Once upon a time
I’ve been wondering about how exactly you set a story in a certain time.
My worries were triggered by comments from a reader about contemporary argot. Hmmm. Difficult one, of course – especially when writing about young people. Older ones of course may well continue to think they are cool while using slang from a bygone era. Golly gosh, it’s difficult, isn’t it?
One story I was blatant and started off with, “It was 1976.” This at least has the virtue of being impossible to miss, and impossible to misunderstand – although it lacks in subtlety and violates the so called rule, “Show, don’t tell.”
Another, I started with the characters listening to Hotel California, the Eagles track. Not terribly convincing, as I’m listening to it now, light years later than the first time I heard it on an archaeological dig, as one of a gaggle of schoolgirls sighing over the tall blond handsome student from Manchester University, who was teaching us how to handle a trowel.
I’ve also used references to hairstyles and music on the radio, and a specific radio programme – I knew that might cause problems with my American critique group, but was surprised that someone just ten years younger than me was confused by it.
I’ve been reading some wonderful Young Adult novels recently, and one that was a little futuristic and set in a slightly alternate reality handled this brilliantly, I thought. The writer created her own slang, based on a combination of text like abbreviations and a couple of archaisms. As soon as she showed some grownups failing to understand and using their own old fashioned slang, it became completely believable and as a reader I was drawn into the adolescent world, completely suspending my disbelief.
Then there are the mistakes. How well do you really remember what it was like in 1976?
Fortunately there are lots of wonderful online resources available now. Or unfortunately, for the procrastinating writer. I can use You Tube to check out TV commercials from whatever year I am writing about, and there are many web sites on fashion. Just the other day I was avoiding writing by checking out a website on the liberty bodice, and there’s even ones on the history of sanitary protection. You can check out anything, so really there shouldn’t be any excuses for mistakes…
Which is why it’s so disappointing when you find them. The worst example I can remember was a historical novel set in Regency England….where one of the characters dressed up as Laurence of Arabia to go to a costume ball. And no, it wasn’t a time travel novel.
The other thing that really irritates is female characters in historical novels who behave like modern women in costume – without even the slightest worry about it. The lack of dirt and poverty in the beautifully sanitised vision of the past is also a worry – it’s not as if we are short of people hankering after some imaginary pre technological Golden Age.
What particular mistakes or anachronisms spoil stories the most, do you think? Would you worry about words out of their time? Or do get irritated by zippers in Elizabethan costume drama, or digital watches in the early medieval period? Or (my personal choice) the invasion of zombies and vampires into the stories of Jane Austen?
About Ann GodridgeAnn Godridge has just completed her first crime novel, The Mermaid's Shroud, and has started work on the sequel. Her story the Tree of Knowledge was shortlisted for the Asham Award. She writes about writing and sometimes about textile arts at her blogStraw into Gold. You can find out more about her here - About Ann G.
View all posts by Ann Godridge →
45 Responses to Once upon a time
In her shoes: My descent in entrepreneurial hell
In her shoes is a series of anonymous posts from women in business, sharing their experience. In your comments you are asked to answer the question – What would you do in her shoes? My story began 9 months ago; it is a story of self-realisation, friendship, love and betrayal. After 11 years at home [...]
I like personally…
“a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” I was just googling that phrase and I found a tidbit that said stories used to end with…
“They lived happily ever after, until their deaths” we don’t see that one very often now do we?
Sarah
I like personally…
“a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” I was just googling that phrase and I found a tidbit that said stories used to end with…
“They lived happily ever after, until their deaths” we don’t see that one very often now do we?
Sarah
I rather like that ending ….I might have to try it some time
I have twice tried to write modern fairy tale like stories, and both times failed miserably. I think it’s one of those things that’s harder than it looks. Somehwere in my files there’s a Prince Rupert stuck somehwere dressed in women’s clothes, with a frog princess in his room
I rather like that ending ….I might have to try it some time
I have twice tried to write modern fairy tale like stories, and both times failed miserably. I think it’s one of those things that’s harder than it looks. Somehwere in my files there’s a Prince Rupert stuck somehwere dressed in women’s clothes, with a frog princess in his room
I like personally…
“a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” I was just googling that phrase and I found a tidbit that said stories used to end with…
“They lived happily ever after, until their deaths” we don’t see that one very often now do we?
