Talking With Author KC Burns

Hello!  Thanks, Dawn, for letting me blog here!  Here’s a quick intro – I’m KC Burn, and my first release was in March from Loose Id – MIA Case Files: Wolfsbane.  I’ve got a blurb and excerpt up at my site if you want to take a look.  But I’m here today to talk about one of my favourite topics – expletives.  Or, maybe they’re more a favourite pastime than a topic!

I recently wrote a blog post on my own site about expletives, and why I find them useful and appealing.  However, I focused solely on contemporary expletives and the creative use of them.  What I didn’t delve into is the creativity and effort required by fantasy and sci-fi writers as regards to swear words.

I believe swear words, curse words and foul language are all very necessary, valuable tools, especially in writing.  They can create tension, they can reveal character traits, and they can help give immediacy and realism to a scene or dialogue.  But the ones we use today, no matter how creatively applied, may appear out of place in sci-fi or fantasy.  A few short words can break the world-building spell.  And yet, I know from personal experience how agonizing it can be to create swear words that fit into your imaginary world. 

Many current swear words have been around for a long time.  For some, their origins are commonly known, others are more obscure.  They may also be reflective of cultural mores and ideas that no longer exist!  That’s a lot of work for one little word or phrase. 

One example that comes to mind is “blimey.”  Not used much in North America, and although I’ve heard it used on British television, I’m not sure how common it is.  What I do know is that it originated from the phrase “God blind me”, which then got shortened to “gor’blimey” and from there to “blimey”.  It’s an evolution which tells us that expletives are not always simple or easy, no matter how trippingly they fall off the tongue.

Sci-fi writers have the luxury of choosing, if they wish, to use expletives we’re all familiar with, especially if the future they write about isn’t far off.  Fantasy writers, however, need to make up words that have a wealth of meaning or weight of history for their characters, possibly involving back story, religion, or historical events that may never be described explicitly in the story.    

One of the first times I noticed this phenomenon was well before I started writing seriously.  Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern use the expletive “shells” and “shards”, among others.  The survival of Pern’s people is dependent on dragons and these expletives reference the shells of the eggs their dragons are hatched from.  While these aren’t based on religion (as many are), there’s a lot of history, culture and sentiment embodied in the words. 

David Eddings’ Belgariad/Mallorean is another great example.  There’s the colorful “by One Eye’s nose” or “Torak’s teeth”.  The polytheistic world David Eddings created provides ample fodder for curse words, which are based on the religion of the peoples in the book.

Most of the sci-fi I read uses contemporary expletives, but Red Dwarf by Grant Naylor uses the word “smeg” in the place of another extremely flexible four letter word.

While my own book is a virtual bounty of expletives, they’re all fairly standard, current ones.  The futuristic romance I’m working on?  The first draft had the phrase “futuristic curse” scattered throughout because I knew I needed to put some serious and focused thought into them and I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the story at the time to do so. 

So, lay some of your favourite sci-fi/fantasy swear words on me (but keep it clean, please - I’m guest here in someone else’s house!) or let me know your thoughts on making up expletives – does it add realism to a book’s setting and characters, or is it completely extraneous?  I’ll give away a copy of my ebook to a commenter.

www.kcburn.com
www.twitter.com/authorkcburn
MIA Case Files: Wolfsbane - available from Loose Id

Link 1: http://www.kcburn.com/books?utm_source=dbn&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=swear1
Link 2: http://www.kcburn.com/?utm_source=dbn&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=swear2

WRITER'S WRITE...WRITING PARTNERS FEUD

IF I HAVE A CABOODLE THEN WHERE'S MY KIT
By: Angelica Hart and Zi

Angelica likes how words fill her mouth, the roll of them on her tongue, and sometimes, she just thinks cause it sounds right, it fits and it would take a hypnotist to convince her differently, even at that she might not concede. This leads me to the point, we wordsmith often within our stories, working under the philosophy that if the new word aptly and efficiently communicates the point we intended then it is the perfect word to use. The process makes for moments that are enjoyable. We are word lovers and as amateur lexicographers we play with meaning and nuance of words constantly. To roll out an example, we have used words like lamestorming, typonesse, well embrowed, and don't stopportunities. Here is a sample of how this point plays:

