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[ "Thank you for noticing and glad you appreciate it! ", "Yes it took more than two days on foot to reach this remote mountaintop." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nHow do I greet the user when they log into my website?", "\n\nI'm trying to greet the user when they log into my django website, but using the django login has made it too difficult to send a message to my template and redirect to the new url behind the scenes. ", "How can I greet the user(preferrably with that user's name) on the template of the url I redirect to?", "\nI've tried working with messages, but redirecting to the new url always overrides the message and it never appears. ", "Regular logging in and out works fine, I'm just trying to figure out how to display welcome text to the user to let them know they have successfully logged in and are using their own account.", "\nviews.py\ndef loginPage(request):\n return render(request, \"registration/login.html\")\n\ndef login(request):\n username = request.", "POST['username']\n password = request.", "POST['password']\n user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)\n if user is not None:\n #Success!", "\n messages.success(request, \"Welcome \" + user) #NOT WORKING :(\n login(request, user)\n else:\n return HttpReponseRedirect(\"/DataApp/accounts/login/\")\n\nsettings.py\n# Application definition\n\nINSTALLED_APPS = [\n 'DataApp.apps.", "DataappConfig',\n 'session_security',\n 'django.contrib.admin',\n 'django.contrib.auth',\n 'django.contrib.contenttypes',\n 'django.contrib.sessions',\n 'django.contrib.messages',\n 'django.contrib.staticfiles',\n]\n\nMIDDLEWARE = [\n 'django.middleware.security.", "SecurityMiddleware',\n 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.", "SessionMiddleware',\n 'django.middleware.common.", "CommonMiddleware',\n 'django.middleware.csrf.", "CsrfViewMiddleware',\n 'django.contrib.auth.middleware.", "AuthenticationMiddleware',\n 'session_security.middleware.", "SessionSecurityMiddleware',\n 'django.contrib.messages.middleware.", "MessageMiddleware',\n 'django.middleware.clickjacking.", "XFrameOptionsMiddleware',\n]\n\nROOT_URLCONF = 'WebscrapeApp.urls'\n\nTEMPLATES = [\n{\n 'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.", "DjangoTemplates',\n 'DIRS': [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, '/DataApp/templates')],\n 'APP_DIRS': True,\n 'OPTIONS': {\n 'context_processors': [\n \"django.template.context_processors.debug\",\n 'django.template.context_processors.request',\n 'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',\n 'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',\n ],\n },\n },\n]\n\nWSGI_APPLICATION = 'WebscrapeApp.wsgi.application'\n\n# Database\n# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/ref/settings/#databases\n\nDATABASES = {\n 'default': {\n 'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',\n 'NAME': os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'db.sqlite3'),\n }\n}\n\n# Password validation\n# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators\n\nAUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [\n {\n 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.", "UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',\n },\n {\n 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.", "MinimumLengthValidator',\n },\n {\n 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.", "CommonPasswordValidator',\n },\n {\n 'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.", "NumericPasswordValidator',\n },\n]\n\n# Internationalization\n# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/topics/i18n/\n\nLANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'\n\nTIME_ZONE = 'America/New_York'\n\nUSE_I18N = True\n\nUSE_L10N = True\n\nUSE_TZ = True\n\n# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)\n# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/howto/static-files/\n\nSTATIC_URL = '/static/'\n\nLOGIN_URL = \"/DataApp/accounts/login/\"\nLOGIN_REDIRECT_URL = \"/DataApp/search/\"\n\nSESSION_EXPIRE_AT_BROWSER_CLOSE = True\n\nSESSION_SECURITY_WARN_AFTER = 900\nSESSION_SECURITY_EXPIRE_AFTER = 1200\n\nMEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'media')\nMEDIA_URL = '/media/'\n\nbase.html\n<!-- ", "This is nested in a div tag inside of the html class body -->\n{% if messages %}\n <ul class=\"messages\">\n {% for message in messages %}\n <li{% if message.tags %} class=\"{{ message.tags }}\" {% endif %}>\n {{ message }}</li>\n {% endfor %}\n </ul>\n{% endif %}\n\nI wanted the message to appear within base.html after passing it but it appears django's login function overrides the sending of the message behind the scenes.", "\nSolution:\nbase.html\n<p>\n {% if not user.is_anonymous %}\n <font color=\"#00ccff\">\n Welcome {{ user }}\n </font>\n {% endif %}\n</p>\n\nviews.html\ndef login_view(request):\n username = request.", "POST['username']\n password = request.", "POST['password']\n user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)\n if user is not None:\n #Success!", "\n login(request, user)\n context = {\n \"user\": user\n }\n return render(request, \"base.html\", context)\n else:\n return HttpReponseRedirect(\"/DataApp/accounts/login/\")\n\nA:\n\nfirst rename login function, like login_view etc.", "\nif that doesn't solve your problem, do these also\nif user is not None:\n login(request, user)\n context = {\n \"user\": user\n }\n return render(request, \"base.html\", context)\n\n{% if user %}\n Welcome {{ user }}\n{% endif %}\n\n" ]

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[ "To Mangere Bridge with ♥\n\nThe last time we used this wonderful ♥ was when we were in Hackney last March.", "\n\nThis afternoon, we rode to Mangere Bridge from town to check out the “new” bridge’s walking and cycle path. ", "It’s only been there 3 years now but we recently discovered it and were keen to get out of town.", "\n\nThrough regular downpours and moments of sunshine, we left the CBD to ride to and through an intriguing and colourful bridge. ", "We say colourful because who needs murals when you’ve got vandals to tag the bridge for you. ", "Also, all the fluorescent lights have been ripped out. ", "Another sad thing is that we were there for over an hour and were the only people to use it that whole time. (", "Sorry if you wanted to use and thought we were stalking you!)", "\n\nWe think it’s an absolute shame because the bridge provides a beautiful and scenic ride with two bays. ", "It even has seating in the middle of the bridge, where you can catch your breath, view the harbour and have lunch. ", "The obvious benefit is that the entire trip is sheltered so if you get “varying” Auckland weather, you’re able to enjoy it and watch it as you walk or ride.", "\n\nThe green graffiti is above one of the bays.", "\n\nWe’re interested to hear from you whether you’ve ever used this cycleway and if so, when and why so please answer our humble poll below." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nSpring boot application for background workers\n\nI have defined the following Spring boot application:\n@SpringBootApplication\npublic class Application implements CommandLineRunner {\n\n public static void main(String[] args) {\n new SpringApplicationBuilder(Application.class).web(WebApplicationType.", "NONE).run(args);\n }\n\n public void run(String... args) throws Exception {\n Thread.currentThread().join();\n }\n}\n\nI also have a package of workers (i.e. could be classes which implements Runnable). ", "They are supposed to run indefinitely.", "\nWhat is the \"Spring way\" to run them? (", "and doing so automatically, without explicitly knowing them)\nThanks\n\nA:\n\nand doing so automatically, without explicitly knowing them\n\nThere's no mechanism to automatically run some Runnables from a certain place. ", "You need to find a way to inform Spring about these classes.", "\nThree common scenarios:\n\nExecute some code during the application startup: ApplicationRunner and CommandLineRunner.", "\n\nYou either congregate Runnables and wrap them up into an [Application|CommandLine]Runner which should be a bean (e.g. @Bean, @Component, etc) or make each Runnable a separate [Application|CommandLine]Runner.", "\n\nExecute some code at some point of time: TaskExecutor.", "\n\nYou inject a TaskExecutor and give it previously gathered Runnables.", "\n\nExecute some code repeatedly: TaskScheduler.", "\n\nYou inject a TaskScheduler and give it previously gathered Runnables, plus a trigger.", "\nMore details: Task Execution and Scheduling\n\nA:\n\nYou could (1) have your classes that implement Runnable be annotated with @Component, so that Spring can find them. ", " You can then (2) write a WorkManager, annotated with @Service, with an @Autowired List - which Spring would initialize with a list instances of all your classes from (1). ", " And could (3) write a @PostConstruct method in your WorkManager that would iterate over that list of Runnables, and pass each one to a TaskExecutor to run...\n\n" ]

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[ "\n\nShow HN: Facebook Legacy - telecuda\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdoJxA0Pw3E\n\n======\nface7hill\nThis is a pretty compelling idea. ", "I hope you implement it.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Efficient role of BacTN635 on the safety properties, sensory attributes, and texture profile of raw minced meat beef and chicken breast.", "\nBacteriocin BacTN635, produced by Lactobacillus plantarum sp. ", "TN635, was purified and characterised in previous work. ", "In this study we report the biotechnological application of this bacteriocin as a biopreservative during storage at 4°C of raw minced meat beef and chicken breast. ", "Overall, the results obtained showed that the addition of the semi-purified BacTN635 at 500 or 1000 AU g(-1) in raw minced meat beef and chicken breast can delay the proliferation of spoilage microorganisms, suppress the growth of the pathogenic microorganism Listeria monocytogenes, improve sensory quality, texture attributes, and extend the shelf-life of these two meat products during refrigerated storage. ", "BacTN635 at 1000 AU g(-1) could extend the shelf-life, and the meat showed good sensory characteristics. ", "Therefore, treatment with semi-purified BacTN635 can be used as a safe method for preservation of raw minced meat beef and chicken breast." ]

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[ "Lazio: 'Candreva asked to leave'\n\nBy Football Italia staff\n\nLazio confirmed Antonio Candreva “has asked to leave” after agreeing a deal with Napoli, but he’s still working out personal terms.", "\n\nIt was already expected that the Italy winger would move on this summer amid interest from Napoli, Inter and Chelsea.", "\n\n“With regards to Candreva, he has asked to leave and we’ve already secured a replacement if he does go,” director of sport Igli Tare explained in a Press conference.", "\n\nNew Coach Simone Inzaghi also added “Candreva asked to go. ", "He had seven good games with me, but then there are other needs.”", "\n\nCandreva’s agent admitted Lazio and Napoli had agreed on a transfer fee, so now he is discussing personal terms with the Partenopei.", "\n\nIt’s reported the 29-year-old is valued at €28m, including bonuses.", "\n\nThe wages on offer from Napoli appear to be €2m per year compared to Candreva’s request of €2.5m.\n\nWatch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. ", "Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow" ]

