[ SECRET POST #2486 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2486 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 024 secrets from Secret Submission Post #355.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Modern colloquial/slang expressions in fantasy?

[ariakas]

Oh man, I had a huge row over this with a friend of mine who writes original fantasy fiction. This fantasy society was typically medieval, late Middle Ages, plate armor, swords, longbows, and stirrups, and he was focusing on the military.

Now, he felt that he didn't want to use terms from the Middle Ages (e.g. he wanted to use "sergeant" as opposed to "serjeant", "jail" as opposed "gaol") which was fine and all, though the fact that he wanted to do this because using the period terms would be "biting" GRRM's style (I love Asoiaf as much as the next nerd, but I don't think GRRM owns the Middle English lexicon) raised an eyebrow.

But then he shortened "sergeant" to "sarge". "Reconnaissance" to "recon". "Commanding officer" to "CO". He used rank abbreviations in dialogue and ranks that never existed until the 20th century. And I just. Could not. Many of those abbreviations came about as a result of telegrams and when you're not paying by the letter to write something they just don't make any sense. If your society doesn't have electric type, why would they have invented these? It came off sounding like a group of modern day soldiers cosplaying medieval knights at a Ren Faire and struggling to stay in character. ("Hooah, ser. Hooah, I say! Verily, thine mission is FUBAR.")

So... just be careful. Try not to use any terms that you know came into being as a direct result of technology that doesn't exist in your world. Try to avoid deeply modern syntax. "Fuck" seems fine, but "o-m-g, could we be, like, literally, any more fucked right now?" is way, way out.

Re: Modern colloquial/slang expressions in fantasy?

[(Anonymous)]

I agree...to an extent. Though it depends on how the communication goes - and factors that *aren't* just limited to technology [for example, in a fantasy world magic would effect things depending on how it acts.]

That said, like I said in the comment above your's, not using terms from the time is actually really common in historical fiction simply because it can get really hard to follow for people who aren't versed in it - and you don't want to force people to follow a dictionary you've included in the back just to understand what the characters are saying to each other. Granted, some would make sense but considering most fantasy is set in a 1500's-ish time period, and modern english didn't come about until the 1800's? There's a lot that wouldn't match up.

...Also, out of curiosity, how would using words that already existed be "biting" someone's style?

Re: Modern colloquial/slang expressions in fantasy?

[ariakas]

...Also, out of curiosity, how would using words that already existed be "biting" someone's style?

I have no idea myself! Like I said, it was one of the things that tipped me off that said friend of mine had... strange ideas about period word use, to say the least.