(While Zi was writing this piece Angelica entered the office, craned her neck to see the screen... He toggled to Minesweeper knowing this would torment her)
A: Are you writing about me? (She bounces a soccer ball off the back of his orange rocking chair and catches it)
Z: Yes. (Notices the soccer ball) You been balling? (One corner of his mouth and one eyebrow rises in unison considering innuendo)
A: Practicing headers with Mo. (She points to the yellow Lab who is asleep and snoring) Watch. (She bounces the ball off of the head of the un-phased cur and catches it) See, he's good. Taught him. (Her pride evident)
Z: Finnne... but I taught him to play dead.
A: Watcha writing about me? (She toggles back to Word and tries to position herself to see the screen)
Z: Nudgy are we?
A: Was inoculated at age four for nudgy-streptococcus. (She spins the ball on her finger as if disinterested even as she looks past the ball and speed-reads)
Z: Stripped a what?
A: Don't change the subject. Whatja write?
Z: Insecure? Huh?
A: Does a bear use a toilet in the woods?
Z: Ahhh, classic avoidance... Yes... I see the carnivorous sensibility eating virus of apprehension. (He sniggers at his clever word usage) Why, yes, I'm writing about you.
A: If it's good continue, if not continue... I know how to edit. So what is it?
Z: It's about the caboodle.
A: Ah, you read my latest iteration of Pawn Poke'er. It was the perfect word for the sentence. (Her voice had a tad of smugness to it as she rolled the ball into the corner)
Z: Angelica… it didn’t make sense. There is no such thing as a caboodle. You need to delete it.
A: Yes there is. Googled it. It means everything. Example… (Writes in the air with her finger.) Let’s take the whole caboodle with us. It is U.S. slang. (She does the James Cagney soft shoe ta-da step from Yankee Doodle Dandy)
Z: (Gives that lifted eyebrow that questions sanity) I know that... but...
A: Then I’ve made my point, perfect for the sentence. (She interrupts with the ease of a fork through milk toast)
Z: No… No… No…
A: Yes… Yes… Yes…. (She loves the fencing and would have retorted, "Take that picket... and that stockade!" but Zi's parry silences her)
Z: You used it wrongly, didn’t you?
A: (Grins) Nope... Nope... Nope!
Z: (Pulls up the word document, points indicating the sentence and shakes his head) There’s no kit.
A: Sooo...
Z: I understand kit. There's a first aid kit. You need kit in it. You need kit to have it. There's a kit car. You need kit to make it work otherwise it makes no sense. Remember our press kit? Kit... Kat? A beaver's baby is a kit. Your caboodle needs a kit. Hook the kit up with the caboodle. (His chin juts out in a decisive manner as if the Mighty Oz was saying... I have spoken) You simply can’t use the caboodle without the kit.
A: Who died and made you the kit police?
Z: Ha ha. Have you heard about the man with five penises?
A: What!!?
Z: His underwear fits him like a glove. (Using his best Ace Ventura voice)
A: Ah, glove... You're throwing down the gauntlet. I shall pick it up, slap you on each cheek with these two words... No kit!
Z: (Pulls his official Star Wars lightsaber off the shelf, makes a vvvvvvvv sound as if it's lit, couldn't be, he hadn't replaced the batteries... He takes a combative stance) You need the kit. Kit... Kit... Kit... 'carson it is required to express the point.
A: (Looks at him and shakes her head) You are a strange man.
Z: I'm rubber and you're glue... whatever you say... bounces off me... and sticks to you. (He had the naa-naa look which he had perfected)
A: I'll prove my point. Google it.
Z: (After a few minutes doing the research he turns and reiterates) Just as I said. Nice word usage. Kudos.

Just goes to show you being passionate about a word is like a spider’s web, it makes for a sticky situation. What do you think, can caboodle be used without the word kit? Should caboodle be used at all in a serious sentence? Should Zi just let Angelica always have her way? Angelica thinks so, don’t you?

Z: Excuse me… you need to delete those last two questions.
A: Here we go again. (She grabs the soccer ball and tosses it at him... he catches it... she runs... he chases... the dogs follow... barking... lunging... flapping tongue... and so the whole kit and caboodle of them raced from room to room screaming and barking)

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who emails us at angelicahartandzi@yahoo.com and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.


Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS
SNAKE DANCE
CHASING GRAVITAS ~ July 2010

Champagne Books
angelicahartandzi.com

WRITERS WRITE... WRITING PARTNERS FEUD

THE CLICHÉ TOUCHÉ
By: Angelica Hart and Zi


Z: All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. (Zi drank from his Big Dog mug, placed it on the desk, looked at it, looked at Angelica) Woof!
A: All's fair in love and war. Work can be war. Work. (She wagged that finger much like a dog did its tail... Zi would have preferred the wag of the tail... the dog's tail)
Z: So you are a proponent of all's well that ends well? (Avoiding the return to writing using diversion tactics of a great military mind he tried to engage her in conversation)
A: Attitude is determined by attitude. (Wicked eyes ripped from her desk to his, shredding dust moats)
Z: (Zi thought... poor little moats... mean Angelica... what bit her) So you want an arm and a leg? (Considering he felt she was bit by it-is-time-to-be-serious bug... and the bite had swollen enflamed ugly... so ugly Zi wanted to flee fearing a volcanic eruption of whipping and scolding... and get a witch doctor to exorcise her demons)
A: Oh, that's an oldie but goodie.
Z: And I guess that puts another nail in my coffin? (He gazed wistfully out the window and looked for the excuse to shoot hoops in the backyard) Dog is sneaking under the fence... gotta go!