Sarah
I rather like that ending ….I might have to try it some time
I have twice tried to write modern fairy tale like stories, and both times failed miserably. I think it’s one of those things that’s harder than it looks. Somehwere in my files there’s a Prince Rupert stuck somehwere dressed in women’s clothes, with a frog princess in his room
I don’t think I’ve tried my hand at fiction since I was a kid and can’t remember what it was about so it must have been bad enough to suggest I leave it to those with more flair, so I wouldn’t dare comment on the stories of those brave enough to keep at it…
Wrong use of words really irks me, though, for example:
your/ you’re
its/ it’s
there/ their/ they’re
and typos are my big beef and, if there are too many of them, they’ll stop me even getting into the story
I can sort of understand it with the growth of self-publishing and the ease of producing ebooks, manuals and courses and readily admit I’ve spotted some howlers in my own stuff – or someone I’ve asked to proof read for me has on my behalf
– thankfully!
I don’t understand it with so called ‘proper ‘ publishing houses: Aren’t they supposed to employ people to check the basic hygiene and the content that’s meant to be factual?
One other thing I don’t personally like: A bit of a doorstep at the beginning is okay but I don’t like having to wait until I’m about a third of the way through the book before I really get the hang of what it’s all about – but then maybe I’m just superficial
…
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks
I don’t think I’ve tried my hand at fiction since I was a kid and can’t remember what it was about so it must have been bad enough to suggest I leave it to those with more flair, so I wouldn’t dare comment on the stories of those brave enough to keep at it…
Wrong use of words really irks me, though, for example:
your/ you’re
its/ it’s
there/ their/ they’re
and typos are my big beef and, if there are too many of them, they’ll stop me even getting into the story
I can sort of understand it with the growth of self-publishing and the ease of producing ebooks, manuals and courses and readily admit I’ve spotted some howlers in my own stuff – or someone I’ve asked to proof read for me has on my behalf
– thankfully!
I don’t understand it with so called ‘proper ‘ publishing houses: Aren’t they supposed to employ people to check the basic hygiene and the content that’s meant to be factual?
One other thing I don’t personally like: A bit of a doorstep at the beginning is okay but I don’t like having to wait until I’m about a third of the way through the book before I really get the hang of what it’s all about – but then maybe I’m just superficial
…
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks
I can be oblivious to a lot of things typos etc when I read – if it’s good. when it’s bad I notice them more and then I actively look for them… my bug bear – loose and lose.
I can be oblivious to a lot of things typos etc when I read – if it’s good. when it’s bad I notice them more and then I actively look for them… my bug bear – loose and lose.
Sometimes I’m happy for a novel to have a slow start – but if it is just too confusing then I’m with you, Linda. It’s the same witha film too…
I used to always plod through and read every book all the way to the bitter end, but nowadays if I get bored I just give up on it.
Loose and lose – yes, that’s an annoying one. Complimentary and complementary gets my goat too
Sometimes I’m happy for a novel to have a slow start – but if it is just too confusing then I’m with you, Linda. It’s the same witha film too…
I used to always plod through and read every book all the way to the bitter end, but nowadays if I get bored I just give up on it.
Loose and lose – yes, that’s an annoying one. Complimentary and complementary gets my goat too
I don’t think I’ve tried my hand at fiction since I was a kid and can’t remember what it was about so it must have been bad enough to suggest I leave it to those with more flair, so I wouldn’t dare comment on the stories of those brave enough to keep at it…
Wrong use of words really irks me, though, for example:
your/ you’re
its/ it’s
there/ their/ they’re
and typos are my big beef and, if there are too many of them, they’ll stop me even getting into the story
I can sort of understand it with the growth of self-publishing and the ease of producing ebooks, manuals and courses and readily admit I’ve spotted some howlers in my own stuff – or someone I’ve asked to proof read for me has on my behalf
– thankfully!
