First Sweet William (dianthus) blossom spotted in the garden - many more to come.

#bloomscrolling

#ScribesAndMakers June Questions
Https://write.as/scribesandmakers/

@Emmacox @clarablackink It's an interesting question, for sure! I think I'd start by looking for samples of what other writers have done when, for example, only two of three characters in a scene speak fluent French but all speak English.

POV also plays a part here. Are your readers sharing the frustration of the character who does not sign, or the secrecy of one of those who do? Or does the odd character reveal only later that they knew all along?

@clarablackink @Emmacox I do like the altered tags e.g. "I was at Bill's place last night," she signed.

That could be mixed in with things like:
Jack's fingers flew, the expression on his face adding emphasis. "You should not have done that!"

Either way, I don't think you'd need more than a few reminders that the characters are communicating in this fashion.

Especially when a third person enters the chat: "What the heck is she on about?" Greg had never learned the silent language.

@Emmacox I wrote a whole blog post about him once, just as catharsis. He made a lasting impression.

I believe that everyone we meet is a teacher, and that most people have no idea what lessons they are actually imparting. I learned a lot from Mr. Lane.

@Emmacox @clarablackink So...all those italics could have all been avoided with a line like "Jeanette opened the diary and began to read."

@Emmacox Yikes!

I altered my writing style a few years back, partly in an effort to escape tons of italicized inner monologue. (My characters do some degree of soul searching).

Now if I use italics, it's pretty clear that "this word gets emphasis in what was just said."

@youseeatortoise Agreed! I'd heard of eco-fiction, but not 'cli-fi.'

The term looks, IMO, a bit too similar to a sub-genre of erotica.

#ScribesAndMakers 30
Did you have a teacher who either supported or hindered your creative activity?

At age 9, my teacher inspired music. I learned the sax for the next two years: practiced a lot, played in band and marching band. I loved music.

At age 11, middle school brought 3 years of suffering under a pathetic waste of oxygen who screamed at kids all day, every day.

Mrs. Benton, you're the best.

Mr. Lane, I wish you a thousand paper cuts scrubbed with hand sanitizer. All day, every day.

@youseeatortoise I...learned a new term today. Even though you hate it, thanks for passing it along. 🙂

@art_of_goulwenr @AnnaSaultron Fascinating! Cultural differences are wild. So an American creator assigned with a Russian or French mentor might give up after the first day, and if the roles were reversed the creator might grow quite complacent 😀

@grahamefleming The 5G implant you got with your Covid shot lets you skip the Ouija board entirely, but now you have to filter more carefully to make sure you're really hearing from Great Aunt Agatha and not just some metaphysical scammer.

@art_of_goulwenr @AnnaSaultron The structure of a good critique is important - it's never just a criticism. I learned critique from being in Toastmasters many years ago, and it's been a useful skill in many arenas.

If I found another writer's characters dull, I would not explicitly say that, but instead suggest ways to make them more well-rounded. Taking the time to do that helps us both, because I'll remember my suggestions when my own characters start to feel a bit flat.

@art_of_goulwenr I have tossed people out of critique groups for statements like that.

@grahamefleming The baud rate on a planchette is atrocious.

#writersCoffeeClub 28
Have you ever done a writing mentorship? What was your takeaway?

Ten-ish years ago, I was asked if I could be hired as a writing coach/mentor. I explained that I had no coaching experience, and that while I could help him with editing, I wasn't sure that's what he needed.

Each month, he'd send a chapter of his (non-fiction) book. I'd blue-pencil and comment it, send it to him, then spend an hour on the phone discussing it.

So, just like critique group, but with a check.

@Emmacox Yeah, I signed on years ago before giving any thought to how that data might be used. Nor would I trust any company to actually destroy said data if I asked them to, so I just check the updates once in a while.

Since I also dabble in genealogy, I can connect a chunk of that DNA data to some ancestral names all over Great Britain. Records on the German side of things are a lot sketchier.

@Emmacox Ha - a much higher percentage of my ancestry comes from Northern England and Scotland. No wonder I love digging in the garden so much 😉

@donray They're in bloom for such a short time. But hey, come on over - ours are at this stage this morning 🙂

@Emmacox Either Ancestry has recently added "Cornwall" as a separate region in their DNA breakdown, or they've just found a bit of my blood there, because my most recent results reveal that I have a 2% stake in that area. This can only mean that I must now visit your coastline and feel this place for myself. 😀