The afore was a cliché touché, both a debate over and with clichés. We constantly battle about their usage and have taken the position that if we notice them we change them. Now, having said that we do use clichés in dialog. People speak that way.

"Hey, babe, you are dressed to the nines." Using a twirling finger he asked for her to spin.
"This old thing." She smiled touched by his flattery, she knowing she spent hours choosing just for him.
"Fits like a glove." Ronald wanted to infest her with his thoughts of sensuality, they being spirited by that very tight dress.
"Makes me look flat as a pancake." She knew he was a man who loved a full décolleté and wore that piece of lingerie that pushed up and together, her gift to him.
"You are fine and dandy." As he said those words, somewhere deep within he hoped he had moved her closer to that place where her panties would spontaneously fall to her ankles.

A: That scene is total crap.
Z: Not enough passion? (His eyes turned hurt puppy-doggish)
A: Misused clichés. (She had the damn-the-torpedoes glare)
Z: How's the passion? (He pointed to one sentence)
A: Lost to the clichés. (There it was, the snap of the whip)
Z: Ouch! And I wanted to get Ronald a girlfriend with benefits. (Zi, a man's man, felt he failed his bud and returned to the keyboard to find those benefits for him)

The afore may show that just because a cliché is a part of people's dialog it may not work to facilitate the intention of the work.

But clichés can be fun.

Z: The final line you wrote read, knee-high to a grasshopper, do you really want to write that? (Zi had that holier than thou 'tude... no not whitewashed in meanness but caked with that I-know-something-you-don't-know tone)
A. Sure. (That sure was a volley back sure... we have all done those... she waiting for more information)
Z. Do you really want to write that? I’ll ask you once more, do you really want to write that, and I shall add, the cliché leaves the impression of one providing oral favors to an insect. Do you really want to use the expression?
A: Nooooooooooooooooo. (The white of her eyes appeared around her irises)
Z: Got to hurry and change it. (He typed using huge hand strokes) Now, we are using, having ants in their pants. (There are some grins that are more than sniggers and have taken smirk to a devilish place... Zi so grinned)
A: Naughty ants? (She laughed... though Angelica was mind picturing them doing the horizontal... oh my goodness she felt the need to stop being a mind voyeur and shook her head as if flinging the naughty asunder)
Z: Sounds like we are writing insect erotica. (This is where he'd tee-hee but Zi never tee-heed)
A: Everyone is busy as a bee. (Another volley of ill-begotten thoughts)
Z: Happy as a bug in the rug. (And Zi knew exactly what he meant by rug)
A: Ok... ok... cliché touché must end. (She raised her hands... no not in that way to indicate she had to go potty... though she did raise one finger... peecular?)
Z: Sounds like I opened a can of worms. (Worms... was that a metaphor... probably)
A: Enough! (What did Zi mean when he said can of... what this... no... not a party... ick!)
Z: The early bird gets the worm... and what does that duck do with it? (At this point Zi knew he was tormenting and loved that he could)
A: I don't want to know. (Though she knew what she wanted the duck to do and made up a poem)
Z: Think fall through the cracks... huh!! (Bounces his well embrowness)
A: Stop!
Z: Want me to deep-six the clichés?
A: Yes!
Z: Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

We believe that our job is know when and when not to cliché. We hope we don't rock the boat but hit the ball out of the park.

The question is, do clichés have value?


We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who emails us at angelicahartandzi@yahoo.com and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.


Angelica Hart and Zi
Killer Dolls ~ September 2009
Snake Dance ~ February 2010
Chasing Gravitas ~ July 2010
Champagne Books
angelicahartandzi.com

KILLER DOLLS and SNAKE DANCE IS AVAILABLE

Valentine's Romance At Home

Valentine's is almost here and in this economy, many are doing dinner at home. Here are a few tips to help make it as luxiourious and economical at the same time.

*Tips received from Woman's world Magazine dated 2/8/2010*

1) Make any table a Table for Two.

Fold a table runner across one end of the table-it'll create an intimate space and signify you are having a special meal.

2) Go Easy on flowers.

To gt a restaurant look, use fewer flowers. All it takes is one or two blooms in a small water glass.

3) Serve little nibbles.

Small bites of food stimulates your senses and encourages sharing. Plus they won't leave you stuffed.

4) Set up a Cheese tasting.

Head to the deli counter and ask for small pieces of a few cheeses.

5) Try fondue for two!

Pour melted chocolate in a cute little fondue pot and use fruit and squares of pound cake as dippers.

I am sure there are more tips to make a night in on this romantic day out there but these sound like a fun thing to do and save money at same time.

Anyone else have any tips to share?