Writers' (Sub)Forum - Carpe Claustrum

Illiterati

Illiterati

Council Member & Author
I've been working on a period piece about vampires during the period of Western expansion in the United States, and I've been having a hell of a time with the research.

I've been trying to find good sources for examples of American and English (European) slang for that period.

Anyone have some good suggestions for sources?

Thanks.
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
What period again?
1890's or earlier?
 
Illiterati

Illiterati

Council Member & Author
Gatefan1976 said:
What period again?
1890's or earlier?
Click to expand...
This novel takes place around 1841, so something along those lines.

My "supe" is around 100 year old at the time of the novel, so he'd occasionally sprinkle in some colloquialisms from any time in the past 125 years from then.

:)
 
shavedape

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Do you have an actual time frame in terms of years that you are going for?

Have you checked out any personal journals from that time period? Perhaps contact some of the Historical societies that would be located along the Oregon trail. They might be able to supply you with examples of the language usage back then. And they might be able to fill you in on the slang for the time period also.

Additionally I would interview any history professors who specialize in that era. Some might turn you down but plenty would probably respond favorably. I've never met a history professor who wasn't interested in talking about their field of study. They are a breed apart, that's for sure.

And don't forget about researching genealogy. That will be a good way for you to get to know how people lived in that period. Often letters and papers will show how they talked. My mom is into genealogy and I can tell you when you start digging you find all sorts of weird little colloquialisms that you didn't know existed.

Hope some of this helps.
 
mzzz

mzzz

Well Known GateFan
Illiterati said:
I've been working on a period piece about vampires during the period of Western expansion in the United States, and I've been having a hell of a time with the research.

I've been trying to find good sources for examples of American and English (European) slang for that period.

Anyone have some good suggestions for sources?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
nice, sounds intriguing, how's it going so far?

I'm doing lots of stuff but I sorta bs my way through some stuff or make stuff up (language and speech stuff).

Maybe change this into a general writer's help desk thread?

Because I have some questions too about something. I'm working on hopefully a series but still struggling with the actual writing parts and the setting is going to be the future but it's a post-apocalyptic future with sporadic hot spots of civilization, as in some closed-off futuristic cities in otherwise a desolate world. So I'm trying to build certain aspects of the future cities, like future-y things. Here are a few things that I've already come up with:

1. holographic type wristwatch that contains all the aspects of a laptop, cell, essentially iphone stuff but more so in a wristwatch that has a holographic interactive display
2. usually in densely populated cities, there's a mass transit system, so I'm thinking a subway or airway or something
3. some kind of internal medical detection system/biofeedback thing which monitors health and is in contact with local ems
4. air generated clothing

and that's all I have so far, but looking for more stuff that's not too outlandish, any help guys?
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
mzzz said:
nice, sounds intriguing, how's it going so far?

I'm doing lots of stuff but I sorta bs my way through some stuff or make stuff up (language and speech stuff).

Maybe change this into a general writer's help desk thread?

Because I have some questions too about something. I'm working on hopefully a series but still struggling with the actual writing parts and the setting is going to be the future but it's a post-apocalyptic future with sporadic hot spots of civilization, as in some closed-off futuristic cities in otherwise a desolate world. So I'm trying to build certain aspects of the future cities, like future-y things. Here are a few things that I've already come up with:

1. holographic type wristwatch that contains all the aspects of a laptop, cell, essentially iphone stuff but more so in a wristwatch that has a holographic interactive display
2. usually in densely populated cities, there's a mass transit system, so I'm thinking a subway or airway or something
3. some kind of internal medical detection system/biofeedback thing which monitors health and is in contact with local ems
4. air generated clothing

and that's all I have so far, but looking for more stuff that's not too outlandish, any help guys?
Click to expand...

Read more william gibson :)
 
Illiterati

Illiterati

Council Member & Author
mzzz said:
nice, sounds intriguing, how's it going so far?

I'm doing lots of stuff but I sorta bs my way through some stuff or make stuff up (language and speech stuff).

Maybe change this into a general writer's help desk thread?

Because I have some questions too about something. I'm working on hopefully a series but still struggling with the actual writing parts and the setting is going to be the future but it's a post-apocalyptic future with sporadic hot spots of civilization, as in some closed-off futuristic cities in otherwise a desolate world. So I'm trying to build certain aspects of the future cities, like future-y things. Here are a few things that I've already come up with:

1. holographic type wristwatch that contains all the aspects of a laptop, cell, essentially iphone stuff but more so in a wristwatch that has a holographic interactive display
2. usually in densely populated cities, there's a mass transit system, so I'm thinking a subway or airway or something
3. some kind of internal medical detection system/biofeedback thing which monitors health and is in contact with local ems
4. air generated clothing

and that's all I have so far, but looking for more stuff that's not too outlandish, any help guys?
Click to expand...
I'll do that. :)

Welll, part of my issue is that anachronisms in a period piece drive me nuts, so I do whatever I can to avoid committing any more historical faux pas than is absolutely necessary.

