The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 04: Come On In

[Voboy]

Have you ever been in the middle of a story and found a supporting character so interesting you kind of wish you had saved them for their own story?

*sips on his ice water because it's fucking HOT here on the East Coast*

All the damn time.

This is one of the reasons I write like I do, with everything all contained in the same universe. Any of my characters could at some point hook up with any other.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

Have you ever been in the middle of a story and found a supporting character so interesting you kind of wish you had saved them for their own story?

*sips on his ice water because it's fucking HOT here on the East Coast*

It's not been a huge problem to me so far, and you can always give them their own story later if you so wish. The thing I regret more sometimes is using names I like on side characters when I later realize they'd be perfect for the protagonist of a new story. I try to avoid using the same name more than once unless it's an incredibly common one or I am reusing a character. That and I'm horrible at coming up with names, and very picky when choosing one because they need to feel right.

 

[PoisonPen33]

This is an amazing picture.

 

[NotWise]

This is an amazing picture.

It is, and every time I looked at her she said, "Write about me."

I eventually had to change my wallpaper.

 

[PoisonPen33]

It is, and every time I looked at her she said, "Write about me."

I eventually had to change my wallpaper.

I might steal that idea - put a wallpaper up relating to whatever story I'm currently writing to encourage me to finish it.

 

[Handley_Page]

Thanks, HP. About time I try your tea, I think.

Madam, I will make you a cup of Tea any time.
[of course, a lot depends upon the water, but we'll make do with what we can get].

Ogg, does that photosniper thing have a removable lens ?

We had really nice bright weather until late afternoon.
And now it's raining. . . .
Coffee please

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

I might steal that idea - put a wallpaper up relating to whatever story I'm currently writing to encourage me to finish it.

I actually hardly see my wallpaper, only when I start up my laptop or shut it down. And I guess it's usually also my lockscreen, so that might work... Still, doubt I'd see it often enough for it to actually help with that.

 

[Voboy]

I can stand heat. I grew up in a desert.

I can stand humidity. Hot happily, but I can stand it.

But I can't stand heat AND humidity. All you East Coasters who mock the Westerners for insisting "it's a DRY heat" is a valid qualification, have no idea what you're talking about. They're right, you're wrong.

Give me 110 and dry any day versus 93 with a dewpoint of 73.

 

[Handley_Page]

I can't stand heat AND humidity.
Give me 110 and dry any day versus 93 with a dewpoint of 73.

Oh I quite agree.
And now I need another coffee.

 

[_Lynn_]

It is, and every time I looked at her she said, "Write about me."

I eventually had to change my wallpaper.

Somehow, that's not the image floating in my head of what you had to change.

Madam, I will make you a cup of Tea any time.
[of course, a lot depends upon the water, but we'll make do with what we can get].

Ogg, does that photosniper thing have a removable lens ?

We had really nice bright weather until late afternoon.
And now it's raining. . . .
Coffee please

Thanks, HP.

 

[oggbashan]

...

Ogg, does that photosniper thing have a removable lens ?

Yes. It is a TAIR 300mm f4.5 pre-set that comes in a case with a standard Helios 58 mm lens. Both lenses are very good optically.

https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2016/7/31/9/b/5/9b5aa356-5703-11e6-809d-0ba6f92892b0.jpg

When in use as directed, the trigger closes the lens which has a clockwork mechanism and fires the shutter. The problem with that is that the lens and mechanism are heavy and clunky. The closing of the lens causes instant camera shake and there is a significant noise as the lens shuts down to the aperture you have preset. Therefore the typical photosniper shot is a blurred image of a startled bird.

The way to avoid that is to close the lens (or leave it set) on the selected aperture and use the trigger just to operate the shutter. When attached to a DSLR, you set the desired aperture on the 300 mm lens and use the camera's auto function to compensate.

M42 lenses are slightly more expensive secondhand than other mounts because they are easily used with DSLRs.

 

[NotWise]

Somehow, that's not the image floating in my head of what you had to change.

That imagination of yours could be trouble.

 

[Handley_Page]

Thank you, Ogg.
I have an f2 Helios 50mm lens; it's reckoned to be a damned good bit of glass.
I'll keep my eyes open on E-bay & similar for a photo-sniper. I have a Sigma 150-600 mm which is quite a weight. I think a "rifle" support might make life easier.

Well, we are expecting showers so we got loadsa cloud.
Time for a cup of Tea, I think.

 

[_Lynn_]

That imagination of yours could be trouble.

Not me. I wear pearls.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I can stand heat. I grew up in a desert.

I can stand humidity. Hot happily, but I can stand it.

But I can't stand heat AND humidity. All you East Coasters who mock the Westerners for insisting "it's a DRY heat" is a valid qualification, have no idea what you're talking about. They're right, you're wrong.

Give me 110 and dry any day versus 93 with a dewpoint of 73.

Yep. Agree.

Conversely give me cold still days over the same temperature where the wind slices straight through you.

Russ

 

[Javahead]

Yep. Agree.

Conversely give me cold still days over the same temperature where the wind slices straight through you.

Russ

It’s a lazy wind . . . It blows right through you.

 

[TxRad]

I'm stealing bandwidth, so...

Evening all.

Fresh coffee is now available.

Laters.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I'm stealing bandwidth, so...

