language/slang/technobabble

[magpie Asylum]

Does anyone else create their own lexicon within their stories. I'm currently working of a far future techno occult detective novel. Some things need names and I'm working through that. Any suggestions or resources anyone know of?

 

[Phyrebrat]

Yep. I don’t make a huge amount of words up but have been getting in the swing of it in my 2150 novel.

(Be prepared for naysayers, though. Say thanks, but do what you want.)

 

[tinkerdan]

Some writers a good at this and some are not.
Though it might be something to grow into: so far I find I can't do much of this without breaking my writing completely.

 

[Swank]

Nay. Creating words ahead of time will make you feel obliged to include them. I would create your lexicon as the need arises in the writing.

 

[Biskit]

I do it as I go along and try not to do too much. Sometimes I reach the point of deciding that one of my invented words doesn't work and needs a rethink. At this point search-replace is an invaluable aid, provided the invented word is spelled correctly everywhere.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I do it as I go along and try not to do too much. Sometimes I reach the point of deciding that one of my invented words doesn't work and needs a rethink. At this point search-replace is an invaluable aid, provided the invented word is spelled correctly everywhere.

This is what I do, too.

I like that Scrivener has the side pane for notes and synopsis (depending on your layout) so I always use the notes but to add new words I’ve made up, along with NPC characters’ names as I introduce them.

 

[CupofJoe]

I have done for what I think future slang would look like, or more accurately sound like, in a cyberpunk-ish world I keep trying to write a story in.
It was a lot of fun but the story stalled and now a few years later and the slang looks very dated, even though it is still supposed to be 30-50 years in the future.

 

[Le Panda du Mal]

Just reverse the polarity of the neutron flow, guys. It's simple.

 

[Montero]

(.......I take it this is total sarcasm and you know neutron flows have no polarity?)

 

[Le Panda du Mal]

(.......I take it this is total sarcasm and you know neutron flows have no polarity?)

I've heard as much. "Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow" is a classic bit of technobabble from Doctor Who.

 

[Astro Pen]

A Clockwork Orange remains the benchmark.

 

[Montero]

I've heard as much. "Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow" is a classic bit of technobabble from Doctor Who.

I watch Dr Who (well not the latest series - gave up on that) and it hadn't registered on me.

 

[Le Panda du Mal]

I watch Dr Who (well not the latest series - gave up on that) and it hadn't registered on me.

I think the phrase was mainly used in the Pertwee era

 

[Montero]

Ah. Actually I didn't watch those either. Started with Christopher Eccleston. Well, actually I tried to watch the earlier ones but there was too much need to hide behind the sofa, so I stopped. Not been able to watch them decades on - tried but I dunno, shaky sets, couldn't cope with the haircuts....

 

[Le Panda du Mal]

60's-70's Doctor Who is magical for me. Far from perfect, but there was a sense of open-ended fun even in the bad stories. (I was born in the 80's so it's not just nostalgia on my part). After that the show takes a dive from which it still hasn't recovered.

 

[Bramandin]

I'm bad with naming things, so I just call them things like bone-mender, skin-mender... I forget what else but pretty much their name is what they do. I also do things like call it "Hylden Tablet" though "blue screen of death" is "giggling embroiderer."

If I was doing this for publication, I'd probably put QX or a something like ~& in the name so I could hire someone to do the technobabble. I heard that Star Trek scripts just had the word "Tech" in the script when they needed some technobabble and there was a person who would fill in what was appropriate.

 

[Montero]

@Le Panda du Mal
I've not seen the earlier ones so obviously can't comment on fun level, but in the later ones I think there is one heck of a sense of fun in ones like the Dr meeting Madame de Pompadour and the Christmas special with the Titanic. Especially the Queen coming out of Buck Pal in her curlers..... And the creepy one with the Weeping Angels - don't blink.

 

[Bramandin]

I have done for what I think future slang would look like, or more accurately sound like, in a cyberpunk-ish world I keep trying to write a story in.
It was a lot of fun but the story stalled and now a few years later and the slang looks very dated, even though it is still supposed to be 30-50 years in the future.

Schway.

Am I old, or do kids not use new slang that isn't internet-related? It's like they started communicating in images instead.

 

[Montero]

Schway.

Am I old, or do kids not use new slang that isn't internet-related? It's like they started communicating in images instead.

I've been thinking that for a while - that the internet is heading towards images. Which is communication heading back towards pictograms. I do wonder whether written language headed away from pictograms for speed, and because some people can't draw....

 

[CupofJoe]

Scarlett Moffatt [internet/TV personality] said she thinks the ancient Egyptian were really humans from the future that travelled back in time because of they hieroglyphs. I thought what a load of twaddle... ...Hey she might be on to something