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[ "The effects of Crenotherapy and exercise in peripheral arterial occlusive disease. ", "A comparison with simple exercise training.", "\nConservative therapies for patients affected by Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) aim first to correct the risk factors and to slow down the disease progression. ", "Among these, exercise has positive effects on blood flow, muscle metabolism and well demonstrated systemic effects. ", "These include reduction of chronic inflammation markers, improvement of walking mechanics and heart function. ", "Controlled physical training increases the ability to perform the daily activities improving life expectancy of these patients. ", "The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects and the effectiveness of physical training performed in thermal water compared to traditional treadmill walking exercise. ", "98 patients affected by IIb stage PAOD, according to Leriche-Fontaine classification, were enrolled. ", "Patients were randomized into two groups: the first arm carried out an intensive training program under medical supervision (group A); the second one carried out a rehabilitative exercise associated with crenotherapy (group B). ", "The following parameters were detected: Ankle-Brachial pressure index (ABI), actual claudication distance (ACD), maximum walking distance (MWD), flow mediated dilatation (FMD) and the intima-media thickness (IMT). ", "All patients underwent Doppler echocardiography and complete biochemical assay. ", "In both groups, there was a statistically significant improvement of lipidaemia compared to baseline. ", "When compared with each other, the two groups did not show statistically significant differences. ", "There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding echocardiographic findings. ", "Vascular reactivity study showed a statistically significant improvement of FMD after 3 months of exercise in both groups. ", "In crenotherapy group (B) FMD values were significantly higher than the treadmill ones (A). ", "In both groups a statistically significant improvement in ACD was observed CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows that crenotherapy has similar effects compared to traditional physical training in the treatment of PAOD, being equally well tolerated and safe; it gives an advantage over conventional physical training in terms of ACD and MWD improvement, although not statistically significant, and it is extremely welcome to patients compared to traditional physical training. ", "Arterioscleroses, Intermittent Claudicatio, Peripheral Arterial Diseasen, Physical Exercise, Rehabilitation." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nApplying XML coloration style on TextMergeViewer Eclipse\n\nI recently found this guy's website, claiming he had found a way to set XML syntax coloration in a TextMergeViewer, a thing that is not \"naturally possible\" in Eclipse.", "\nHere is the URL of his website : https://vzurczak.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/merge-compare-dialogs-and-xml-syntax-highlighting/\nHowever, the way he dealt with the issue seems to be not applicable right now (in 2016, and I am running Eclipse 4.4.0). ", "The two major problems I found are the following ones :\n\nStructuredTextViewer cannot be resolved as a type (I see many forums telling that we cannot/could not access it)\nIt looks impossible to cast a StructuredTextViewerConfigurationXML to a SourceViewerConfiguration.", "\n\nI am not pretending that he is a liar, but I guess that I missed something, or Eclipse performed some internal changes affecting his code, written in 2010.", "\nIf someone knows how to solve these issues, his help would be welcomed.", "\nThanks for reading.", "\n\nA:\n\nStructuredTextEditor and related classes are part of the Eclipse Web Tools. ", "In particular the 'Eclipse XML Editors and Tools' feature.", "\nSome downloads of Eclipse include this, other don't. ", "If you don't have it you can install it using 'Install New Software...'. ", "Choose you main Eclipse site and look for 'Eclipse XML Editors and Tools' in the 'Web, XML, Java EE and OSGi Enterprise Development' section.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Menu\n\nAge Regression used in Secret Space Programs confirmed as Scientifically Feasible\n\nDue to recent breakthroughs in genetic research, the claims of three whistleblowers, who say they underwent an age-regression process in secret space programs, have become that much more plausible. ", "The whistleblowers, Corey Goode, Randy Cramer and Michael Relfe, all say that they were age-regressed to become 20 years younger at the end of their respective tours of duty in secret space programs.", "\n\nRecently, geneticists have identified the genes that control the aging process, and in stunning experiments, the results of which have been released in peer reviewed scientific journals, have demonstrated that they were able to reverse the aging process to varying degrees of success.", "\n\nThe results of these experiments make it plausible that the three whistleblowers did indeed undergo an age-regression process using classified medical technologies in secret space programs, as they claimed.", "\n\nThe lead genetic scientist in the publicly announced age reversal studies is Dr. David Sinclair, who discussed in an interview the results of his genetic experiments first conducted on mice:\n\nWe’ve discovered genes that control how the body fights against ageing and these genes, if you turn them on just the right way, they can have very powerful effects, even reversing ageing – at least in mice so far… We fed them a molecule that’s called NMN and this reversed ageing completely within just a week of treatment in the muscle, and now we’re looking to reverse all aspects of ageing if possible.", "\n\nWe’ve gone from mice into early human studies actually. ", "There have been some clinical trials around the world, and we’re hoping in the next few years to know if this will actually work in people as well … They show that the molecules that extend lifespan in mice are safe in people.", "\n\nProfessor Sinclair went on to say in his interview that drugs based on the nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) molecule could be successfully developed “to restore youthfulness in human cells.”", "\n\nSinclair’s view that NMN based drugs will eventually be developed for safe use by humans is stunning in its implications. ", "He may well be in the midst of developing the fabled elixir of life, which accounts for him quickly being elevated into the world’s 100 most influential people according to Time Magazine.", "\n\nIt’s important to point out that Sinclair’s pioneering genetic research is open source and unclassified. ", "This means that is very likely, if not almost certain, that classified research in the field of age reversal/regression technology is far more advanced than anything achieved by Sinclair and his peers.", "\n\nIn several private interviews with William Tompkins, a former U.S. Naval Intelligence operative who subsequently worked with leading aerospace contractors for more than four decades, he revealed that he worked on a classified study developed by the company, TRW, on age regression drugs from 1967-1971.", "\n\nTompkins said that he first came across the development of age-regression technologies when he participated in the debriefings of U.S. Navy spies, from 1942 to 1945, at the Naval Air Station, San Diego. ", "These spies revealed the existence of age-regression studies that were then secretly underway in Nazi Germany.", "\n\nAt the time, Tompkins job was to distribute briefing packets to U.S. companies and think tanks with expertise in the areas used by the Nazis for developing their breakthrough technologies. ", "Tompkins said that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was among the academic research centers delivered briefing packets by him. ", "Therefore it is possible that scientists at MIT have been aware of the Nazi age-regression studies since 1942!", "\n\nSignificantly, Sinclair’s breakthrough in age-regression studies was achieved while he was a post-doctoral fellow at MIT under Dr. Leonard Guarente at M.I.T. Was this merely coincidence, or was Sinclair helped or encouraged while at MIT to develop the insights into the age reversal potential of genetic manipulation?", "\n\nRecently, Tompkins has privately disclosed to me that classified “age-regression” drugs have been developed. ", "He says these drugs have been used for some time in the “20 year and back” tours of duty in secret space programs. ", "This is consistent with the age-regression process described by Goode, Cramer and Relfe, which involved medication administered to them over a two week period where they were physically immobilized.", "\n\nEven more recently, Tompkins says the drugs have been refined so that they can be used for more extensive age-regression periods. ", "For example, reversing a 90 year old back to where s/he has the physical body of a 27 year old is now possible. ", "Tompkins says that there is a covert U.S. Navy sanctioned disclosure process underway to release these age-regression technologies into the public sector. ", "It is, therefore, possible that Sinclair’s research may have been stimulated by this covert Navy initiative during his time at MIT.", "\n\nAt the very least, Sinclair’s pioneering age-reversal experiments and identification of the NMN molecule that can be used for developing “age-regression” drugs means that the claims of Goode, Cramer and Relfe no longer appear so outlandish, and are indeed scientifically feasible." ]

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[ "Sexuality in the lives of older people.", "\nThis article aims to explore some of the physical, psychological and social aspects of sex and sexuality in later life. ", "It hopes to raise nurses' awareness and understanding of sexuality in older people." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nHow do you set up javapns (push notifications for iOS)?", "\n\nI have had a look at the documentation / wiki for javapns. ", "http://code.google.com/p/javapns/\nUnfortunately, what should be obvious is anything but obvious to me.", "\nHow do I set up a working push notification server? ", "As in, there's a .jar file, but I would appreciate more info than that. ", "Do I need to run this in Tomcat? ", " Is there a working example?'", "\nThanks.", "\n\nA:\n\nI have used Java APNS in the past. ", "It has a BSD License and did a perfect job and was quite easy to use once the certificates were set up. ", "All in all it is not a dead-simple task to set up Push notifications, but I usually got usable debug output if there was anything not quite working yet.", "\nA good thing about this solution is that you can run it stand alone java -jar MyAPNSPusher and trigger it with some cron job or include the logic in some .war file. ", "I also found that the library was quite lightweight and I guess you can also find it in a maven repo.", "\nExample from the Readme.markdown\nTo send a notification, you can do it in two steps:\n\nSetup the connection\nApnsService service =\n APNS.newService()\n .withCert(\"/path/to/certificate.p12\", \"MyCertPassword\")\n .withSandboxDestination()\n .build();\n\nCreate and send the message\nString payload = APNS.newPayload().alertBody(\"Can't be simpler than this!\").build();\nString token = \"fedfbcfb....\";\nservice.push(token, payload);\n\n[...]\nAlternatives\nIf hosting your own server solution is too cumbersome then you can fallback to a thirdparty service which might often be a good thing because hosting a server with such a service running on it is probably often underestimated. ", "With those services you usually pay a tiny amount (fractions of a cent) for a push message. ", "Two that I have come across are\n\nhttp://www.ilime.com\n\nEdit As of July 1, 2011, the iLime API has been discontinued as a public service.", "\n\nhttp://urbanairship.com/\n\nA:\n\nJavaPNS is a java library used within your project. ", "It can only be used to connect to the Apple Push Notification Servers, using the certificates that you create on the Apple Developer Tools Website.", "\nSo, if I'm reading your question properly, this is not a stand-alone program and probably not what you want.", "\nIf you are trying to send push notifications to Apple iOS devices, then this IS what you want, but you need to write the rest of your application first, then add this library to it.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Stay on Top of Enterprise Technology Trends Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community\n\nThe Big 4 carriers took a lot of swipes at one another at CTIA Wireless, arguing over which had the faster mobile broadband service and whose networks were and weren’t really 4G. Clearwire(s clwr) stayed out of the debate, but according to CTO John Saw the carrier is putting together an LTE network to shame all four of them. ", "In 2014, Saw said Clearwire will have a 4G network capable of supporting peak speeds of 168 Mbps.", "\n\nClearwire may not have the most ideal spectrum in the world for a nationwide launch – its higher frequency 2.5 GHz airwaves don’t propagate as far as the low-frequency licenses everyone else owns – but it is certainly blessed with a lot of it. ", "Consequently, Clearwire can string those frequencies together to build some enormously fat pipes, Saw said.", "\n\nSaw said Clearwire plans to use the LTE-Advanced technique know as carrier aggregation to deploy an LTE pipe — which in wireless speak is called a carrier — 40 MHz in width. ", "Verizon(s vz)(s vod) and AT&T’s(s t) largest carrier size is 20 MHz. (", "Clearwire’s TD-LTE is a different technology than its competitors, but in terms of speed and data capacity those differences come out in the wash).", "\n\nTheoretically at least, Clearwire’s network will support peak speeds of 168 Mbps, twice as fast as anything Verizon, AT&T, Sprint(s s) and T-Mobile can throw at us, Saw said. ", "Still, Clearwire has to wait for the technology to be ready. ", "While carrier aggregation is already being used widely in HSPA+ — and is, in fact, the secret sauce in T-Mobile’s dual-carrier 42 Mbps service – it will take a few years for the technology to percolate into commercial LTE gear. ", "Saw says he expects it to be ready for Clearwire’s network by 2014.", "\n\n“We’re going to start with 20 MHz carriers,” he said. “", "When carrier aggregation comes along we will go to 40 MHz, which will essentially leave the competition in the dust.”", "\n\nClearwire doesn’t have to stop there. ", "Technically it can keep stacking carriers on top of one another to create 60 MHz and even 80 MHz pipes. ", "It certainly doesn’t lack the spectrum. ", "At CTIA, Nokia Siemens Networks(s nok)(s si) had rigged up a demo that squeezed 1 Gbps out of Clearwire’s spectrum by not only piling on the carriers but using multiple antennas and several other technologies in LTE-Advanced’s bag of tricks. ", "Saw said Huawei has accomplished similar feats using Clearwire’s airwaves, but he also acknowledged that such outsized throughput demos are really intended to be proofs of concept. ", "Sixty MHz or 80 MHz carriers “would be overkill,” he said — at least in the near term.", "\n\nWhy don’t Verizon and AT&T do carrier aggregation as well? ", "They have the technical capability, and they have unused spectrum to play with. ", "The problem is their spectrum isn’t in the right places. ", "For carrier aggregation to work initially all of the frequencies involved need to be contiguous, but most of the spectrum holdings of the Big 4 are scattered across the airwaves. ", "Eventually the LTE standards will allow for non-contiguous aggregation – splicing together bands from all over the electromagnetic spectrum – but that’s a few steps further along the LTE roadmap.", "\n\nAt the end of the day, all of this speed talk is a bit silly. ", "It’s great for bragging rights, but at today’s mobile data prices, no one could actually make regular use of such enormous throughputs without going broke. ", "The near-term goal here isn’t to provide 500 Mbps or 1 Gbps to a single customer, but rather a consistent 5-10 Mbps to 100 different customers in the same cell. ", "To hit that goal operators will need lots of spectrum and they’ll need to deploy lots of carriers, but it won’t matter if those carriers are bound together.", "\n\nSpeedometer image courtesy of Shutterstock user Sashkin" ]

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[ "Tie it together: Give your Clients What They Need When They Need It!", "\n\nI have always been invested in improving the value of my services by fine tuning my client's experience. ", "In the last year it has become my priority to ensure client retention by increasing the relevance of their sessions. ", "To be relevant is to provide meaningful services that meet your client's needs when they need them the most. ", "For those of us who incorporate therapeutic spa, it's an opportunity to guide our clients into taking our services from an indulgence to a necessity.", "\n\nLet's say my client has decided to make a lifestyle change. ", "I can dig into my toolbox of ways to help maximize their goals, perhaps suggesting an aromatherapy wrap as a perfect enhancement to further support their progress as part of their massage.", "\n\nI can take this uncomplicated protocol and adapt it to my client's needs by first actively listening to them and then choosing an appropriate complex. ", "For example, dietary changes -incorporate a detoxification wrap; a new work out regime - sore muscle relief wrap; reaching their weight loss goal - a wrap with firming complex.", "\n\nFinally, when they are dealing with a lot of stress at work and concerned they may lose focus, I can support them with a stress relief wrap.", "\n\nMaking our sessions relevant is much more than just giving a great massage and having an extensive spa menu. ", "It's about really listening to our clients and then skillfully combining treatments to both enhance their experience and meet their ongoing needs. ", "Taking the extra time and care to compile personalized care for our clients will let them know their needs are important to us, and we then become important to them.", "\n\nI look forward to hearing from everyone, and what you have done that has been successful." ]

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[ "A dihydropyrane compound is an important industrial raw material for perfumes. ", "For example, .alpha.-phenyl-dihydropyrane can be converted to 5-phenylpentanol which is particularly important as perfume by reductive ring opening of the pyrane ring (Swiss Patent 655932). ", "Further, dihydropyrane compounds such as 6-phenyl -4-methyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyrane, 6-phenyl-2,4-dimethyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyrane and 6-butyl-2,4-dimethyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyrane are useful themselves (U.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "3,681,263 and Arm. ", "Khm. ", "Zh. (", "1976), 29 (3), p. 276 to 277).", "\nAs described in the literatures described above, these dihydropyrane compounds can be obtained in the form of a mixture of the double bond isomers by reacting aldehyde compounds such as benzaldehyde and valeraldehyde (pentanal) with 3-butene-1-ol compounds such as isoprenol in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acid. ", "However, 3-butene-1-ol compounds are expensive, and therefore a method for preparing these dihydropyrane compounds from readily available and inexpensive raw materials has been desired.", "\nA method by a hetero Diels-Alder reaction of aldehyde compounds with conjugated diene compounds is known as such a method. ", "In this case, conjugated diene compounds such as isoprene and 2-methylpentadiene are readily available. ", "In general, however, in this kind of the hetero Diels-Alder reaction, the products have been able to obtain at practical reaction yield only when high reactive aldehyde compounds such as glyoxylic ester and trichloroacetaldehyde are used (Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, Vol. ", "5, p. 431 Pergamon Press 1991).", "\nA reaction of aldehyde compounds with diene compounds using a Lewis acid as a catalyst is available as an improving method thereof. ", "For example, a method in which aluminum chloride or tin tetrachloride is used as a Lewis acid catalyst and an aliphatic or aromatic nitro compound is further used as a co-catalyst is known (JP-A 1-238578). ", "In this method, however, wastes are produced in large quantities after the reaction, and the reaction yield is as low as about 50%. ", "Accordingly, this method has not yet been sufficiently satisfactory in the viewpoint of reaction yield and productivity. ", "In recent year, known as well is a method in which rare earth metal perfluoroalkanesulfonate such as scandium perfluorate as a catalyst is used to carry out the hetero Diels-Alder reaction (New Journal of Chemistry, 1995, vol. ", "19, 707). ", "However, this method uses an expensive catalyst and therefore is uneconomical and industrially unsuitable.", "\nTetrahedron Letters vol. ", "38, No. ", "14, pages 2569-2572, published on, Apr. 7th, 1997, discloses reaction of an aromatic aldehyde with an excess amount of a diene with a catalsyt of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid.", "\nAccordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple process for preparing a dihydropyrane compound by the hetero Diels-Alder reaction of an aldehyde compound with a diene compound, in view of a high productivity, a high reaction yield and an economic save." ]

