando Passaggio (aka The Writing Thread 3)
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on April 08, 2021, 09:12:33 PM ---Absolutely! "Colonel" is a good one too. I have seen a quote shared many times that says, "Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading."
--- End quote ---
Yes! Exactly! It's no one's fault that English is weird and "though" and "through" don't rhyme, but "pony" and "bologna" do. Although now that I think of it, "bologna" is probably one of those odd loan word cases like blond versus blonde.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on April 08, 2021, 09:21:06 PM ---All I can guess is that people think that since the word looks weird, the laugh must sound weird? I don't know that I picture it as even just a "heh" or "heh heh," unless it's Nick, a quiet kind of throaty laugh is where it is in my head, like you want to conceal it, but not actively or it's a little funny, but not a lot funny. I don't tend to use giggle for males either, because it feels too high pitched.
I think "snicker" has some nasally aspects to it and mocking? "Half-suppressed, typically scornful" is the definition, so yeah, teasing each other is a good time to use that.
"Chortle," that's another weird synonym for laugh.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, if you imagine chuckling to sound like a clownish laugh, I could see not wanting to use that word. I think your definition is spot on.
The word "chortle" makes me think of Harry Potter because that's where I learned it. I've never heard anyone use it in real life, but I wonder if it's more commonly used in the UK? It sounds very British.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on April 08, 2021, 09:21:06 PM ---I saw that too. I think there was one comment where someone was describing a character who smirks all the time, and I think that's where the line for these might come into play for me? Like if everybody's wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just weird. If it's one character wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just that character. Replace "smirk" with whatever in this case. But then there's always a worry that it starts to feel like "Is my character Bella Swan biting her lip?" and that's unpleasant too!
Aww, Nick's lopsided smile/grin! That's how I always describe it. :) In my most recently posted chapter, he had a nice flirty lopsided smile and later a lopsided gape. Good times were had by all. :) I figure y'all know what I mean, but that's another thing that I wrote this week and went, "ah, the first time I ever mention this, I have to explain exactly what it looks like in the OF version."
--- End quote ---
Good point. If it's only one character doing it, fine, but it would be weird if all the characters were smirking all the time. Also, part of it may just have to do with the overuse of the word "smirk." Sometimes you just need to change it up and use different words - like "lopsided grin." That's also a good way to describe it and give it a friendlier feel than "smirk."
--- Quote from: nicksgal on April 08, 2021, 09:21:06 PM ---Agreed. Though no one mentioned "impaled," so... lol.
--- End quote ---
LOL! When a character gets impaled in one of my stories, it is definitely not in the context of a sex scene.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on April 08, 2021, 09:21:06 PM ---LMAO! Sorry about your guilt, but I'm dying that tree stumps made you think of Broken Nick, lol!
--- End quote ---
LOL I know! So dumb.
RokofAges75:
I just had one of those moments where I was really glad I hang on to chapters before posting as long as I do. My current story begins in January 2008, and I had written in Chapter 4 that the last time Nick and Kevin saw each other was the previous October when the Boys were in LA doing promo for Unbreakable's release. I just saw a picture on Twitter of all five guys at Howie's wedding, which was in December 2007, and I thought, "Well, duh... they would have seen each other at Howie's wedding just a few weeks before the story started." So I went back and fixed that paragraph. Thankfully I haven't posted that chapter yet. Yay hoarding!
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on April 08, 2021, 09:28:58 PM ---Yes! Exactly! It's no one's fault that English is weird and "though" and "through" don't rhyme, but "pony" and "bologna" do. Although now that I think of it, "bologna" is probably one of those odd loan word cases like blond versus blonde.
--- End quote ---
I found an article about the pronunciation of "bologna." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-is-baloney-spelled-bologna_n_5bd88319e4b07427610be221 The short version is that it was probably anglicized from the original Italian pronunciation ("balonya" or "balonia") to "baloney." English is definitely full of oddball words though!
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on April 08, 2021, 09:36:03 PM ---The word "chortle" makes me think of Harry Potter because that's where I learned it. I've never heard anyone use it in real life, but I wonder if it's more commonly used in the UK? It sounds very British.
--- End quote ---
Ooh, maybe that's it. I can't remember where I first heard it.
I've never really talked about laughing outside of writing because I'm either actually laughing or say something to the effect of "I laughed so hard." But there's stories I tell where I would say that I laughed really hard, but then I start laughing all over again. The "Mister Paul sock puppet day" comes to mind, lol; kids are weird.
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on April 08, 2021, 09:36:03 PM ---Good point. If it's only one character doing it, fine, but it would be weird if all the characters were smirking all the time. Also, part of it may just have to do with the overuse of the word "smirk." Sometimes you just need to change it up and use different words - like "lopsided grin." That's also a good way to describe it and give it a friendlier feel than "smirk."
--- End quote ---
I feel like there's some contempt to a smirk? That's normally how I use it. I looked it up and the definition is too broad! "Irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly smile," that's a broad range of emotions for one expression in addition to some bias on the part of the POV character. Maybe that's why it feels so overused?
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on April 08, 2021, 09:36:03 PM ---LOL! When a character gets impaled in one of my stories, it is definitely not in the context of a sex scene.
--- End quote ---
I mean, same... That's why that one still sticks out to me, I think, lol.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version