Evening all.

Fresh coffee is now available.

Laters.

Drains pot. Early start, long day, brain fried. Now some coffee and an hour or so of writing. Then another early start tomorrow.

 

[srosa]

It's not been a huge problem to me so far, and you can always give them their own story later if you so wish. The thing I regret more sometimes is using names I like on side characters when I later realize they'd be perfect for the protagonist of a new story. I try to avoid using the same name more than once unless it's an incredibly common one or I am reusing a character. That and I'm horrible at coming up with names, and very picky when choosing one because they need to feel right.

What names has this happened for?

"Therefore the typical photosniper shot is a blurred image of a startled bird."
Ha!

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

What names has this happened for?

I can't quite remember from my older stories, but there's a character called Jenna in my Nude Day story whose name I really liked. It worked for her, but now I kind of wish I hadn't wasted the name on a side character as it fits another girl in one of my story ideas quite nicely. I actually did the reverse with Alice in that same story. I originally wanted to name her Ashley, but decided against it because I'd like to save that name for another story.

I've actually started to keep a list of interesting names that I come across, so that should make the process of picking a name a bit easier in the future. Hopefully.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Most of you know beachbum1958 is my husband, and nearly all the names he uses in his stories are interesting family names; his family has a habit of picking elusive, unique, and exotic names out of the air, so those names are his source book. At the moment his 80 YO aunt Jonny lives with us (she came for Christmas and hasn't left yet, she's an incredible old woman, mad as a mongoose, constantly refuelled on steak sandwiches, market stall freebies, and gin, and is current de facto leader of the local importunate old lady/scary grandma coven), her real name is Jonquil, which I think is a lovely, old-fashioned name. She was a 1960's fashion model, dated movie stars and modelled for Mary Quant and David Bailey, she's fearless, funny, and outspoken, and the young fashion-model her will be reincarnated soon in one of his upcoming stories, name and all.

Most of his female MC's or main MC's love interests are family; Lena (Big Girls Don't Cry), Lorna (A Hero's Welcome), Justine (Twist & Shout), Lysette (Lysette's Gift), Naomi (Sisterfest), Robyn (Sisterfest), Lara (Sisterfest), Caitlin (Lost & Found), Vanessa (Luciel's Children), Sylvia (Well Met By Moonlight), and Luna (Lost & Found) are all cousins or aunts of his. Jamie (Rag Doll) and Harry (All I ever Wanted) are both his late older brothers, Dylan (Soldier Doll) is an uncle of his, Nick (Rag Doll), Andrew (Shining Girl), Darryl (Big Girls Don't Cry) and Finn (Sisterfest), all cousins, were his groomsmen, and Gerry (A Hero's Welcome) was his best man.

BB has the largest family in the Western Hemisphere, he's apparently related to everyone in England, most of Germany, big chunks of France, a huge swathe of former Huguenot families in GA, SC, and La. and a scattering of Russians, so he's not going to be running out of names anytime soon.

 

[oggbashan]

Most of you know beachbum1958 is my husband, and nearly all the names he uses in his stories are interesting family names; his family has a habit of picking elusive, unique, and exotic names out of the air, so those names are his source book. ...

My wife has done extensive research on her and my family tree, producing some interesting names. One of her great-grandfathers and his brother came to Yorkshire from Poland after the 1848 rebellion there failed. They had unusual Polish names (unusual even in Poland) and the great-grandfather's two sons enlisted in the British Army at a time of agricultural depression. It appears that the recruiting office told them to use more conventional names if they were going to progress in the Army. They had married sisters from an old-established Yorkshire farming family so took their wife's surname and the closest male equivalent of their wife's first name. So Jane's husband became James. The change of surname confused other researchers of the family line because it was never registered.

On my line I have a Lettice Pryke, daughter of John Pryke and granddaughter of John Prick, descendant of a long succession of John Pricks, named for being cattle herders using a goad or prick. She married a John Smith, descendant of a long succession of John Smiths, all of whom were village blacksmiths.

I have not used Lettice, or John Prick or John Smith in any of my stories - so far.

Edited for PS: Two of my great-nieces are named Africa and Europa after the continents where they were conceived. Africa has no African genes in her ancestry; nor has Europa any European genes. As far as our research goes they are White English back to 1400 when there are some Castilian and Provencal ancestors. Except that my sister-in-law might possibly have some Anglo-Indian ancestors because her father was an orphan adopted in Darjeeling and his parentage is unkown but probably white English.

 

[Handley_Page]

Having read Ogg & Lori above, I come to the conclusion that I am quite lucky.
I was adopted as a baby and do not bear any of the names of my adopted forebears, Fred, George Henry, etc..

We fitted a new fence post this afternoon. The post has not been reduced in height; I'm thinking of a Bird Table, as it is outside my window. . .

Time for a nice coffee.

 

[NotWise]

I just got back from my afternoon walk. Ugh. It's hot outside--too hot for a brisk walk. Fortunately, it's dry enough that I hardly broke a sweat until I got back into the office.

It's supposed to stay like this through Saturday before we get a break.

 

[sharingfantasies]

Since I am south of you we have had 90 degree days for a month. Monsoon rains are supposed to FINALLY start next week and then temps will drop down some. I will be very glad when that happens.