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[ "Bosstown Sound\n\nThe Bosstown Sound (or Boston Sound) was the catchphrase of a marketing campaign to promote psychedelic rock and psychedelic pop bands in Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 1960s. ", "The concept was conceived by the record producer Alan Lorber as a marketing strategy intended to establish several underground musical artists native to the city on the national charts and compete with the popular San Francisco Sound. ", "Lorber chose Boston for his plan because of the several bands developing in the city, the abundance of music venues (such as the Boston Tea Party), and the proximity of MGM Records, which had signed the core groups.", "\n\nThe Bosstown Sound was promoted as harnessing the hallucinogenic essence of psychedelia, also known at the time as acid rock. ", "Numerous bands were involved, but the groups Ultimate Spinach, the Beacon Street Union, and Orpheus were the most prominent. ", "The Boston music scene briefly captured the interest of the youth culture, and recordings by bands from Boston achieved positions on the Billboard 200 chart. ", "However, by the end of 1969, the campaign faltered, its advertisements rejected by listeners. ", "Critics panned the groups involved, and few of the Bosstown bands survived after the scene collapsed. ", "Opinions are still mixed, but the music of these bands has received more positive assessments in recent years.", "\n\nHistory\n\nPre-scene\nPrior to the Bosstown Sound, Boston had a burgeoning garage rock scene with bands such as the Remains, the Rising Storm, Teddy and the Pandas, and the Rockin' Ramrods at the forefront. ", "The most commercially successful group in the area was the proto-punk teen band the Barbarians, who reached the Billboard Hot 100 twice with the singles \"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl\" and \"Moulty\". ", "The heyday of these bands pre-dated the Bosstown Sound, and they did not have much involvement in the Sound's development, with the notable exception of the album Basic Magnetism, by Teddy and the Pandas. ", "The main problem was a lack of viable rock music venues to bring the groups together into a unified music scene. ", "Also missing were the local and regional record labels often associated with a developing rock scene. ", "Perhaps more evident in what grew into the Bosstown Sound was the city's equally active folk scene which was led by key figures like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Mimi Farina. ", "Their influences later emerged in the music by mainstay Bosstown bands Orpheus and Earth Opera.", "\n\nWhat became the genesis of the Bosstown Sound is said to exist, at least in rudimentary form, as early as June 1967, when journalist Mel Lyman's first issue of Avatar was pressed. ", "His newspaper carried an advertisement promoting a scheduled event, headlined by two of Boston's earliest psychedelic rock bands, Ill Wind and the Hallucinations, at the Boston Tea Party. ", "Ill Wind and the Hallucinations' performances helped establish the Boston Tea Party as a must-go-to venue for the city's psychedelic scene, and soon other like-minded musical acts—among them the Velvet Underground, the Peanut Butter Conspiracy, and Lothar and the Hand People—became frequent attractions. ", "Journalist Earl Greyland, described the Boston Tea Party's importance in Boston After Dark: \"[It] occurred on March 15, 1968, when, as the staid WBCN audience sat listening to its usual Muzak, the voice of Frank Zappa asked, 'Are you hung up?' ", "and Cream launched into 'I Feel Free'. ", "That was the beginning of the American Revolution, a daily seven-hour program originating from the dressing room of the Tea Party. ", "The combination of providing an established performance setting and radio exposure made the Tea Party a gig second in importance only to the Fillmore\". ", "Other psychedelic venues that contributed to the promotion of the underground music scene in Boston include the Psychedelic Supermarket, the Crosstown Bus, the Catacombs, and the Unicorn.", "\n\n\"The Sound Heard Around the World\"\nRecord producer Alan Lorber materialized a concept to congregate several progressive Boston bands, and promote them as a new unique music scene, in a similar fashion that led to the birth of the San Francisco Sound. ", "In his article Bosstown Sound 1968 - The Music and Time, Lorber wrote Boston was a logical epicenter for his marketing plan \"since it was a place for new and progressive music forms from the folk days, and had an exceptionally strong initial sales potential in the 250,000 college students in residence in Boston's 250 colleges and universities\". ", "Lorber also mentioned that Boston \"had a large number of performance clubs where artists could develop before touring nationally. ", "There were many pop music college and commercial radio stations which could expose the new product on a grass-roots level\". ", "Based on his past successes with the label, MGM Records agreed to showcase the bands Lorber signed. ", "Conviently, the company's studio was situated in New York City, making it easier for Lorber to manage and record several groups.", "\n\nAnother important figure in the Bosstown Sound was Dick Summer, one of Boston's most popular deejays working for WMEX Radio. ", "Summer was directly responsible for the initial radio boom that Bosstown musical acts would experience, and arranged concerts and outdoor festivals in the Boston area where the local bands could hone their skills in anticipation of being signed to a recording deal. ", "It was also Summer who coined the \"Bosstown Sound\" phrase to create a sense of cohesion among the bands. ", "On January 20, 1968, MGM Records commenced its advertisement campaign for the Bosstown Sound by funding for a patriotic-style ad in Billboard magazine that read: \"The Sound Heard Around the World; Boston!!\". ", "On the same date, three Boston-based groups known well to the underground scene -- Ultimate Spinach (better known as Underground Cinema prior to the album), Beacon Street Union, and Orpheus had their debut albums released on the MGM label.", "\n\nThe anticipation of the Bosstown Sound's debut to the record-buying public generated a booming market for Boston-based bands. ", "Beacon Street Union's The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union charted at number 75 on the Billboard 200, and Orpheus's self-titled debut reached number 119. ", "Although Orpheus is pegged as a part of the Bosstown Sound, music historian Richie Unterberger notes they were \"sentimental pop writers at heart\" reminiscent of the Association, rather than the psychedelic bands that comprised much of the Sound. ", "Later benefiting from their more commercially accessible sound, Orpheus was among the few Bosstown bands to have a single (\"can't Find The Time\" in 1968 and 1969, since covered by the Rose Colored Glass and by Hootie and the Blowfish, and the minor 1969 hit \"Brown Arms in Houston\") chart on the Billboard Hot 100. ", "Emerging from the original three MGM-signed groups, Ultimate Spinach—masterminded by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian Bruce-Douglas—achieved the most commercial success from their debut effort, which peaked at number 35 and sold approximately 110,000 copies in 1968. ", "Despite sharp criticism from music critics upon release, overtime the album, now regarded as an acid rock classic, has become a cult favorite among psychedelic aficionados and is the highlight of the Bosstown Sound.", "\n\nFollowing in the trend set by the first three Bosstown groups on their label, MGM Records released other material by local groups such as Chamaeleon Church and Kangeroo. ", "Attempting to cash-in on the sudden craze, other major labels like Elektra Records and ABC Records signed their own assortment of bands native to the city. ", "Among them was Eden's Children, which released a Jimi Hendrix-inspired album in 1968 that charted in the Billboard 200 at 196. ", "Apple Pie Motherhood Band deviated from the psychedelic sound, recording two LPs that incorporated an assortment of bluesy originals and covers. ", " Young teen group, the Freeborne recorded the album Peak Impressions, an ambitious, but somewhat unpredictable, piece that experimented with a variety of instruments. ", "Another group known as Listening recorded a self-titled album in late-1968, which encompassed performances by former Velvet Underground bassist Walter Powers and guitarist Peter Malick. ", "Several additional groups were also associated with the scene such as Earth Opera, the Tangerine Zoo, the Art of Lovin', and Ill Wind.", "\n\nDecline and reception\nAlmost immediately following the success of the Bosstown Sound campaign, music critics began to comment on the apparent lack of originality of some of the bands. ", "Another issue discussed was the diversity among Boston's musical artists, which brought to question whether there was an actual effort to create a unified scene or a manufactured attempt to cash in on the popularity of psychedelia. ", "Music journalist Paul Williams, writing for Crawdaddy!, ", "homed in on the concern: \"[T]here isn't any common consciousness in the Boston rock scene -- there isn't even any Boston rock scene. ", "There are good groups coming out of that area but there isn't the spiritual unity that San Francisco had\". ", "A Jazz & Pop article remarked that \"the sound doesn't exist except in the head of Alan Lorber\". ", "The newly established Rolling Stone magazine questioned \"whether or not there is anything lying beneath the hype\", describing the Boston groups as pretentious and boring. ", "A few articles, such as one in Newsweek, attempted to defend the scene, saying a sense of unity was found in \"subdued, artful electronic sound, an insistence on clear, understandable lyrics, the spice of dissonance and the infusion of classical textures\".", "\n\nBy early 1969, nearly all the Bosstown groups had either disbanded or disappeared from the public view as a consequence of media and youth culture backlash. ", "Ultimate Spinach barely managed to chart at number 198 with their album Behold & See, which noticeably lacked the organ-driven instrumentals that were featured on their debut. ", "Following Bruce-Douglas's departure from the band, Ultimate Spinach released one third and final album called Ultimate Spinach III''', but directionless, in 1969 with a almost completely reconstructed lineup. ", "The Beacon Street Union's The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens was plagued by the Sound's negative stigma, and only reached number 175. ", "Orpheus was among the few groups to remain active into the 1970s, and has since conducted reunions in the 1980s and, again, in the 2000s.", "\n\nIn the aftermath of the Bosstown Sound, reviews remain mixed, but critics have begun to describe the scene in a better light. ", "In 1988, Rolling Stone magazine, while reevaluating the Sound, conceded it was perhaps \"easier to put down Ultimate Spinach and the other Boston groups than it had been to like them\". ", "Music critic Steve Nelson notes that after \"the hype died down, Boston in fact turned out to be a great incubator of musical talent, producing acts like J. Geils, Aerosmith, and The Cars\". ", "While interviewing Bruce-Douglas in 2001, critic Gary Burns stated Ultimate Spinach, which received the brunt of the media stigma focusing on Bosstown, \"deserved a much better fate. ", "The Bosstown hype was not their idea, and their records are some of the best psychedelic music available then or now. ", "Their brief time in the spotlight brought them not well-earned glory but unexpected trauma, which fractured an already-fragile band\". ", "Others, like Richie Unterberger, dismissed the bands' work as \"poor third cousins to the West Coast psychedelic groups that served as their obvious inspirations\".", "\n\nIn 1996, Big Beat Records released the compilation album Bosstown Sound, 1968: The Music & the Time, which included an assortment of Bosstown and pre-scene bands. ", "In 2001, Best of the Bosstown Sound'' followed with a more condensed track listing.", "\n\nAssociated acts\n\n Apple Pie Motherhood Band\n The Art of Lovin'\n The Bagatelle\n Beacon Street Union\n Bead Game\n Bo Grumpus\n Chamaeleon Church\n Earth Opera\n Eden's Children\n Flat Earth Society\n Ford Theatre\n The Freeborne\n Front Page Review\n Ill Wind\n Kangeroo\n Listening\n Orpheus\n Puff\n Phluph\n The Tangerine Zoo\n Teddy and the Pandas\n Ultimate Spinach\n\nReferences\n\nCategory:Music scenes\nCategory:Psychedelic rock" ]

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[ "Four years of experience with antiretroviral therapy in adult patients in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.", "\nThe Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) in Pakistan began dispensing combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) in May 2006 in Karachi. ", "This study aimed to assess the management and outcomes of ART-treated patients. ", "Data were extracted from medical records of adult patients registered with the SACP who received ART between May 2006 and May 2010. ", "In total, 300 patients received ART, of whom 77.7% were men. ", "The median CD4 cell count at the time of joining the SACP was 130 cells/mm(3). ", "ART was nevirapine-based in 69.1% of cases and was correctly prescribed in 97.3%. ", "Of 257 patients who received ≥1 month of ART, >90% were regular with their medications and appointments. ", "Of the 300 patients, 70 (23.3%) had HIV-related deaths and 4 (1.3%) had non-HIV-related deaths, whereas 32 (10.7%) transferred out and 16 (5.3%) stopped attending the clinic and could not be traced. ", "Estimated survival in the first 6 months stratified by initial CD4 lymphocyte count ≥50 cells/mm(3) and <50 cells/mm(3) was 85.8% (95% CI 80.8-90.0%) and 52.2% (95% CI 40.9-63.1%), respectively. ", "Viral suppression was achieved in 95.4% of those who survived beyond 3 months of starting ART. ", "ART can be managed adequately with excellent patient adherence and satisfactory clinical outcomes in a resource-limited setting." ]

