Buffy: How bored were you last year? Giles: I watched 'Passions' with Spike. Let us never speak of it.

'Beneath You'


Natter 58: Let's call Venezuela!  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Susan W. - May 29, 2008 9:45:33 am PDT #9597 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

Um, Susan, are you doing that in your own book? Or are you doing the thing where authors repeat the other-language bits in English as well. As a reader, I'm just as happy to read, "they were speaking French" as opposed to having to skim over some actual French. FYI. IMO. BBD.

I always provide translation, and I don't do it that often. I mean, y'all have seen all the French that's in my manuscript, which is 340 pages/75K words so far. I do things like this:

“T'as entendu ça? Je t'ai dit qu'il était pas mort,” his captor said in a deep voice full of righteous triumph. Pained and dazed as he was, it took him a long moment to interpret the words as Did you hear that? I told you he wasn’t dead.

Or, later in the same conversation:

“Je peux marcher,” he said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

“You can walk?” Fabrice guffawed, his laughter echoed by nervous chuckles from most of the soldiers surrounding them. “I very much doubt it, but why should we let you? You might try to escape.”

I'm using the French for flavor, and to remind readers which language the characters are speaking at any given moment, but only when I can provide an internal translation without being too awkward.

(Bearing in mind this is a rough draft, so it's allowed to be a little awkward.)


juliana - May 29, 2008 9:51:57 am PDT #9598 of 10001
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I miss them all tonight…

Boyz II Men, ABC, BBD - Mm-hmm

The East Coast family!


Dana - May 29, 2008 9:54:02 am PDT #9599 of 10001
"I'm useless alone." // "We're all useless alone. It's a good thing you're not alone."

802 deleted Reply All messages and counting.

Holy crap.

t goes back to frantic editing, why does everything always blow up at the same time, goddamnit


Scrappy - May 29, 2008 9:55:57 am PDT #9600 of 10001
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

In the land of vintage boy bands, I am all about Take That, with the young Robbie Williams being oh-so-cute. [link] Wet boys in coats! Dancing!


shrift - May 29, 2008 9:57:09 am PDT #9601 of 10001
"You can't put a price on the joy of not giving a shit." -Zenkitty

I know nothing about him except for his Celebrity Marriage but that is hilarious.

Part of the reason why I love his stupid face is that he routinely makes me laugh until I cry.


shrift - May 29, 2008 10:01:05 am PDT #9602 of 10001
"You can't put a price on the joy of not giving a shit." -Zenkitty

Holy crap.

955 now. t sigh


Jesse - May 29, 2008 10:02:07 am PDT #9603 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Oh yeah, I appreciate the internal translation bit, I just wondered.

Boyz II Men, ABC, BBD - Mm-hmm

That's right.


msbelle - May 29, 2008 10:04:12 am PDT #9604 of 10001
I remember the crazy days. 500 posts an hour. Nubmer! Natgbsb

OMG cutiehead Robbie Williams. love.


meara - May 29, 2008 10:04:19 am PDT #9605 of 10001

The East Coast family!

Heh. Now I have this in my head!!

never skipped a beat...naw...


Jesse - May 29, 2008 10:08:46 am PDT #9606 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

And all the Philly steaks you can eat!