Author Chats?

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Just because I can quote movies after one viewing, read On Writing twice in a row, and went to Borders and did a statistical project to find out the true average number of words on a paperback page doesn't mean I'm a geek!

Nah, a real geek would be somebody who reread On Writing the second time carefully correlating how Stephen King describes his general memory working in the biographical bits with how quickly he revises things after drafting them in the writing-focused bits, in order to compare both with their own working methods.  I remember more and that makes sense of why I need to leave things longer before revising.

Sorry to hear about the food-poisoning, Kali; my sympathies.

[Enjorous]

So are we still on for this Sunday? And any ideas on the topic?

[Starbeam]

Kali had mentioned wanting to talk about writing software.

[Kali]

Assuming my house does not melt, given the temps lately, I'll be there.  Hadn't planned on any specific topic, though I would, yes, like to get into writing software some more.  If anyone shows up who knows any packages, that'd be keen.  Starbeam's given us a quick-and-dirty of what Scrivner had to offer. Stupid macs! >.<

That said, if anyone has anything in particular they'd like to hash out in a chat format, tell us all!

[Enjorous]

I'll be there, and I may be bringing a friend that's not from around the board, but she's an AIP like the rest of us.

[meg_evonne]

Ok Sunday @5est? Hope. To be there.

[Enjorous]

I think we're starting again @4 Eastern but last time we were still going strong when I left around 5:30

[meg_evonne]

No sweat.  i'll set my alarm for 3 Central then.  Not sure how much time I'll have, but will be fun to gab about writing a bit.  :-)

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

if we want a notion for topic, I'm doing a fiar bit of thinking about how one picks names for a far-future setting at the moment. (bay name web pages for non-Western cultures are cool.)

[meg_evonne]

What cultures have prevailed well in you world ie which from our time have survived into this far future?

[LizW65]

I have an out-of-state family commitment this Sunday and won't be available to chat (or try to chat, based on what happened last time. )

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

What cultures have prevailed well in you world ie which from our time have survived into this far future?

There's about as much cultural continuity between then and now as there is between now and two thousand years ago, except distributed slightly differently because on the one hand, they have continuity of media and records  (Large numbers of them think they are still speaking English.) and on the other, there's been a millennium and a half fo separate colonised planets having very limited contacts each with each.  And if a colony ship was launched in 2200 and did not land on its target and thaw out its passengers until 4700, it's had a lot less time for cultural drift than the dates alone suggest.

[jeno]

I'd play it safe and stick with short, one syllable names when possible, honestly. I don't think the tradition of nicknames can ever go out of style - people are too lazy. 

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I'd play it safe and stick with short, one syllable names when possible, honestly. I don't think the tradition of nicknames can ever go out of style - people are too lazy. 

One thing that does happen in real life and does not happen enough in SF is some name becoming extremely popular and getting three people in one class at school with the same name and the sorts of nicknames and contractions that develop to work with this; I am aiming to do something of that sort later in this project, though not in the first story in the setting.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I'd play it safe and stick with short, one syllable names when possible, honestly. I don't think the tradition of nicknames can ever go out of style - people are too lazy. 

Also, fionding short, one-syllable names that let you have a cast of dozens who are suitably distinct each from each and are not rude words in any language ? Not easy.