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[ "The Starry Sky Above and the Moral Life Within\n\nPost navigation\n\nThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions\n\nWe may, to be more precise, have to relinquish the notion, explicit or implicit, that changes of paradigm carry scientists and those who learn from them closer and closer to the truth.", "\n\n– Thomas Kuhn\n\nThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) is a book about the history of science by the philosopher Thomas S. Kuhn. ", "Its publication was a landmark event in the history, philosophy, and sociology of scientific knowledge. ", "Kuhn challenged the then prevailing view of progress in “normal science”. ", "Normal scientific progress was viewed as “development-by-accumulation” of accepted facts and theories. ", "Kuhn argued for an episodic model in which periods of such conceptual continuity in normal science were interrupted by periods of revolutionary science. ", "The discovery of “anomalies” during revolutions in science leads to new paradigms. ", "New paradigms then ask new questions of old data, move beyond the mere “puzzle-solving” of the previous paradigm, change the rules of the game and the “map” directing new research.", "\n\nFor example, Kuhn’s analysis of the Copernican Revolution emphasized that, in its beginning, it did not offer more accurate predictions of celestial events, such as planetary positions, than the Ptolemaic system, but instead appealed to some practitioners based on a promise of better, simpler, solutions that might be developed at some point in the future. ", "Kuhn called the core concepts of an ascendant revolution its “paradigms” and thereby launched this word into widespread analogical use in the second half of the 20th century. ", "Kuhn’s insistence that a paradigm shift was a mélange of sociology, enthusiasm and scientific promise, but not a logically determinate procedure, caused an uproar in reaction to his work. ", "Kuhn addressed concerns in the 1969 postscript to the second edition. ", "For some commentators, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions introduced a realistic humanism into the core of science, while for others the nobility of science was tarnished by Kuhn’s introduction of an irrational element into the heart of its greatest achievements.", "\n\nIn a sense that I am unable to explicate further, the proponents of competing paradigms practice their trades in different worlds.", "\n\nHistory\n\nThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions was first published as a monograph in the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science, then as a book by University of Chicago Press in 1962. ", "In 1969, Kuhn added a postscript to the book in which he replied to critical responses to the first edition. ", "A 50th Anniversary Edition (with an introductory essay by Ian Hacking) was published by the University of Chicago Press in April 2012.", "\n\nKuhn dated the genesis of his book to 1947 when he was a graduate student at Harvard University and had been asked to teach a science class for humanities undergraduates with a focus on historical case studies. ", "Kuhn later commented that until then, “I’d never read an old document in science.” ", "Aristotle’s Physics was astonishingly unlike Isaac Newton’s work in its concepts of matter and motion. ", "Kuhn wrote “… as I was reading him, Aristotle appeared not only ignorant of mechanics, but a dreadfully bad physical scientist as well. ", "About motion, in particular, his writings seemed to me full of egregious errors, both of logic and of observation.” ", "This was in an apparent contradiction with the fact that Aristotle was a brilliant mind. ", "While perusing Aristotle’s Physics, Kuhn formed the view that in order to properly appreciate Aristotle’s reasoning, one must be aware of the scientific conventions of the time. ", "Kuhn concluded that Aristotle’s concepts were not “bad Newton,” just different. ", "This insight was the foundation of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.", "\n\nPrior to the publication of Kuhn’s book, a number of ideas regarding the process of scientific investigation and discovery had already been proposed. ", "Ludwik Fleck developed the first system of the sociology of scientific knowledge in his book The Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact (1935). ", "He claimed that the exchange of ideas led to the establishment of a thought collective, which, when developed sufficiently, served to separate the field into esoteric (professional) and exoteric (laymen) circles. ", "Kuhn wrote the foreword to the 1979 edition of Fleck’s book, noting that he read it in 1950 and was reassured that someone “saw in the history of science what I myself was finding there.”", "\n\nKuhn was not confident about how his book would be received. ", "Harvard University had denied his tenure, a few years before. ", "However, by the mid-1980s, his book had achieved blockbuster status.", "\n\nOne theory to which Kuhn replies directly is Karl Popper’s “falsificationism,” which stresses falsifiability as the most important criterion for distinguishing between that which is scientific and that which is unscientific. ", "Kuhn also addresses verificationism, a philosophical movement that emerged in the 1920s among logical positivists. ", "The verifiability principle claims that meaningful statements must be supported by empirical evidence or logical requirements.", "\n\nScientists work from models acquired through education and through subsequent exposure to the literature often without quite knowing or needing to know what characteristics have given these models the status of community paradigms.", "\n\nBasic Approach\n\nKuhn’s approach to the history and philosophy of science focuses on conceptual issues like the practice of normal science, influence of historical events, emergence of scientific discoveries, nature of scientific revolutions and progress through scientific revolutions. ", "What sorts of intellectual options and strategies were available to people during a given period? ", "What types of lexicons and terminology were known and employed during certain epochs? ", "Stressing the importance of not attributing traditional thought to earlier investigators, Kuhn’s book argues that the evolution of scientific theory does not emerge from the straightforward accumulation of facts, but rather from a set of changing intellectual circumstances and possibilities. ", "Such an approach is largely commensurate with the general historical school of non-linear history.", "\n\nKuhn did not see scientific theory as proceeding linearly from an objective, unbiased accumulation of all available data, but rather as paradigm-driven. “", "The operations and measurements that a scientist undertakes in the laboratory are not ‘the given’ of experience but rather ‘the collected with difficulty.’ ", "They are not what the scientist sees—at least not before his research is well advanced and his attention focused. ", "Rather, they are concrete indices to the content of more elementary perceptions, and as such they are selected for the close scrutiny of normal research only because they promise opportunity for the fruitful elaboration of an accepted paradigm. ", "Far more clearly than the immediate experience from which they in part derive, operations and measurements are paradigm-determined. ", "Science does not deal in all possible laboratory manipulations. ", "Instead, it selects those relevant to the juxtaposition of a paradigm with the immediate experience that that paradigm has partially determined. ", "As a result, scientists with different paradigms engage in different concrete laboratory manipulations.”", "\n\nHistory, if viewed as a repository for more than anecdote or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed.", "\n\nHistorical Examples of Chemistry\n\nKuhn explains his ideas using examples taken from the history of science. ", "For instance, eighteenth century scientists believed that homogenous solutions were chemical compounds. ", "Therefore, a combination of water and alcohol was generally classified as a compound. ", "Nowadays it is considered to be a solution, but there was no reason then to suspect that it was not a compound. ", "Water and alcohol would not separate spontaneously, nor will they separate completely upon distillation (they form an azeotrope). ", "Water and alcohol can be combined in any proportion.", "\n\nUnder this paradigm, scientists believed that chemical reactions (such as the combination of water and alcohol) did not necessarily occur in fixed proportion. ", "This belief was ultimately overturned by Dalton’s atomic theory, which asserted that atoms can only combine in simple, whole-number ratios. ", "Under this new paradigm, any reaction which did not occur in fixed proportion could not be a chemical process. ", "This type world-view transition among the scientific community exemplifies Kuhn’s paradigm shift.", "\n\nTo my complete surprise, that exposure to out-of-date scientific theory and practice radically undermined some of my basic conceptions about the nature of science and the reasons for its special success.", "\n\nCopernican Revolution\n\nA famous example of a revolution in scientific thought is the Copernican Revolution. ", "In Ptolemy’s school of thought, cycles and epicycles (with some additional concepts) were used for modeling the movements of the planets in a cosmos that had a stationary Earth at its center. ", "As accuracy of celestial observations increased, complexity of the Ptolemaic cyclical and epicyclical mechanisms had to increase to maintain the calculated planetary positions close to the observed positions. ", "Copernicus proposed a cosmology in which the Sun was at the center and the Earth was one of the planets revolving around it. ", "For modeling the planetary motions, Copernicus used the tools he was familiar with, namely the cycles and epicycles of the Ptolemaic toolbox. ", "Yet Copernicus’ model needed more cycles and epicycles than existed in the then-current Ptolemaic model, and due to a lack of accuracy in calculations, his model did not appear to provide more accurate predictions than the Ptolemy model. ", "Copernicus’ contemporaries rejected his cosmology, and Kuhn asserts that they were quite right to do so: Copernicus’ cosmology lacked credibility.", "\n\nKuhn illustrates how a paradigm shift later became possible when Galileo Galilei introduced his new ideas concerning motion. ", "Intuitively, when an object is set in motion, it soon comes to a halt. ", "A well-made cart may travel a long distance before it stops, but unless something keeps pushing it, it will eventually stop moving. ", "Aristotle had argued that this was presumably a fundamental property of nature: for the motion of an object to be sustained, it must continue to be pushed. ", "Given the knowledge available at the time, this represented sensible, reasonable thinking.", "\n\nGalileo put forward a bold alternative conjecture: suppose, he said, that we always observe objects coming to a halt simply because some friction is always occurring. ", "Galileo had no equipment with which to objectively confirm his conjecture, but he suggested that without any friction to slow down an object in motion, its inherent tendency is to maintain its speed without the application of any additional force.", "\n\nThe Ptolemaic approach of using cycles and epicycles was becoming strained: there seemed to be no end to the mushrooming growth in complexity required to account for the observable phenomena. ", "Johannes Kepler was the first person to abandon the tools of the Ptolemaic paradigm. ", "He started to explore the possibility that the planet Mars might have an elliptical orbit rather than a circular one. ", "Clearly, the angular velocity could not be constant, but it proved very difficult to find the formula describing the rate of change of the planet’s angular velocity. ", "After many years of calculations, Kepler arrived at what we now know as the law of equal areas.", "\n\nGalileo’s conjecture was merely that — a conjecture. ", "So was Kepler’s cosmology. ", "But each conjecture increased the credibility of the other, and together, they changed the prevailing perceptions of the scientific community. ", "Later, Newton showed that Kepler’s three laws could all be derived from a single theory of motion and planetary motion. ", "Newton solidified and unified the paradigm shift that Galileo and Kepler had initiated.", "\n\nOnly when they must choose between competing theories do scientists behave like philosophers.", "\n\nCoherence\n\nOne of the aims of science is to find models that will account for as many observations as possible within a coherent framework. ", "Together, Galileo’s rethinking of the nature of motion and Keplerian cosmology represented a coherent framework that was capable of rivaling the Aristotelian/Ptolemaic framework.", "\n\nOnce a paradigm shift has taken place, the textbooks are rewritten. ", "Often the history of science too is rewritten, being presented as an inevitable process leading up to the current, established framework of thought. ", "There is a prevalent belief that all hitherto-unexplained phenomena will in due course be accounted for in terms of this established framework. ", "Kuhn states that scientists spend most (if not all) of their careers in a process of puzzle-solving. ", "Their puzzle-solving is pursued with great tenacity, because the previous successes of the established paradigm tend to generate great confidence that the approach being taken guarantees that a solution to the puzzle exists, even though it may be very hard to find. ", "Kuhn calls this process normal science.", "\n\nAs a paradigm is stretched to its limits, anomalies — failures of the current paradigm to take into account observed phenomena — accumulate. ", "Their significance is judged by the practitioners of the discipline. ", "Some anomalies may be dismissed as errors in observation, others as merely requiring small adjustments to the current paradigm that will be clarified in due course. ", "Some anomalies resolve themselves spontaneously, having increased the available depth of insight along the way. ", "But no matter how great or numerous the anomalies that persist, Kuhn observes, the practicing scientists will not lose faith in the established paradigm until a credible alternative is available; to lose faith in the solvability of the problems would in effect mean ceasing to be a scientist.", "\n\nIn any community of scientists, Kuhn states, there are some individuals who are bolder than most. ", "These scientists, judging that a crisis exists, embark on what Kuhn calls revolutionary science, exploring alternatives to long-held, obvious-seeming assumptions. ", "Occasionally this generates a rival to the established framework of thought. ", "The new candidate paradigm will appear to be accompanied by numerous anomalies, partly because it is still so new and incomplete. ", "The majority of the scientific community will oppose any conceptual change, and, Kuhn emphasizes, so they should. ", "To fulfill its potential, a scientific community needs to contain both individuals who are bold and individuals who are conservative. ", "There are many examples in the history of science in which confidence in the established frame of thought was eventually vindicated. ", "It is almost impossible to predict whether the anomalies in a candidate for a new paradigm will eventually be resolved. ", "Those scientists who possess an exceptional ability to recognize a theory’s potential will be the first whose preference is likely to shift in favor of the challenging paradigm. ", "There typically follows a period in which there are adherents of both paradigms. ", "In time, if the challenging paradigm is solidified and unified, it will replace the old paradigm, and a paradigm shift will have occurred.", "\n\nSuddenly the fragments in my head sorted themselves out in a new way, and fell into place together. ", "My jaw dropped, for all at once Aristotle seemed a very good physicist indeed, but of a sort I’d never dreamed possible. ", "Now I could understand why he had said what he’d said, and what his authority had been.", "\n\nPhases\n\nKuhn explains the process of scientific change as the result of various phases of paradigm change.", "\n\nPhase 1 – It exists only once and is the pre-paradigm phase, in which there is no consensus on any particular theory. ", "This phase is characterized by several incompatible and incomplete theories. ", "Consequently, most scientific inquiry takes the form of lengthy books, as there is no common body of facts that may be taken for granted. ", "If the actors in the pre-paradigm community eventually gravitate to one of these conceptual frameworks and ultimately to a widespread consensus on the appropriate choice of methods, terminology and on the kinds of experiment that are likely to contribute to increased insights.", "\n\nPhase 2 – Normal science begins, in which puzzles are solved within the context of the dominant paradigm. ", "As long as there is consensus within the discipline, normal science continues. ", "Over time, progress in normal science may reveal anomalies, facts that are difficult to explain within the context of the existing paradigm. ", "While usually these anomalies are resolved, in some cases they may accumulate to the point where normal science becomes difficult and where weaknesses in the old paradigm are revealed.", "\n\nPhase 3 – If the paradigm proves chronically unable to account for anomalies, the community enters a crisis period. ", "Crises are often resolved within the context of normal science. ", "However, after significant efforts of normal science within a paradigm fail, science may enter the next phase.", "\n\nPhase 4 – Paradigm shift, or scientific revolution, is the phase in which the underlying assumptions of the field are reexamined and a new paradigm is established.", "\n\nPhase 5- Post-Revolution, the new paradigm’s dominance is established and so scientists return to normal science, solving puzzles within the new paradigm.", "\n\nA science may go through these cycles repeatedly, though Kuhn notes that it is a good thing for science that such shifts do not occur often or easily.", "\n\nPhilosophers of science have repeatedly demonstrated that more than one theoretical construction can always be placed upon a given collection of data. ", "History of science indicates that, particularly in the early developmental stages of a new paradigm, it is not even very difficult to invent such alternates.", "\n\nIncommensurability\n\nAccording to Kuhn, the scientific paradigms preceding and succeeding a paradigm shift are so different that their theories are incommensurable — the new paradigm cannot be proven or disproven by the rules of the old paradigm, and vice versa. (", "A later interpretation by Kuhn of ‘commensurable’ versus ‘incommensurable’ was as a distinction between languages, namely, that statements in commensurable languages were translatable fully from one to the other, while in incommensurable languages, strict translation is not possible.) ", "The paradigm shift does not merely involve the revision or transformation of an individual theory, it changes the way terminology is defined, how the scientists in that field view their subject, and, perhaps most significantly, what questions are regarded as valid, and what rules are used to determine the truth of a particular theory. ", "The new theories were not, as the scientists had previously thought, just extensions of old theories, but were instead completely new world views. ", "Such incommensurability exists not just before and after a paradigm shift, but in the periods in between conflicting paradigms. ", "It is simply not possible, according to Kuhn, to construct an impartial language that can be used to perform a neutral comparison between conflicting paradigms, because the very terms used are integral to the respective paradigms, and therefore have different connotations in each paradigm. ", "The advocates of mutually exclusive paradigms are in a difficult position: “Though each may hope to convert the other to his way of seeing science and its problems, neither may hope to prove his case. ", "The competition between paradigms is not the sort of battle that can be resolved by proofs.” ", "Scientists subscribing to different paradigms end up talking past one another.", "\n\nKuhn states that the probabilistic tools used by verificationists are inherently inadequate for the task of deciding between conflicting theories, since they belong to the very paradigms they seek to compare. ", "Similarly, observations that are intended to falsify a statement will fall under one of the paradigms they are supposed to help compare, and will therefore also be inadequate for the task. ", "According to Kuhn, the concept of falsifiability is unhelpful for understanding why and how science has developed as it has. ", "In the practice of science, scientists will only consider the possibility that a theory has been falsified if an alternative theory is available that they judge credible. ", "If there is not, scientists will continue to adhere to the established conceptual framework. ", "If a paradigm shift has occurred, the textbooks will be rewritten to state that the previous theory has been falsified.", "\n\nKuhn further developed his ideas regarding incommensurability in the 1980s and 1990s. ", "In his unpublished manuscript The Plurality of Worlds, Kuhn introduces the theory of kind concepts: sets of interrelated concepts that are characteristic of a time period in a science and differ in structure from the modern analogous kind concepts. ", "These different structures imply different “taxonomies” of things and processes, and this difference in taxonomies constitutes incommensurability. ", "This theory is strongly naturalistic and draws on developmental psychology to “found a quasi-transcendental theory of experience and of reality.”", "\n\nScientific revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense… that an existing paradigm has ceased to function adequately in the exploration of an aspect of nature to which that paradigm itself had previously led the way.", "\n\nExemplar\n\nKuhn introduced the concept of an exemplar in a postscript to the second edition of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970). ", "He noted that he was substituting the term ‘exemplars’ for ‘paradigm’, meaning the problems and solutions that students of a subject learn from the beginning of their education. ", "For example, physicists might have as exemplars the inclined plane, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, or instruments like the calorimeter.", "\n\nAccording to Kuhn, scientific practice alternates between periods of normal science and revolutionary science. ", "During periods of normalcy, scientists tend to subscribe to a large body of interconnecting knowledge, methods, and assumptions which make up the reigning paradigm. ", "Normal science presents a series of problems that are solved as scientists explore their field. ", "The solutions to some of these problems become well known and are the exemplars of the field.", "\n\nThose who study a scientific discipline are expected to know its exemplars. ", "There is no fixed set of exemplars, but for a physicist today it would probably include the harmonic oscillator from mechanics and the hydrogen atom from quantum mechanics.", "\n\nBy now it may be clear that the position I’m developing is a sort of post-Darwinian Kantianism.", "\n\nKuhn on Scientific Progress\n\nThe first edition of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions ended with a chapter titled “Progress through Revolutions”, in which Kuhn spelled out his views on the nature of scientific progress. ", "Since he considered problem solving to be a central element of science, Kuhn saw that for a new candidate paradigm to be accepted by a scientific community, “First, the new candidate must seem to resolve some outstanding and generally recognized problem that can be met in no other way. ", "Second, the new paradigm must promise to preserve a relatively large part of the concrete problem solving activity that has accrued to science through its predecessors.", "\n\nWhile the new paradigm is rarely as expansive as the old paradigm in its initial stages, it must nevertheless have significant promise for future problem-solving. ", "As a result, though new paradigms seldom or never possess all the capabilities of their predecessors, they usually preserve a great deal of the most concrete parts of past achievement and they always permit additional concrete problem-solutions besides.", "\n\nIn the second edition, Kuhn added a postscript in which he elaborated his ideas on the nature of scientific progress. ", "He described a thought experiment involving an observer who has the opportunity to inspect an assortment of theories, each corresponding to a single stage in a succession of theories. ", "What if the observer is presented with these theories without any explicit indication of their chronological order? ", "Kuhn anticipates that it will be possible to reconstruct their chronology on the basis of the theories’ scope and content, because the more recent a theory is, the better it will be as an instrument for solving the kinds of puzzle that scientists aim to solve. ", "Kuhn remarked: “That is not a relativist’s position, and it displays the sense in which I am a convinced believer in scientific progress.”", "\n\nThe man who is striving to solve a problem defined by existing knowledge and technique is not, however, just looking around. ", "He knows what he wants to achieve, and he designs his instruments and directs his thoughts accordingly. ", "Unanticipated novelty, the new discovery, can emerge only to the extent that his anticipations about nature and his instruments prove wrong… There is no other effective way in which discoveries might be generated.", "\n\nIf these out-of date beliefs are to be called myths, then myths can be produced by the same sorts of methods and held for the same sorts of reasons that now lead to scientific knowledge." ]