I don’t understand it with so called ‘proper ‘ publishing houses: Aren’t they supposed to employ people to check the basic hygiene and the content that’s meant to be factual?
One other thing I don’t personally like: A bit of a doorstep at the beginning is okay but I don’t like having to wait until I’m about a third of the way through the book before I really get the hang of what it’s all about – but then maybe I’m just superficial
…
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks
I can be oblivious to a lot of things typos etc when I read – if it’s good. when it’s bad I notice them more and then I actively look for them… my bug bear – loose and lose.
Sometimes I’m happy for a novel to have a slow start – but if it is just too confusing then I’m with you, Linda. It’s the same witha film too…
I used to always plod through and read every book all the way to the bitter end, but nowadays if I get bored I just give up on it.
Loose and lose – yes, that’s an annoying one. Complimentary and complementary gets my goat too
There was one famous Western movie, I think it was, where the scene was set in the mid 19th century with a lot of shooting and banging and so-on and if you looked very carefully in the sky you could see a Boeing 707 on final approach to LAX …
What really irritates the hell out of me is that in any film or TV drama wherever there is a horse, cue sound effect of the damned thing whinnying.
I DO NOT need to hear a whinny to tell me that this is a horse rather than a chicken. And being a horsey person, I happen to know that horses only whinny loudly when they’re feeling extremely insecure, calling out to find out if there are any other horses in earshot.
So the hysterical whinny sound effect over a horse tied up to a fence, nodding off in the sunshine, is ludicrous. (If you want an appropriate sound effect for this, try a loud f*rting noise.)
And now I suppose I should say that I am a neigh-sayer….
Twitter: SuzanStMaur
Ah, that’s interesting, Suz – it’s where we have special knowledge that we are most irritated.
Like I get all annyoed when people refuse to understand that needlepoint isn’t tapestry – tapestry is woven, and needlepoint is stitched on canvas…
I will keep my eye open for those poor confused horses in future…
All those years I thought my mother and mother in law were doing tapestry, and I’ve only just discovered they were in fact doing needlepoint!! Thanks, Ann.
And the Bayeux Tapestry – an embroidery, of course
And the Bayeux Tapestry – an embroidery, of course
All those years I thought my mother and mother in law were doing tapestry, and I’ve only just discovered they were in fact doing needlepoint!! Thanks, Ann.
Ah, that’s interesting, Suz – it’s where we have special knowledge that we are most irritated.
Like I get all annyoed when people refuse to understand that needlepoint isn’t tapestry – tapestry is woven, and needlepoint is stitched on canvas…
I will keep my eye open for those poor confused horses in future…
On the subject of inappropriate sound effects, we all apparently wrongly believe all frogs make the reddit/ribbit noise simply because in the early days of talkie films, the Californian Tree Frog was the one captured as a sound effect.
On the subject of inappropriate sound effects, we all apparently wrongly believe all frogs make the reddit/ribbit noise simply because in the early days of talkie films, the Californian Tree Frog was the one captured as a sound effect.
There was one famous Western movie, I think it was, where the scene was set in the mid 19th century with a lot of shooting and banging and so-on and if you looked very carefully in the sky you could see a Boeing 707 on final approach to LAX …
What really irritates the hell out of me is that in any film or TV drama wherever there is a horse, cue sound effect of the damned thing whinnying.
I DO NOT need to hear a whinny to tell me that this is a horse rather than a chicken. And being a horsey person, I happen to know that horses only whinny loudly when they’re feeling extremely insecure, calling out to find out if there are any other horses in earshot.
So the hysterical whinny sound effect over a horse tied up to a fence, nodding off in the sunshine, is ludicrous. (If you want an appropriate sound effect for this, try a loud f*rting noise.)