Well, if you're going to get that deep, you're going to have to figure out where they're going to get things like "clean" water and decent nutrition, unless you make that part of the drama of the novel(s). That also covers things like fuel and electricity as well.
 
shavedape

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I'd echo what Illiterati said, mzzz. In a post apocalyptic world the basics of survival become king. Food and energy being at the top. Even though you have pockets of civilization here and there in your world the most important thing for those "cities" would be the food and energy question. They can't all be magically supplied, endlessly, with the basic necessities, so how do they acquire them to begin with?

This may sound weird but I would suggest reading some survivalist forums (there are a lot of them out there) to get an idea of what things to focus on in order to survive an apocalypse.
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
shavedape said:
I'd echo what Illiterati said, mzzz. In a post apocalyptic world the basics of survival become king. Food and energy being at the top. Even though you have pockets of civilization here and there in your world the most important thing for those "cities" would be the food and energy question. They can't all be magically supplied, endlessly, with the basic necessities, so how do they acquire them to begin with?

This may sound weird but I would suggest reading some survivalist forums (there are a lot of them out there) to get an idea of what things to focus on in order to survive an apocalypse.
Click to expand...

I would say that depends on your stucture. Geodome type environments can survive based on internal power supply and food growing potential, but are they Geodomes?, are they left over pockets of high technology (in which case Illiterati and Shavedapes comments are more important) Is it a "logans Run" kind of setup where the society can only sustain X population until they are killed or exiled for the good of the society.

Need more info here buddy.
 
shavedape

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Gatefan1976 said:
I would say that depends on your stucture. Geodome type environments can survive based on internal power supply and food growing potential, but are they Geodomes?, are they left over pockets of high technology (in which case Illiterati and Shavedapes comments are more important) Is it a "logans Run" kind of setup where the society can only sustain X population until they are killed or exiled for the good of the society.

Need more info here buddy.
Click to expand...

And there's the Mad Maxian element of the ones without access to power (energy and political power) trying to take -- by force -- what the more advanced ones have. Build a fence and someone's always trying to get in.
 
mzzz

mzzz

Well Known GateFan
ahhh, I was going to go with its already many generations into the apocalyptic event and there are shielded pocket cities that are self-sustaining but maintain connection with all the pocket cities that are around the world. I wasn't going to focus too much on the survival elements because obviously I know very little about that. Well here. Lemme give a basic plot:

Main guy is a detective and he looks into murders in one of these better off pocket cities. As far as he knows and the rest of the population of these cities know, they are alone and have comfortable lives within their shielded city. He solves murders and eventually uncovered some hideous sex club/entertainment club in the upper classes where the slaves and people are persons taken from the outside, the outside being people living outside the shielded cities. His first dilemma will be uncovering where these people came from and second dilemma being exposing these crimes even though the upper class people own the majority of the city's maintenance. And more stuff but you guys get the gist.

So I'm just looking for little things to help build the sense of a futuristic society and city, not too much detail. Leaving most of the detail to the reader's imaginations.
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
shavedape said:
And there's the Mad Maxian element of the ones without access to power (energy and political power) trying to take -- by force -- what the more advanced ones have. Build a fence and someone's always trying to get in.
Click to expand...

Yep
Post apocalyptic is a hard genre to write for simply because it's really not pretty. Read accounts of riots where the power is cut off from cities (or even just city blocks). One channel (I cannot remember which one) ran an experiment where a group of people was forced into such a setting and it does not take long for "civilization" to break down. Read Lord of the Flies as well. For all our supposed sophistication, take away our toys, and we can get damn mean, damn fast.
To Quote Quark from the DS9 ep "the seige of AR-558":

"Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people – as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts... deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers... put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time... and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become as nasty and violent as the most bloodthirsty klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces, look at their eyes..."
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
Ok

A company called R Talsorian built a RPG on the framework of William Gibsons "Cyberpunk" world. If you want to look at tech, check out the "chromebook" series of suppliments from that game. It should provide plenty of idea's for you to work with.
 
mzzz

mzzz

Well Known GateFan
gotcha, dont play too much video games. It's scary how you know all this stuff, lol but looked that up, think it'll definitely help. Thanks!
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
What can I say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk

WooHoo!! :D
 
Gatefan1976

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
I should also add that this is the first bit of truly positive news I've heard for independant Scifi for a long time, thanks Illiterati:tealc_new049:
 
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