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[ "Bruce Hopkins (rugby league)\n\nBruce Hopkins (6 December 1924 – 26 December 2013) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s. ", "He played for the Canterbury Bulldogs for three seasons between 1947–1949, the Balmain Tigers for two seasons between 1950–1951, the St. George Dragons for one season in 1954.", "\n\nHopkins represented New South Wales in 1947 and 1948 and for the Australian national side in 1948. ", "He attended Sydney Boys High School, graduating in 1942. ", "While serving in the Australian Army in Townsville, he played for Centrals ASA rugby league club during 1945 and 1946. ", "Hopkins played for Canterbury-Bankstown at halfback in the 1947 NSWRFL season's grand final, losing to Balmain. ", "The following year he was first selected to play for Australia, but did not appear in any Test matches. ", "He is remembered as the first ever Canterbury-Bankstown player to be selected for a Kangaroo Tour.", "\n\nReferences\n\nCategory:Sportsmen from New South Wales\nCategory:Rugby league players from Sydney\nCategory:Balmain Tigers players\nCategory:St. George Dragons players\nCategory:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players\nCategory:New South Wales rugby league team players\nCategory:People educated at Sydney Boys High School\nCategory:Australia national rugby league team players\nCategory:1924 births\nCategory:2013 deaths\nCategory:Rugby league halfbacks" ]

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[ "Testimonials\n\n“Quite simply an efficient and effective solution for the teaching of times tables.”", "\n\nAfter seeing Number.fy in use at another school, I knew we had to implement it. ", "Ten minutes a day soon resulted in super progress in key number skills. ", "The impact was also clearly evident in their wider use of mathematics: children were no longer held back by recall of key number facts.", "\n\n— Rob Weightman, Headteacher\n\n“We saw rapid improvement.”", "\n\nWe implemented Number.fy in-class for a month long Y6 trial and saw rapid improvement in the accuracy and speed of times tables, as well as identifying a SEN referral..\n\n— Sue Teague, Headteacher\n\n\"Ultimately a more successful way of helping our children learn their multiplication tables.\"", "\n\nNumber.fy is a new, interesting - and ultimately, more successful - way of helping our children learn their multiplication tables. ", "The children are fully engaged with the app and it provides regular, consistent practice to ensure the facts are retained in their long term memory. ", "For teachers, the website provides an in-depth breakdown for each child and each multiplication table so that the next steps for learning are easily identifiable.", "\n\n— Adam Burgess, Teacher\n\n\"Number.fy increases children's mental agility and resilience.\"", "\n\nHaving been involved with Flurrish from the very start it has been great to see children continue to engage with this app and the skills it teaches. ", "Far more than just times tables and number bonds, Number.fy increases children's mental agility and resilience. ", "Daily game play increases children's motivation for Maths and allows for competitions between peers and other classes.", "\n\n— Richard Kingham, Teacher\n\n\"As a teacher the analysis website is great.\"", "\n\nWe have been using Number.fy for over a year and seen some significant improvements in our KS2 children's knowledge of the times tables. ", "The effect is seen in maths lessons and also in SATS tests. ", "The children are enthused by the challenge and simplicity which makes Number.fy accessible to all. ", "Once the children have understood the challenge of getting a balance between speed and accuracy they can really flourish!!", "\n\nAs a teacher the analysis website is great. ", "So many answers checked and marked quickly with the ability to quickly identify issues and weaknesses. ", "Teaching and learning can then be targeted directly.", "\n\nThe only issue now is getting enough devices into school for everyone to use !!", "\n\n— Marcus Ray, Assistant Headteacher\n\nPupils using Number.fy can be up and running in the classroom within seconds meaning they spend the maximum amount of time learning and the minimum amount of time fighting technology." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nELCUIApplication timeout issue\n\nI am new for ios.", "\nI have an app in which i have a login. ", "After login user can use application.", "\nNow i have functionality that if user have no user intraction for 2 mins than app will navigate to login screen.", "\nI have used -\nhttp://www.icodeblog.com/2011/09/19/timing-out-an-application-due-to-inactivity/\nFor implementing it.", "\nEverything is working fine expect when user login in the app and then use apple button so now app is in background and not uses the device for few minutes and now iphone is in lock mode.", "\nNow if user open lock and open app, I can see a black screen,UI is not present over there.", "\nBut if i click on keyboard is shown so it is my login screen's textview but nothing is visible.", "\nMy code of main.m\nNSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];\n int retVal = UIApplicationMain(argc, argv, @\"ELCUIApplication\", nil);\n [pool release];\n return retVal;\n\nWhen ever the timer of inactivity fires i pop the view controller to Root.", "\nThanks for Help.", "\n\nA:\n\nFirst check the background color.", "\nIf it is black, then make it Clear color.", "\nI had similar problem and i solved it this way. ", "\n\n" ]

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[ "/*\n * Copyright (C) 2016 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.", "\n *\n * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without\n * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions\n * are met:\n * 1. ", "Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright\n * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.", "\n * 2. ", "Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright\n * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the\n * documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.", "\n *\n * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY APPLE INC. ", "AND ITS CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS''\n * AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,\n * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR\n * PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. ", "IN NO EVENT SHALL APPLE INC. ", "OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS\n * BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR\n * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF\n * SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS\n * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN\n * CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)\n * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF\n * THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.", "\n */\n\n#include \"config.h\"\n#include \"JSIDBIndex.h\"\n\n#if ENABLE(INDEXED_DATABASE)\n\n#include \"IDBIndex.h\"\n#include <JavaScriptCore/HeapInlines.h>\n\nnamespace WebCore {\nusing namespace JSC;\n\nvoid JSIDBIndex::visitAdditionalChildren(SlotVisitor& visitor)\n{\n visitor.addOpaqueRoot(static_cast<IDBIndex&>(wrapped()).objectStoreAsOpaqueRoot());\n}\n\n} // namespace WebCore\n\n#endif // ENABLE(INDEXED_DATABASE)\n" ]