And now I suppose I should say that I am a neigh-sayer….
Twitter: SuzanStMaur
There was one famous Western movie, I think it was, where the scene was set in the mid 19th century with a lot of shooting and banging and so-on and if you looked very carefully in the sky you could see a Boeing 707 on final approach to LAX …
What really irritates the hell out of me is that in any film or TV drama wherever there is a horse, cue sound effect of the damned thing whinnying.
I DO NOT need to hear a whinny to tell me that this is a horse rather than a chicken. And being a horsey person, I happen to know that horses only whinny loudly when they’re feeling extremely insecure, calling out to find out if there are any other horses in earshot.
So the hysterical whinny sound effect over a horse tied up to a fence, nodding off in the sunshine, is ludicrous. (If you want an appropriate sound effect for this, try a loud f*rting noise.)
And now I suppose I should say that I am a neigh-sayer….
Twitter: SuzanStMaur
Ah, that’s interesting, Suz – it’s where we have special knowledge that we are most irritated.
Like I get all annyoed when people refuse to understand that needlepoint isn’t tapestry – tapestry is woven, and needlepoint is stitched on canvas…
I will keep my eye open for those poor confused horses in future…
All those years I thought my mother and mother in law were doing tapestry, and I’ve only just discovered they were in fact doing needlepoint!! Thanks, Ann.
And the Bayeux Tapestry – an embroidery, of course
On the subject of inappropriate sound effects, we all apparently wrongly believe all frogs make the reddit/ribbit noise simply because in the early days of talkie films, the Californian Tree Frog was the one captured as a sound effect.
My two literary loves are all kinds of science fiction and Jane Austen. I read other things too of course, but these are my favourites. TV and film adaptations of Austen are almost always guaranteed to drive me crazy -in one they actually changed the names of characters for no good reason that I could see! I do get annoyed with portrayals that don’t really get into the character at all – sometimes the actors and directors are bewitched by the phrase “costume drama” to think all they need to do is have nice costumes, pretty music and complicated dances and they’ve “done” Jane. Her books are all about relationships and are completely relevant now even though our motivations have changed: the reader or viewer needs to get into the “marriage market” mindset. Once you accept that then the way her characters interact is universal to all times and all places, in my opinion.
Science fiction is in a way easier as the author does make up his or her own slang, clothes, food, culture, everything – that’s one of the charms of the genre. The most amazing example of this in a sci-fi story I ever read was called “Love is the Plan” and described falling in love and the act of love from the point of view of a male spider – think about that. The story ended very abruptly!
My two literary loves are all kinds of science fiction and Jane Austen. I read other things too of course, but these are my favourites. TV and film adaptations of Austen are almost always guaranteed to drive me crazy -in one they actually changed the names of characters for no good reason that I could see! I do get annoyed with portrayals that don’t really get into the character at all – sometimes the actors and directors are bewitched by the phrase “costume drama” to think all they need to do is have nice costumes, pretty music and complicated dances and they’ve “done” Jane. Her books are all about relationships and are completely relevant now even though our motivations have changed: the reader or viewer needs to get into the “marriage market” mindset. Once you accept that then the way her characters interact is universal to all times and all places, in my opinion.
Science fiction is in a way easier as the author does make up his or her own slang, clothes, food, culture, everything – that’s one of the charms of the genre. The most amazing example of this in a sci-fi story I ever read was called “Love is the Plan” and described falling in love and the act of love from the point of view of a male spider – think about that. The story ended very abruptly!
Ruth, if you love Jane Austen and sci fi, I’m sure you’ve read The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed it because, like Jane herself, it’s all about relationships, with a side order of her literature. And the sole male in the story is a sci fi fan, so he brings his own interpretation along as well.
I’ve avoided it, to be honest, but I’ll give it a try now!
I’ve avoided it, to be honest, but I’ll give it a try now!
