velvetpage: (Flights of Fancy)
velvetpage ([personal profile] velvetpage) wrote2005-07-14 12:26 pm
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Musings on clichés and archetypes

Probably the most interesting thing about setting this book underwater, in a dolphin realm, is that many of the clichés of speech that we take for granted simply don't work. I'm hesitant to use words like "territory," "homeland," or "house," for example. I've kept "territory" because I can't think of a suitable replacement, but "homeland" has become "homesea," which my spellchecker doesn't like at all, and my dolphins don't live indoors so "house" is not really a problem.

I've been trying to create new clichés and mottos that fit dophin society. "Revenge is a dish best served cold" has no meaning in a place where food is not cooked, so I changed it to a rather clumsy reference to fat fish being more nourishing than thin, young ones. I'm going to have to tweak that a bit, but the basic idea is right. My characters don't say, "What on earth," they say, "What under the sweet green sea." They don't talk so much as sing to each other, and while I use the word "said" for ease of use, I also use the word "sang" from time to time, and more melodic synonyms liked croon, hum, intone - all of those I use often.

At the only writing workshop I made it to at Anthrocon, reference was made to the fact that senses are different when your characters are animals. You can tell a good writer from an amateur by the volume of scent referents in their books. I don't think I was consistent with this in "Dreamcarver," though it was there at least sporadically. This probably has something to do with thinking of my characters as humans more often than not. Having changed milieux entirely, though, I'm forcing myself to think of my characters as dolphins. I have to make up mannerisms of speech and body language that fit creatures who live in three dimensions, who have no legs and therefore no waists or hips, and for whom light versus dark is less important than sound versus silence. And I have to couch these mannerisms in language that my readers will automatically associate with the clichés and archetypes with which they are already familiar. My characters have to come across as simultaneously human and dolphin - dolphin for the purposes of plot but human for the purposes of character.

I suppose that's the soul of anthropomorphic writing, right there.

(Anonymous) 2005-07-14 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi Erin
Can I put my two cents worth in? I know you are talking about dolphins but this fits in also.
When we were at Marineland and viewing the baby whales I was most impressed by the "midwife". She (?) does a dance with the new mother. Spiraling around her body almost touching. She also would suck on the new mom's nipples to help the milk come in. Another time she cleaned her of any lingering blood and fluids involved in child birth. She was a calming presence to the new mom and baby.
She would also nudge and glide along beside the baby.
I noticed the the baby was in complete sync with the mom's swimming. Always just a couple of inches above the upper body like the baby was attached by an invisible cord.
There was so much commuciation going on at different levels. Like Sonar,I could even imagine lullabyes begin "sung"
It was very calming and soothing.
And wonderful to watch.
I also was reminded of Madeline L'engles book "Ring of Endless Light" about communicating with the dolphins and how they responded to the heroines sorrow. It also deals with time and space and how the dolphins teach her about nonlinear time.
Hence the poem "The ring of Endless Light" by Harry Vaughan 17th century used in the title.
"I saw eternity the other night
Like a great ring of pure and endless light,
all calm, as it was bright.
And round beneath it, Time, in hours, days, years,
Driven by the sphere,
Like a vast shadow moved, in which the world and all her train were hurled"
Thanks for letting me share
Love Mom in law.

[identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com 2005-07-14 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm definitely going to use the image of the midwife at some point in this book, because it's beautiful.

Of course, since the plot of the book centers around the fact that someone is keeping any babies from being born in high-ranking dolphin families, this may end up being a closing scene.

I know I've read that book, but I can't remember it very clearly. Can I borrow it from you? You can have my Jasper Fforde books . . . :)