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[ "Bernanke: Economy still needs Fed stimulus\n\nPaul Davidson | USA TODAY\n\nFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday the central bank will likely keep at least some of its easy-money policies going \"for the foreseeable future.\"", "\n\nNoting that unemployment is still too high and inflation too low, Bernanke said, \"both sides of our mandate are saying we need to be more accommodative.\"", "\n\nHe spoke about Fed policies in a Q&A session after a speech in Cambridge, Mass., to the National Bureau of Economic Research.this\n\nBernanke rattled stock and bond markets last month when he said the Fed likely will reduce its stimulus later this year and end it by mid-2014, assuming the 7.6% jobless rate falls to 7% by then. ", "The Fed is buying $85 billion a month in government bonds to hold down long-term interest rates.", "\n\nFinancial markets assumed that Bernanke's roadmap also meant that the Fed likely will raise its benchmark short-term interest rate in late 2014, instead of mid-2015 as anticipated.", "\n\nBut Bernanke reiterated that the Fed won't consider raising short-term rates until the unemployment rate reaches 6.5%.", "\n\nThe Fed chairman also suggested that policymakers could keep the bond-buying program at full throttle longer if the economy wobbles. ", "While the housing market is improving and buoying consumer wealth, federal spending cuts still could dampen growth, he said. \"", "it's still too early to say we have weathered the fiscal restraint,\" he said.", "\n\nAnd if interest rates continue to rise in anticipation of Fed actions, hobbling the economy, \"we'll have to push back against that,\" Bernanke said.", "\n\nIn his prepared speech earlier, Bernanke says the 2008 financial crisis showed the Federal Reserve that it must strengthen its approach to both regulation and interest-rate policies.", "\n\nBernanke says the U.S. economy has yet to fully recover from the downturn.", "\n\nHis speech focused on the Fed's successes and failures in managing the economy over the past 100 years. ", "Bernanke told the audience he would not address the Fed's current policies in his speech but that he expected to be asked about it during a question and answer period.", "\n\nContributing: Associated Press" ]

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[ "Details\n\nPeriodic brake bleeds are necessary to maintain consistent stopping performance, and Avid's Professional Disc Brake Bleed Kit has everything you need to keep your Avid Juicy, Code or Elixir hydraulic discs running strong. ", "And, this pro version is designed to stand up to heavy use with high-volume syringes and steel fittings." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nWhat's the point of a DataContract in WCF?", "\n\nVS.net creates a template when you create a WCF project.", "\nIt adds a class to the iService1.cs file:\n// Use a data contract as illustrated in the sample below to\n// add composite types to service operations.", "\n[DataContract]\npublic class CompositeType\n{\n bool boolValue = true;\n string stringValue = \"Hello \";\n\n [DataMember]\n public bool BoolValue\n {\n get { return boolValue; }\n set { boolValue = value; }\n }\n\n [DataMember]\n public string StringValue\n {\n get { return stringValue; }\n set { stringValue = value; }\n }\n}\n\nSince a WCF service can return any user defined class, why use a DataContract and CompositeType class?", "\nI can return something like:\n [OperationContract]\nMyUserCollection GetUsers();\n\nWhat am I missing?", "\n\nA:\n\nThe DataContract is just a formal definition of a type that can be understood on both sides of the service boundary.", "\nIf you return, as in your example, a \"MyUserCollection\" object, the consumers of your service will need to reference the innards of your service/system, which is a violation of the SOA tenet of explicit boundaries. ", " By using a DataContract, you are publishing the structure of your return types in a loosely-coupled way.", "\n\nA:\n\nAnother interesting thing to notice, is if you decorate your code with DataContract, you have a lot of control about what the client can see and must send back to your service. ", "For example:\n[DataContract]\npublic class SampleClass\n{\n [DataMember(IsRequired=true)]\n public int MyRequiredProperty { get; set; }\n\n [DataMember]\n public int MyOptionalProperty { get; set; }\n\n public int MyInternalProperty { get; set; }\n}\n\nOn the example above, you defined that when receiving data, you MUST have MyRequiredProperty, and you can have or not MyOptionalProperty. ", "Also, the client will never see MyInternalProperty (this can be for example some property that helps with your logic internally, but you don't want it being exposed at the client level).", "\n\nA:\n\nThere is another important use, You can change the Name of class and properties. ", "It's a handy feature during serialization and deserialization. ", " \n[DataContract(Name=\"EmployeeName\")]\npublic class Person\n{\n [DataMember(Name=\"FullName\")]\n public string Name { get; set; }\n\n [DataMember(Name=\"HomeAddress\")]\n public string Address { get; set; }\n}\n\n" ]

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[ "In my column this week, I asked why police officers should be allowed to have so-called high-capacity magazines if they have no defensive value. ", "Since \"no one needs\" to fire more than X number of rounds before reloading (and assuming that \"need\" should define what people are allowed to possess), why not apply the same limit to everyone? ", "It looks like the New York legislature, which this week reduced the state's magazine limit from 10 rounds to seven, did take an evenhanded approach—but only by accident. ", "According to DNAinfo.com and WABC, the ABC station in New York, legislators were in such a rush to impose new gun restrictions that they forgot to exempt active-duty and retired law enforcement officers from the new magazine rule. ", "Whoops.", "\n\nCops are complaining about the lack of a double standard:\n\n\"As a law enforcement officer for over 20 years, I understand the importance of instituting a new policy on mandating the limits of bullets that a regular citizen can possess, but as a matter of fact the bad guys are not going to follow this law,\" said Norman Seabrook, president of the correction officers union, the city's second largest. \"", "The way the current legislation is drafted, it actually handcuffs the law enforcement community from having the necessary ammunition needed to save lives,\" he said. \"", "We must not allow this to happen.\" ", "Roy Richter, president of the Captains Endowment Association and a lawyer, said, \"It puts retired officers in a position that the clip they were issued by the NYPD, carried for their careers and were fully trained on, is now considered contraband.\" ", "Michael J. Palladino, who is head of the NYPD's 6,000-member detectives union and president of the state's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, which represents 50,000 members, joined in calling for Cuomo and the legislature to immediately amend the law. \"", "Gun reform must prevent criminals and the deranged from getting illegal weapons—not restrict law-abiding retired cops from protecting themselves and the public,\" Palladino said. \"", "I support the governor in gun reform, however the new legislation restricts law enforcement officers who retire, and that could jeopardize the safety of the public.\"", "\n\nDNAinfo.com calls the absence of a law-enforcement exemption a \"loophole in the law,\" but in fact it is the very opposite of a loophole: Cops are outraged at the possibility that they might be treated the same as \"a regular citizen\" under the law. ", "One has to wonder: If, as Seabrook says, the new magazine limit will have no impact on criminals and if, as Seabrook and Palladino agree, more than seven rounds sometimes are necessary to \"save lives,\" what justification can there be for imposing this arbitrary restriction not just on \"law-abiding retired cops\" but on law-abiding citizens in general?", "\n\nA spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo told WABC, \"We are still working out some details of the law, and the exemption will be included. ", "Currently no police officer is in violation.\" ", "I'm not sure why he says that, since the part of the law that bans pre-existing magazines holding more than 10 rounds is \"effective immediately.\" ", "According to WABC, \"Nearly every law enforcement agency in the state carries handguns that have a 15-round capacity.\" ", "The provision covering magazines that hold eight, nine, or 10 rounds takes effect on April 15. ", "Contrary to what Richter says, such magazines won't actually be \"contraband\" for people who already have them, but their owners will be expected to put no more than seven rounds in them at a time. ", "I am serious: That is what the law says. ", "A prohibited \"large capacity ammunition feeding device\" is, among other things, a magazine legally obtained before April 15 that \"contains more than seven rounds of ammunition.\"", "\n\nIt is implausible enough to suggest that a criminal—who by definition has no compunction about breaking the law, who is not legally permitted to possess firearms to begin with (if he has a felony record), and who is highly motivated to obtain the tools of his trade—would be deterred from obtaining a 10-round magazine by the legislature's new dictate, especially since plenty of them will remain in circulation. ", "It is beyond fanciful to suppose that, having obtained a 10-round magazine, a criminal would think twice about putting more than seven rounds in it because legislators said he shouldn't. ", "But in New York state, that whiff of a pretext suffices to abridge people's Second Amendment rights and, according to the cops clamoring for an exemption to the new limit, put lives at risk.", "\n\nThe Patrolmen's Benevolent Association says it is \"actively working to enact changes to this law that will provide the appropriate exemptions from the law for active and retired law enforcement officers.\" ", "State Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), who is a former NYPD captain but nevertheless does not know which constitutional amendment protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures, told WABC he will introduce legislation restoring the double standard to which cops have become accustomed. \"", "You can't give more ammo to the criminals,\" he explains. ", "I thought that was the whole point of this law." ]

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[ "/* Capstone Disassembly Engine */\n/* By Nguyen Anh Quynh <aquynh@gmail.com>, 2013-2014 */\n\n#if defined(CAPSTONE_HAS_OSXKERNEL)\n#include <libkern/libkern.h>\n#else\n#include <stdlib.h>\n#endif\n#include <string.h>\n\n#include \"utils.h\"\n\n// create a cache for fast id lookup\nstatic unsigned short *make_id2insn(insn_map *insns, unsigned int size)\n{\n\t// NOTE: assume that the max id is always put at the end of insns array\n\tunsigned short max_id = insns[size - 1].id;\n\tunsigned short i;\n\n\tunsigned short *cache = (unsigned short *)cs_mem_malloc(sizeof(*cache) * (max_id + 1));\n\n\tfor (i = 1; i < size; i++)\n\t\tcache[insns[i].id] = i;\n\n\treturn cache;\n}\n\n// look for @id in @insns, given its size in @max. ", "first time call will update @cache.", "\n// return 0 if not found\nunsigned short insn_find(insn_map *insns, unsigned int max, unsigned int id, unsigned short **cache)\n{\n\tif (id > insns[max - 1].id)\n\t\treturn 0;\n\n\tif (*cache == NULL)\n\t\t*cache = make_id2insn(insns, max);\n\n\treturn (*cache)[id];\n}\n\nint name2id(name_map* map, int max, const char *name)\n{\n\tint i;\n\n\tfor (i = 0; i < max; i++) {\n\t\tif (!", "strcmp(map[i].name, name)) {\n\t\t\treturn map[i].id;\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\n\t// nothing match\n\treturn -1;\n}\n\n// count number of positive members in a list.", "\n// NOTE: list must be guaranteed to end in 0\nunsigned int count_positive(unsigned char *list)\n{\n\tunsigned int c;\n\n\tfor (c = 0; list[c] > 0; c++);\n\n\treturn c;\n}\n\nchar *cs_strdup(const char *str)\n{\n\tsize_t len = strlen(str)+ 1;\n\tvoid *new = cs_mem_malloc(len);\n\n\tif (new == NULL)\n\t\treturn NULL;\n\n\treturn (char *)memmove(new, str, len);\n}\n\n// we need this since Windows doesnt have snprintf()\nint cs_snprintf(char *buffer, size_t size, const char *fmt, ...)\n{\n\tint ret;\n\n\tva_list ap;\n\tva_start(ap, fmt);\n\tret = cs_vsnprintf(buffer, size, fmt, ap);\n\tva_end(ap);\n\n\treturn ret;\n}\n" ]

