Emily’s top writing tip of the day

[EmilyMiller]

#34

Don’t attempt to insert anything beyond very basic French expressions into your story when you are on a plane and unable to check that you got it right. You will end up dans la merde.

Em

—

With thanks to all at @TarnishedPenny Translation Services.

 

[bumpercars]

Being "dans le merde" is bad, but at least you aren't in the oui oui.

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

I'm trying to include Basque in my latest nonsense. Seems I will be ending up 'kakan.'

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm trying to include Basque in my latest nonsense. Seems I will be ending up 'kakan.'

Wow! I wouldn’t know where to start.

Em

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

Wow! I wouldn’t know where to start.

Em

Google Translate, but I'm not sure I trust it.

I mean, does 'izorratu nazazu' sound like someone exhorting their partner to make love to them in fairly graphic terms?

Sounds like a song from a Disney movie!

I somehow got away with Norwegian a while back. I think I may stick or just make her plain old Spanish, though not sure 'fóllame' is much better.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I do add a smattering of foreign languages. Spanish, French, and Romanian to date. I think it adds a bit of interest. Even if it's just a term of endearment. So far no complaints from the multi-lingual crowd for my usage.

"You didn't tell me everything, did you, Dragă mea?

 

[Katie_Mae]

Google Translate, but I'm not sure I trust it.


View attachment 2263940

I once accidentally begged a guy to spank me thanks to an online translator.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I once accidentally begged a guy to spank me thanks to an online translator.

Not all accidents are bad .

Em

 

[Katie_Mae]

Not all accidents are bad .

Em

It got real awkward real fast.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It got real awkward real fast.

I’m sure. Wasn’t being entirely serious.

Em

 

[Rustyoznail]

I've used GT when a smattering of words are required, but for my India vs Australia series I had an Indian writer help me with suitable Hindi swearing.

Fun fact - Hindi is not the main language for many Indians. It's one of 22 official languages. One lady I work with here is more fluent in English than Hindi.

 

[Katie_Mae]

I’m sure. Wasn’t being entirely serious.

Em

haha, yeah, its ok, I got that.

 

[Djmac1031]

The closest I've braved to write another language was a Latina character who spoke perfectly clear English, but occasionally lapsed into her native Spanish during sex.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My characters on Lit go as far as German - very useful in Turkey, and saved me having to write any Turkish. Elsewhere I wrote a fanfic where a lad had lost his virginity to the 'au pair' about 3-4 years older than him (canon has her introducing him to kissing, and there's much speculation about what his parents were thinking, bringing a woman of 19-20 to live with a sheltered 16yo boy). Much of her speech is in French.

So I packed him off to visit her family, him all awkward because he'd felt pressured to have sex with her then, despite wanting to in general, and loads of awkward conversations with him speaking far from fluent French, both lapsing into their own language when things get heated, and having to ensure Anglophone readers could understand (not that the original author had bothered with that)...

Took me months. No idea if the French is accurate, but it's close enough for your typical Brits forced to learn French in school.

I need a few words in Swedish for a work in progress, but nothing I can't double-check online.

 

[stickygirl]

I used Polish for one character. I speak a little but not the cuss words I researched. I can now cuss in polish too

 

[EmilyMiller]

I used Polish for one character. I speak a little but not the cuss words I researched. I can now cuss in polish too

Personal growth

Em

 

[Wriggle]

French can be sneaky sometimes.
je suis excité
&
je suis excitée

Are not the same.

 

[PeytonMirabelle]

#34

I'm only trying to decide if the invocation of "Rule 34" was intentional or not ...

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Google Translate, but I'm not sure I trust it.

I mean, does 'izorratu nazazu' sound like someone exhorting their partner to make love to them in fairly graphic terms?

Sounds like a song from a Disney movie!

I somehow got away with Norwegian a while back. I think I may stick or just make her plain old Spanish, though not sure 'fóllame' is much better.

View attachment 2263940

Seems to work fine with spanish. I used it to talk to people on Grindr, so I know it works.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm only trying to decide if the invocation of "Rule 34" was intentional or not ...

Unconscious

Em

 

[TxRad]

Aren't we all.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Aren't we all.

Zzzzzzzzzzz…

 

[Cali_Love]

#34

Don’t attempt to insert anything beyond very basic French expressions into your story when you are on a plane and unable to check that you got it right. You will end up dans la merde.

Be safe and just stick with pig-Latin.

CL

 

[jehoram]

French can be sneaky sometimes.
je suis excité
&
je suis excitée

Are not the same.

Please elucidate for us who don't speak French.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Beta reading a story for my publisher. The writer has this line in the story,

“Au revoir mon amour jusqu'à ce que nous nous rencontrons de nouveau.” which means, “Goodbye my love until we meet again.”

A ghost who can't actually tell her lover she still exists, as he is too far away. A lover who has become a vampire, leaving his lover who has become a ghost. It's actually a good story, though.