Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 09:48:37 -0500 (CDT) From: Licia <licia@o-o.org> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Is it ok to use the FreeBSD name in a cyberpunkish Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9905150946430.11981-100000@o-o.org> In-Reply-To: <199905150658.XAA06536@usr09.primenet.com>
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On Sat, 15 May 1999, Terry Lambert wrote: > > >(smiles) I've got to get around to writing that glossary :) c&e is slang the > > >characters use to mean 'compress and encrypt', I'll try to start a glossary > > >when I get episode 2 online, and update it with each new episode :) > > > > I have a better suggestion: Incorporate it in the story. When a slang term > > is used for the first time, find some excuse to explain to the reader what > > it means but not in an obvious way. > > > > Otherwise you are forcing the reader to interrupt the reading experience > > just to look something up in a glossary. > > Ian M. Banks and William Gibson both delay definition of terms until > well after they have been mentioned (thrid or fourth mention is in a > context where an explanation is necessary to an outsider, usually by > a minor character to a secondary character). I believe that Jeff Noon > (Vurt, Pollen) uses similar techniques, as did Roger Zelazny. > > Capitalizing the initials indicates their representative nature, > however, and is important to their understanding as initials. > > A similar literary technique is the internal dialog -- e.g.: > > Jessie started the C&E, hoping there was time; as she > fretted away the minutes, it seemed that the compression > took forever. "Get a hold of yourself, girl", she told > herself, "It's just the time pressure". But something > was wrong; the encryption was taking more than twice as > long as it should have, worst case. She hear muffled > sounds in the hallway: it was obvious that Hector was > closing in. She fingered the pin on the viral grenade; > she'd use the thing, if it came to that. She was pretty > sure she'd use the thing. She hoped it wouldn't come to > that. God, please don't let it come to that... > > In general, as long as it's explained or hinted at before it's > used four or more times, it's enough. > > I think that you are suffering "serial shock". 8-). > > > Terry Lambert > terry@lambert.org Hehehe interesting, and I've used similar devices before, but I just don't feel it would go right for this story :) I've posted Episode 2 and the glossary :) I suggest people either read the episode then look up words in the glossary, or read the glossary then the episode :) [ EMail : licia@o-o.org ] [ Name : Christine (Licia) Maxwell ] [ Home : http://www.o-o.org/~licia/ ] [ Hobbies : write, program, web, chat ] [ BBS : http://www.o-o.org/bbs/ ] [ Handles : Licia / LadyWolf / Sysop ] [ OS : http://www.freebsd.org/ ] [ Profiled: finger profiled@o-o.org ] To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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