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[ "Introduction {#s1}\n============\n\nSchmallenberg virus (SBV) is a teratogenic virus, transmitted by *Culicoides* biting midges, that infects ruminants.[@R1] The first reports of SBV came from Germany and the Netherlands in autumn 2011 where cattle presenting with diarrhoea, febrile episodes and a reduced milk yield tested negative for all known bovine pathogens. ", "Following this initial description, reports of SBV quickly emerged throughout Europe, with transmission facilitated by the dispersal of the *Culicoides* vectors by wind and a completely naïve host population.[@R4]\n\nInfections of adult ruminants are typically asymptomatic, or present with only mild clinical signs, as observed in cattle.[@R5] However, if a naïve animal is infected for the first time during the vulnerable period of gestation, infection can result in stillbirths and fetal abnormalities, including arthrogryposis and hydranencephaly.[@R8] Infection early in pregnancy has also been linked to lower conception rates, abortions and reduction in weaning rates.[@R9] These associated clinical signs of disease are particularly problematic for block breeding production systems, with high reported losses from the disease in early lambing sheep flocks in 2011/2012.[@R10]\n\nFarm-level disease incidence is known to vary significantly, as does the resulting impact. ", "The UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) found 6 per cent of farmers from SBV confirmed or SBV suspected farms were less likely to farm sheep again the next year, compared with only 1.8 per cent of farmers from farms unaffected by SBV in the initial outbreak.[@R16] Economic costs may also be higher than originally considered due to the difficulties in quantifying certain types of losses. ", "For example, higher barren rates and reduced fertility are reported in some studies.[@R10] Furthermore, due to the associated deformities, dystocia is relatively common, potentially resulting in additional losses of ewes while birthing malformed lambs.[@R3] Critically, all studies estimating the impact of SBV have acknowledged the issue of under-reporting; SBV is not a listed notifiable disease by the World Organisation for Animal Health, with farmers from many member states of the EU voluntarily submitting samples and paying for confirmation testing and therefore accurate estimates of the true impact of disease are hard to establish.[@R14]\n\nThe unpredictable and intermittent nature of SBV has impacted on farmer uptake of vaccination; the main effective control measure. ", "Having circulated and successfully overwintered between the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 lambing seasons, SBV reports in the UK reduced dramatically in 2014. ", "Several studies in Europe described very low circulation between 2014 and 2015.[@R19] These studies highlighted large SBV-naïve populations vulnerable to reinfection, particularly as time progressed and vaccinations became no longer available.", "\n\nAfter three years of low SBV circulation SBV re-emerged in Europe; by December 2016 deformed lambs were confirmed positive for SBV in the UK.[@R22] With the vaccines withdrawn from the market due to poor uptake, and the duration of natural immunity unknown, the UK national flock was likely to be susceptible to infection.", "\n\nThis study aimed to measure and compare the impact of the 2016/2017 re-emergence of SBV on sheep flocks in the UK with the impact reported during the initial 2011/2012 outbreak. ", "Expanding on a study following the initial outbreak,[@R16] a questionnaire was designed to determine the impact of SBV during the 2016/2017 lambing period on lamb and ewe losses, farmer perceived emotional, financial and welfare costs and views on vaccination.[@R16]\n\nMaterials and methods {#s2}\n=====================\n\nTo directly compare the impact of SBV on the 2016/2017 lambing season with that reported in 2011/2012 a questionnaire was designed to closely match that of Harris and others.[@R16] Additional questions were designed by the authors. ", "The questionnaire was tested by four sheep farmers and feedback incorporated into the final questionnaire (online supplementary information). ", "Questionnaire participation was voluntary and open to all UK sheep farmers. ", "The final version was launched online on March 24, 2017 using SurveyMonkey (California, USA). ", "The online questionnaire was publicised periodically through Twitter, with support from AHDB Beef and Lamb, Sheep Veterinary Society and the APHA. ", "A link to the online questionnaire was also handed out by veterinary students from both universities while on Easter lambing placements. ", "A further 250 questionnaires were sent out by the APHA to farmers who had submitted samples for SBV testing in England and Wales on June 1, 2017.", "\n\nA total of 32 questions were asked to determine farm demographics, lambing productivity and mortality, ewe mortality, vaccination history, the farms' SBV status and farmers' perception towards the impact of SBV on flock welfare, financial performance and the farmers' own emotional wellbeing. ", "The farms' SBV status was determined by responses to two questions within the questionnaire and coauthors' opinions of additional comments. ", "The categories were:\n\nSBV confirmed: Farms where a suspected lamb was confirmed positive for SBV by laboratory testing (at the time of the study the APHA were offering the RT-PCR testing of cerebral cortex or fresh brainstem from lambs).", "\n\nSBV suspected: SBV was suspected by the farmer or their veterinarian. ", "This includes farms that had positive testing of ewe blood samples for ELISA serology, and those that had lambs sent off for laboratory testing (with relevant clinical signs) that were not confirmed positive.", "\n\nSBV not suspected (by respondent): No report of suspected SBV (based on a lack of farmer observed clinical signs) and did not send off any samples for SBV testing.", "\n\nData analysis {#s2a}\n-------------\n\nAll online results were downloaded from SurveyMonkey on June 19, 2017. ", "All paper versions were manually entered to create a master copy. ", "Responses were checked for consistency, any insufficiently completed responses were removed from the working copy.", "\n\nMortality definitions {#s2b}\n---------------------\n\nTo allow direct comparison to the previous 2011/2012 study[@R16] the same calculations and definitions were applied, briefly:\n\nLamb mortality (%)=100\\*(lambs dead from any cause within one week/total lambs born)\n\nLambing mortality (%)=100\\*(lambs dead from any cause within one week/non-barren ewes)\n\nEwe mortality (%)=100\\*(number of ewes that died during lambing/non-barren ewes)\n\nResponses for farm demography, lambing productivity, lamb mortality, ewe mortality and the farmers' impact perception questions were compared across SBV categories. ", "All maps were created in QGIS V.2.2.0 and all statistical analyses were completed in R, V.3.4.1.[@R23] Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honestly significant difference post hoc tests were used to compare differences across the SBV categories for continuous data. ", "If the Levene's test for homogeneity of variance was significant the alternative Welch test was used with a Games-Howell post hoc test. ", "For categorical data and vaccination history, Pearson's χ^2^ tests were completed. ", "Where the assumptions of the χ^2^ were violated a Fisher's exact test was used.", "\n\nMalformation definitions {#s2c}\n------------------------\n\nFarmers were asked to describe any malformations seen in lambs on farm, regardless of SBV status. ", "These descriptions were then coded separately by the authors (JES, RET and JSD) into five groups previously described[@R16] and 'Other'. ", "Themes resulting from the 'Other' group created two more groups: fused joints and eye-related deformities. ", "The coding was undertaken blind and SBV category masked to reduce the possibility of bias. ", "The coded results were then combined; those that did not match exactly (n=33) were reviewed and a consensus reached between authors.", "\n\nResults {#s3}\n=======\n\nIn total, 318 respondents participated in the survey, 232 online and 86 via post (postal response rate 34.4 per cent). ", "All 86 postal responses were included in the survey; however, only 129 of the online responses were completed in sufficient detail to be included, leaving 215 useable responses. ", "Not all participants answered every question.", "\n\nFarm demographics {#s3a}\n-----------------\n\nThe majority of respondents were from the west of England and Wales (n=214, 65.0 per cent). ", "In total, 27.4 per cent of respondents were from SBV confirmed farms, 38.1 per cent from SBV suspected farms and 34.4 per cent from SBV not suspected farms (n=215) ([figure 1](#F1){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Flock types did not significantly differ in SBV categories (P=0.17, [table 1](#T1){ref-type=\"table\"}) with a total of 56.5 per cent of respondents defining their flock as crossbreeds/commercial animals. ", "There was a non-significant trend towards a difference between the SBV categories of the two farm types (P=0.07, [table 1](#T1){ref-type=\"table\"}): specifically, there was a greater proportion of upland/hill farms in the SBV not suspected category than lowland farms.", "\n\n###### \n\nFarm type and flock type by SBV category\n\n ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Description (n) SBV confirmed\\ SBV suspected\\ SBV not suspected\\ P values\n n=59 (%) n=82 (%) n=74 (%) \n ---------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------------------- ----------\n Farm type (214)[\\*](#tblfn1){ref-type=\"fn\"} 0.07\n\n  Lowland (164) 47 (79.7) 67 (82.7) 50 (67.6) \n\n  Upland/hill (50) 12 (20.3) 14 (17.3) 24 (32.4) \n\n Flock type (214)[\\*](#tblfn1){ref-type=\"fn\"} 0.17\n\n  Crossbreeds/commercials (121) 39 (66.1) 45 (55.6) 37 (50.0) \n\n  Pedigree/pure bred (93) 20 (33.9) 36 (44.4) 37 (50.0) \n ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\\*Farmers had to select one option to describe their flock. ", "Not all farmers answered every question. ", "Percentages may not equal to 100 due to rounding.", "\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\n{#F1}\n\nBreeding seasons, scanning rates and lambing percentages {#s3b}\n--------------------------------------------------------\n\nThe earliest reported date for the ram to be put in with the ewes was the May 18, 2016; the latest date of ram removal was April 16, 2017. ", "The reported duration of the mating season was similar, but slightly shorter for SBV not suspected farms when compared with confirmed and suspected farms ([table 2](#T2){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\n###### \n\nFarm breeding demographics by SBV category\n\n -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Summary description SBV confirmed (n=59) SBV suspected\\ SBV not suspected (n=74) P values\n (n=82) \n -------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------------ -------------------------- -----------\n **Duration of mating season** 0.09\n\n Responses (n) 58 79 69 \n\n  Earliest start date June 10, 2016 May 18, 2016 July 28, 2016 \n\n  Latest end date February 2, 2017 April 1, 2017 April 16, 2017 \n\n  Season duration \n\n   Median (days) 77 61 56 \n\n   Min (days) 15 14 21 \n\n   Max (days) 174 264 148 \n\n   IQR 50.3--96.5 42.0--88.5 41.0--84.0 \n\n **Duration of lambing season** \\<0.001\\*\n\n Responses (n) 58 79 64 \n\n  Earliest start date October 30, 2016 October 10, 2016 January 3, 2017 \n\n  Latest end date June 2, 2017 June 4, 2017 June 30, 2017 \n\n  Season duration \n\n   Median (days) 64.5 52.0 40.0 \n\n   Min (days) 9 6 5 \n\n   Max (days) 161 153 115 \n\n   IQR 38.3--88.8 40.0--81.0 26.8--57.3 \n\n **Tupped ewes that were barren (%)** 0.561\n\n Responses (n) 48 57 38 \n\n  Median 3.7 4.3 3.2 \n\n  Min 0 0 0 \n\n  Max 27.3 35.2 66.7 \n\n  IQR 1.9--6.3 2.7--7.3 1.9--5.1 \n\n **Lambing percentage** 0.725\n\n Responses (n) 59 72 63 \n\n  Median 174.3 173.0 166.7 \n\n  Min 100.0 110.2 50.0 \n\n  Max 212.4 242.9 264.4 \n\n  IQR 157.6--185.0 152.3--185.9 146.2--185.6 \n\n **Scanning percentage** 0.750\n\n Responses (n) 50 58 41 \n\n  Median 175.0 172.5 176.0 \n\n  Min 118.0 100.0 100.0 \n\n  Max 223.0 214.0 250.0 \n\n  IQR 160.0--188.0 159.3--187.0 160.0--187 \n -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\\*Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted except where Levene's test determined non-homogeneity of variance where instead the alternative Welch ANOVA was conducted.", "\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nThe start dates for mating were grouped into four categories: 'May/June' (spring/early summer), 'July/August' (mid-summer), 'September/October' (early autumn) and 'November/December' (late autumn/winter) to allow comparison by SBV category for different seasonal mating strategies. ", "There was a significant difference between the mating start dates on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms compared with SBV not suspected farms (P\\<0.001; post hoc test with Bonferroni's correction P\\<0.001) with earlier mating start dates reported on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms ([figure 2](#F2){ref-type=\"fig\"}).", "\n\n{#F2}\n\nThe median duration of lambing season was significantly different across the categories, with SBV not suspected farms recording a median lambing duration of 24.5 days less than SBV confirmed farms (P\\<0.001, [table 2](#T2){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nThere was no significant difference between the SBV categories and barren rates, scanning percentages or lambing percentages ([table 2](#T2){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nLamb mortality {#s3c}\n--------------\n\nSignificantly higher lamb mortality was observed on SBV confirmed farms (median of 9.1 lamb deaths per 100 born) and SBV suspected farms (median of 7.6 per cent) than on SBV not suspected farms (median of 5.7 per cent) (P*\\<*0.001, [table 3](#T3){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\n###### \n\nLamb mortality and lambing mortality by SBV category\n\n -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Summary SBV confirmed\\ SBV suspected\\ SBV not suspected\\ P values\n (n=59) (n=82) (n=74) \n ------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------------------- ----------\n **Lamb mortality (per lambs born)** \\<0.001 \n\n Responses (n) 56 70 50 \n\n  Median 9.1 7.6 5.7 \n\n  Min 0 0 0 \n\n  Max 63.4 47.4 28.6 \n\n  IQR 6.8--15.2 4.5--13.1 1.5--9.1 \n\n **Lambing mortality (per pregnant ewes)** \\<0.001 \n\n Responses (n) 56 70 50 \n\n  Median 15.2 12.7 8.4 \n\n  Min 0 0 0 \n\n  Max 126.8 100.0 53.3 \n\n  IQR 10.9--24.8 8.1--20.7 2.3--15.2 \n -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nTukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) was performed for all significant analyses of variance (ANOVA) to determine the observable difference.", "\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nLambing mortality was also significantly higher on SBV confirmed farms (median of 15.2 lamb deaths per 100 pregnant ewes) than SBV suspected (median 12.7 per cent) or SBV not suspected farms (median 8.4 per cent) (P\\<0.001, [table 3](#T3){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nParticularly high lambing mortality (more than 40 per cent lambing mortality) was observed more frequently on SBV confirmed farms (13.8 per cent) and SBV suspected farms (8.3 per cent) than on SBV not suspected farms (3.2 per cent). ", "Far