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RE: The Case Of The Token Stiff, A Blaine Stamren Noir Murder Mystery
haha! I LIKE this guy, this old gumshoe! I suppose you know all that terminology? and from what? I didn't know quiff, frail, pipe or mick. great story I sure hope that guy shows up again man, that was too cool. I could just sit there all day and read his thoughts, rough old PI. ha!
I knew very few, mostly related to the pistol or gun. Amazing how many different names they had for that. :)
The rest of it, I was looking up the entire time trying to find vocabulary alternatives for words and phrases. There are a couple of websites where I started out, but then I came across a book that was written by a guy who was a detective of some kind, called Dictionary of American underworld lingo. I haven't looked yet to see if they have a Kindle version available, but they are selling it on Amazon. I was able to get into the book for free since it's available as a reference book.
All kinds of words and phrases. Problem is, most people wouldn't understand the stories if I went full 1940s mob lingo.
I like old, Blaine, too. I originally created him while I was in school this last time around. It's funny, but he came to be because we'd had a photo and video shoot during our class the night before and the day after, people were posting photos in our class's group page on Facebook. I stumbled upon a photo where everyone who had a camera the previous night was in it, which meant there was another camera I didn't know about. So, Blaine was created to figure out where the other camera came from.
It was pretty fun, because then the rest of the class began to answer back in character, and started commenting amongst themselves as if they were the culprit or the innocent. It was quite entertaining. I then finished up the story based on the information gleaned through their interactions, and proof of who had the camera surfaced in the the group feed, too!
haha! that's pretty amazing! I love that kind of talk from the 40s, that rough, inner big city scruffy private eye like a couple of characters on tv movies that I can't recall, well I know Humphrey Bogart played a couple.
I think it's a great genre to get into because no one else is doing it as far as I know.
I would say it's not in vogue. There might be one who's doing it like they're in the future, so it's kind of anachronistic in nature. I ran across something like that a few years ago, but I can't remember now if it was a book or a movie. I'm thinking it was a book, but I don't even know if I could find it again.
I need to sit down and watch The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. I've only seen parts of those shows. I think there were a series of Sam Spade movies made, too, but I haven't seen them or read the books. I'm not remembering right now the names of the ones I have read.
Those writers had to write fast and dirty and keep within the limits of sensibilities. So, all kinds of things could be happening, but it had to be within the confines of what society would allow. So, they had to be more creative about how they approached certain topics and the words they used. Nowadays, people just blow through all of that and basically push it in your face. Personally, when there's not a lot left to the imagination, it's not nearly as good.
yes sir that was it, Sam Spade and I think there are a series of Sam Spade novels maybe?
well I think it's a great sign if no one else is doing it, or does that work in books?
Generally, like any other thing, you want to get in before the wave forms, because otherwise, you miss the wave. But paddle too early and you may never catch anything. The hard part is knowing when the wave is going to form.
It would be great to see trends before they've completely formed, but where there's enough interest out there to make some money, and have something ready to jump right in with. Unfortunately, that's not really easy to do. There are some authors that actually create the trend, or renew it, or revamp and revigorate it, but for the most part, they're tapping into something that already exists, not starting something new.
I'm not sure that hard boiled mysteries have ever been mainstream, let alone a sci-fi version of it. If you wanted to marry two things, it would probably be action and romance. I haven't thought much about that before, but there's an idea. You get the right balance, you could grab both sexes. Guys don't do a lot of reading, though, at least not novels. They might read more non-fiction, depending on what it is. They're more apt to watch a video or a movie and play video games, while women tend to still like to use their imaginations. I think it may be because they spend so much time thinking about things and staying inside their own heads that they don't like to come out much. :)
they stay in their own heads and don't like to come out much! lol, that is sure true, they like to lose themselves in romance novels.
but it would be nice if you could START the wave.
That would pretty much mean I have to be able to write romance. I know I can write action. Romance is a different deal, especially done right, which doesn't really happen as much as it should. I get a little suspicious of what's behind romance novel reading anyway. Are they saying they don't have enough romance in their lives, they need to read about some fictional characters' love life, too? They have to watch reality TV, they have to watch Hallmark and Lifetime channels? They have to watch romantic comedies?
I mean, put that imagination to work and be a spark in the real relationship you have. Don't go fantasizing about relationships that aren't real and therefore will never happen.
I like explosions and car chases and gun battles and wars in outer space, but that's not real life and I'm not trying to make it be or wishing it was. Okay, maybe the explosions if I get to walk away in slow motion. :)
hahaha. well I don't know the whys of the romance novels appeal, I just know it's there. I don't think it should be but it is.
you like all the action hero and comic book heros, maybe you should go that route, or did you already say that you tried?