Ruth, if you love Jane Austen and sci fi, I’m sure you’ve read The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed it because, like Jane herself, it’s all about relationships, with a side order of her literature. And the sole male in the story is a sci fi fan, so he brings his own interpretation along as well.
I love Jane Austen too, Ruth, and generally can’t bear the TV adaptations.
And science fiction – I’ve never read one from the point of view of a spider, but I love the early Ender’s Game series from Orson Scott Card – Speaker for the Dead, I think the second one is called. He seems to really persuade me of how alien, alien could be…very interesting.
I love Jane Austen too, Ruth, and generally can’t bear the TV adaptations.
And science fiction – I’ve never read one from the point of view of a spider, but I love the early Ender’s Game series from Orson Scott Card – Speaker for the Dead, I think the second one is called. He seems to really persuade me of how alien, alien could be…very interesting.
My two literary loves are all kinds of science fiction and Jane Austen. I read other things too of course, but these are my favourites. TV and film adaptations of Austen are almost always guaranteed to drive me crazy -in one they actually changed the names of characters for no good reason that I could see! I do get annoyed with portrayals that don’t really get into the character at all – sometimes the actors and directors are bewitched by the phrase “costume drama” to think all they need to do is have nice costumes, pretty music and complicated dances and they’ve “done” Jane. Her books are all about relationships and are completely relevant now even though our motivations have changed: the reader or viewer needs to get into the “marriage market” mindset. Once you accept that then the way her characters interact is universal to all times and all places, in my opinion.
Science fiction is in a way easier as the author does make up his or her own slang, clothes, food, culture, everything – that’s one of the charms of the genre. The most amazing example of this in a sci-fi story I ever read was called “Love is the Plan” and described falling in love and the act of love from the point of view of a male spider – think about that. The story ended very abruptly!
Ruth, if you love Jane Austen and sci fi, I’m sure you’ve read The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed it because, like Jane herself, it’s all about relationships, with a side order of her literature. And the sole male in the story is a sci fi fan, so he brings his own interpretation along as well.
I’ve avoided it, to be honest, but I’ll give it a try now!
I love Jane Austen too, Ruth, and generally can’t bear the TV adaptations.
And science fiction – I’ve never read one from the point of view of a spider, but I love the early Ender’s Game series from Orson Scott Card – Speaker for the Dead, I think the second one is called. He seems to really persuade me of how alien, alien could be…very interesting.
thanks for lovely blog Ann…. i used to be so critical on using things out of date or ahead of time as it makes a novel so unreal, i am taking about love and thriller novels when the reader is so engaged in the events, surroundings etc then to be stumbled upon irrelevant fact was so disappointing to me… i also found it very annoying in some TV episods, especially Arabic ones when two events that supposedly took place over two different period of time by the same actor who happend to wear the same hair style, make up and outfit. it shows poor eyes for details from the director and laziness to make effort to change dresses while shooting two different events at the same day…
s
thanks for lovely blog Ann…. i used to be so critical on using things out of date or ahead of time as it makes a novel so unreal, i am taking about love and thriller novels when the reader is so engaged in the events, surroundings etc then to be stumbled upon irrelevant fact was so disappointing to me… i also found it very annoying in some TV episods, especially Arabic ones when two events that supposedly took place over two different period of time by the same actor who happend to wear the same hair style, make up and outfit. it shows poor eyes for details from the director and laziness to make effort to change dresses while shooting two different events at the same day…
s
thanks for lovely blog Ann…. i used to be so critical on using things out of date or ahead of time as it makes a novel so unreal, i am taking about love and thriller novels when the reader is so engaged in the events, surroundings etc then to be stumbled upon irrelevant fact was so disappointing to me… i also found it very annoying in some TV episods, especially Arabic ones when two events that supposedly took place over two different period of time by the same actor who happend to wear the same hair style, make up and outfit. it shows poor eyes for details from the director and laziness to make effort to change dresses while shooting two different events at the same day…
s