more outliers were observed for SBV confirmed farms than SBV not suspected farms ([figure 3](#F3){ref-type=\"fig\"}).", "\n\n{#F3}\n\nAbnormalities in lambs {#s3d}\n----------------------\n\nA greater number of malformations were reported by SBV suspected than SBV confirmed or SBV not suspected farms. ", "Twisted limbs were the most frequently reported malformation on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms, a curved back was the most frequently reported malformation on SBV not suspected farms ([figure 4](#F4){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "The most common reported eye deformities on SBV confirmed and suspected farms (n=9) were a lack of eyes (three and two reports, respectively) and blindness (one and two reports, respectively). ", "One farmer who did not suspect SBV on farm also reported a lack of eyes on one lamb.", "\n\n{#F4}\n\nAt least one malformation was described by 84.7 per cent (50/59) of SBV confirmed farms, 87.8 per cent (72/82) of SBV suspected farms and 31.1 per cent (23/74) of SBV not suspected farms.", "\n\nEwe losses {#s3e}\n----------\n\nEwe mortality during the lambing period was not significantly different across the SBV categories; however, the number of ewes that died while giving birth to a deformed lamb was significantly different between the groups (P=0.011). ", "In total, 30.9 per cent (n=17) respondents from SBV confirmed farms reported one or more ewe deaths due to birthing a malformed lamb, similarly 26.4 per cent (n=19) reported the same for SBV suspected farms, while only 5.6 per cent (n=3) of respondents on SBV not suspected farms reported any ewe deaths due to birthing malformed lambs ([table 4](#T4){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\n###### \n\nEwe mortality and assisted births by SBV category\n\n -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Summary SBV confirmed\\ \\% SBV suspected\\ \\% SBV not suspected\\ \\% P values\n (n=59) (n=82) (n=74) \n -------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ------ ---------------- ------ -------------------- ------ ----------\n Breeding ewes that died during the lambing period (n) 0.108 \n\n  0 16 28.6 25 32.5 25 41.0 \n\n  1--5 19 33.9 34 44.2 28 45.9 \n\n  6--10 7 12.5 8 10.4 3 4.9 \n\n  \\>10 14 25.0 10 13.0 5 8.2 \n\n Ewes that died giving birth to a deformed lamb (n) 0.011 \n\n  0 38 69.0 53 73.6 51 94.4 \n\n  1 4 7.3 7 9.7 1 1.9 \n\n  \\>1 13 23.6 12 16.7 2 3.7 \n\n Ewes that gave birth to deformed lambs alone (n) 0.482 \n\n  0 25 55.6 25 47.1 17 65.4 \n\n  1 7 15.6 13 24.5 5 19.2 \n\n  \\>1 13 28.9 15 28.3 4 15.4 \n\n Ewes assisted by farmer because of a deformed lamb (n) \\<0.001 \n\n  0 8 20 12 21.8 18 66.7 \n\n  1 4 10 15 27.3 8 29.6 \n\n  \\>1 28 70 28 50.9 1 3.7 \n\n Ewes assisted by vet because of a deformed lamb (n) 0.082 \n\n  0 28 60.9 34 66.7 24 88.9 \n\n  1 10 21.7 10 19.6 3 11.1 \n\n  \\>1 8 17.4 7 13.7 0 0.0 \n\n Caesarean sections because of deformed lamb (n) 0.008 \n\n  0 31 67.4 37 75.5 24 100 \n\n  1 11 23.9 5 10.2 0 0 \n\n  \\>1 4 8.7 7 14.3 0 0 \n -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nPercentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.", "\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nThe difference in the number of caesarean sections between categories was significant (P=0.008), with 32.6 per cent (n=15) of respondents on SBV confirmed farms reporting one or more caesarean sections due to birthing a deformed lamb, 24.5 per cent (n=12) of respondents reporting the same on SBV suspected farms, compared with no caesareans due to birthing deformed lambs on SBV not suspected farms ([table 4](#T4){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nThere was also a significant difference (P\\<0.001) between the number of respondents reporting farmer assistance of one or more ewes during lambing due to birthing a deformed lamb; 80 per cent (n=32) on SBV confirmed farms, 78.2 per cent (n=43) on SBV suspected farms and only 33.3 per cent (n=9) on SBV not suspected farms ([table 4](#T4){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nFarmer perceived impacts {#s3f}\n------------------------\n\nThere was a significant difference between SBV category responses to the farmer perceived impact of SBV on the welfare of the flock, financial performance of the flock and farmers' emotional wellbeing (P\\<0.001) ([table 5](#T5){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\n###### \n\nPerceived impact of SBV on the flocks' welfare, the financial performance of flocks, the farmers' emotional wellbeing and whether the respondent intends to give up sheep farming due to the impact of SBV this year by SBV category\n\n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Summary SBV confirmed\\ \\% SBV suspected\\ \\% SBV not suspected\\ \\% P values\n (n=59) (n=82) (n=74) \n ------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- ------ ---------------- ------ -------------------- ------ ----------\n Impact of SBV on sheep flocks' welfare \\(58\\) \\(81\\) \\(67\\) \\<0.001\n\n  No impact 11 19.0 31 38.3 60 90.0 \n\n  Strong positive impact 0 0.0 1 1.2 0 0.0 \n\n  Some positive impact 1 1.7 1 1.2 0 0.0 \n\n  Some negative impact 34 58.6 34 42.0 5 7.5 \n\n  Strong negative impact 12 20.7 14 17.3 2 3.0 \n\n Impact of SBV on sheep flocks' financial performance \\(58\\) \\(81\\) \\(67\\) \\<0.001\n\n  No impact 9 15.5 29 35.8 59 88.1 \n\n  Strong positive impact 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 \n\n  Some positive impact 1 1.7 1 1.2 1 1.5 \n\n  Some negative impact 31 53.4 36 44.4 7 10.4 \n\n  Strong negative impact 17 29.3 15 18.5 0 0.0 \n\n Impact of SBV on farmers' emotional wellbeing \\(58\\) \\(81\\) \\(66\\) \\<0.001\n\n  No impact 16 27.6 27 33.3 43 65.2 \n\n  Strong positive impact 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 \n\n  Some positive impact 1 1.7 0 0.0 1 1.5 \n\n  Some negative impact 23 39.7 37 45.7 21 31.8 \n\n  Strong negative impact 18 31.0 17 21.0 1 1.5 \n\n Less likely to sheep farm next year because of SBV \\(59\\) \\(82\\) \\(69\\) 0.014\n\n 6 10.2 3 3.7 0 0.0 \n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nIn total, 10.2 per cent of farmers on SBV confirmed farms and 3.7 per cent of farmers on SBV suspected farms reported that they were less likely to farm sheep again next year because of SBV. ", "No farmer reported being less likely to farm sheep again next year because of SBV from SBV not suspected farms ([table 5](#T5){ref-type=\"table\"}).", "\n\nVaccination history {#s3g}\n-------------------\n\nThere was no significant difference between SBV category and reported vaccination history (P=0.558). ", "The majority of respondents had never previously vaccinated against SBV (79.6 per cent), with the most reported vaccinations against SBV occurring in 2013 (13.3 per cent) ([figure 5](#F5){ref-type=\"fig\"}).", "\n\n{#F5}\n\nCurrent demand for vaccination {#s3h}\n------------------------------\n\nThere was a small significant difference between the SBV categories and the price they would be willing to pay to vaccinate now against SBV (P=0.046). ", "A higher proportion of respondents from SBV not suspected farms stated they would not vaccinate than respondents from SBV confirmed or SBV suspected farms ([table 6](#T6){ref-type=\"table\"}). ", "Roughly a third of respondents from SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms stated they would consider vaccinating now if the vaccine costs less than £1, whereas just over a quarter of respondents from SBV not suspected farms would do the same.", "\n\n###### \n\nRespondents' willingness to vaccinate against SBV at different prices for different SBV categories\n\n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Summary SBV confirmed (n=59) \\% SBV suspected\\ \\% SBV not suspected (n=67) \\% P values\n (n=81) \n ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------- ------ ---------------- ------ -------------------------- ------ ----------\n Would you consider vaccinating your sheep against Schmallenberg virus if it was available now? ", " 0.046 \n\n No 11 18.6 13 15.9 21 31.3 \n\n Yes, if it costs less than £1 19 32.2 29 35.8 18 26.9 \n\n Yes, if it costs between £1 and £2 8 13.6 19 23.5 16 23.9 \n\n Yes, if it costs between £2 and £3 12 20.3 13 16.0 5 7.5 \n\n Yes, if it costs between £3 and £4 2 3.4 4 4.9 0 0.0 \n\n Yes, if it costs between £4 and £5 7 11.9 3 3.7 7 10.4 \n ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nSBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nDiscussion {#s4}\n==========\n\nThis study has investigated the farm-level impact of SBV re-emergence on the 2016/2017 lambing season in the UK, allowing for comparisons to the initial 2011/2012 impact study by utilising the same methodology.[@R16] Both this study and the original are limited by the reliance on farmer self-reporting of disease status rather than targeted testing. ", "This survey focused on the impacts of the virus on lamb deformities, subsequent lambing problems and mortality events rather than monitoring for the effects of infection of adults outside of the susceptible period of gestation for deformities. ", "SBV is not a notifiable disease in the UK, meaning that national-level systematic surveillance data are not available. ", "It seems likely that most flocks were exposed to SBV in 2016/2017 as positive diagnostic submissions were reported across most areas of England, Wales and Southern Scotland.[@R22] The respondents within this survey may be considered typical of the UK sheep farming community, as distribution of farm responses reflects the known density of sheep holdings in England and Wales, the respondents represented a range of farm sizes (from 3 to 3500 breeding ewes) and all major types of sheep farm were represented (hill, lowland, upland, pedigree and commercial farms).[@R25] Therefore, in the absence of national disease prevalence data, the study can be considered a useful source of information on the farmer perceived, farm-level impact of SBV in the UK in 2016/2017 and allows comparison with the impact of the initial 2011/2012 outbreak.", "\n\nAs these survey data are farmer reported, there is the potential for reporting and recall bias. ", "To address this possibility the categorisation of respondents into 'SBV confirmed', 'SBV suspected' and 'SBV not suspected' was highly conservative. ", "Only respondents reporting cases on farm confirmed by the laboratory testing of a lamb were included in 'SBV confirmed', to ensure only RT-PCR confirmed cases were included in this grouping. ", "All confirmed antibody serological testing of adult stock (ELISA and virus neutralisation test) was considered 'suspected', as it would be impossible to rule out historic antibodies, indicating exposure prior to the 2016/2017 outbreak. ", "Only farmers answering 'No' and confirming no laboratory testing had been undertaken were designated 'SBV not suspected'. ", "False negatives in testing of lambs cannot be ruled out as this is a known issue with SBV testing.[@R27] It is also very likely that many of the 'SBV not suspected' farms have had animals seroconvert (possibly outside of the period of pregnancy where malformations would be a risk) but as they had not seen the typical deformities and not tested for the virus were unaware of this. ", "Similarly, false positives in the 'suspected' category may have occurred as not all congenital lamb malformations are due to SBV.", "\n\nThe significant difference observed between the SBV categories for lamb abnormalities provides justification for the current groupings, as if these were poorly differentiated then no observed differences in abnormalities would be seen. ", "The fact that the SBV confirmed farms in general lambed earlier (and therefore would have had animals in the susceptible stages of pregnancy when the virus is thought to have circulated) when compared with the 'not suspected' group which generally lambed later and outside of this window also provides support for the current groupings.", "\n\nIn the present study the effects of SBV, reported by farmers, were increased neonatal lamb mortality, lambing mortality, dystocia and associated ewe deaths. ", "In addition, farmers from SBV confirmed and suspected farms perceived that SBV had a significant negative impact on sheep welfare, the farms' financial performance and their own emotional wellbeing. ", "Farmers whose flocks were affected by SBV reported that they were less likely to farm again next year. ", "Importantly, SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms in this study typically described an earlier mating period than SBV not suspected farms, providing supportive evidence for the suggested period of disease re-emergence in the UK. ", "The findings of the impact of the 2016/2017 SBV outbreak on sheep farms reported in the present study are largely comparable to the findings reported in the 2011/2012 outbreak, with the exception of ewe mortality. ", "A comparative summary of results is presented in [table 7](#T7){ref-type=\"table\"} and is discussed below.", "\n\n###### \n\nA comparison table to directly compare the results of both studies for the studied factors\n\n Factor Harris and others' 2011/2012 study[@R16] This 2016/2017 study\n ----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n Percentage of mated ewes that were barren\\* No difference in median numbers between SBV confirmed (4), suspected (4.3) or not suspected (3.3) farms No difference in median numbers between SBV confirmed (3.7), suspected (4.3) or not suspected (3.2) farms\n Mating season N/A Difference between mating start date groups between SBV categories ([figure 2](#F2){ref-type=\"fig\"})\n Lambing season No difference in median days between SBV confirmed (49.5), suspected (48.5) or not suspected (44.5) farms Difference in median days between SBV confirmed (64.5), suspected (52.0) and not suspected (40.0) farms\n Lambing percentage\\* No difference in median numbers between SBV confirmed (169.1%), suspected (166.7%) or not suspected (164.2%) farms No difference in median numbers between SBV confirmed (174.3%), suspected (173.0%) or not suspected (166.7%) farms\n Scanning percentage NA No difference in median numbers between SBV confirmed (175.0%), suspected (172.5%) or not suspected (176.0%) farms\n Lamb mortality\\* Higher mortality SBV confirmed (10.4%), suspected (7.0%) than not suspected (5.3%) Higher mortality SBV confirmed (9.1%), suspected (7.6%) than not suspected (5.7%)\n Lambing mortality\\* Higher mortality SBV confirmed (18.2%), suspected (11.3%) than not suspected (8.6%) Higher mortality SBV confirmed (15.2%), suspected (12.7%) than not suspected (8.4%)\n Number of breeding ewes that died during the lambing period More ewes dying on SBV confirmed (66.7%), SBV suspected (67.1%) than not suspected (54.5%) farms No difference SBV confirmed (71.4%), suspected (67.5%) or not suspected (59%) farms\n Number of ewes died giving birth to deformed lambs\\* More dying on SBV confirmed (36.9%), suspected 16.8%) than not suspected (7.2%) farms More dying on SBV confirmed (30.9%), suspected (28.4%) than not suspected (5.6%) farms\n Number of ewes that gave birth to deformed lambs alone NA No difference between SBV confirmed (44.4%), suspected (52.9%) or not suspected (34.6%) farms\n Number of ewes assisted by farmer because of a deformed lamb NA More ewes assisted on SBV confirmed farms (80%), suspected (78.2%) than not suspected (33.3%) farms\n Number of ewes assisted by vet because of a deformed lamb More ewes assisted on SBV confirmed farms (35.8%), suspected (19.5%) than not suspected (4.8%) farms No difference between SBV confirmed (39.1%), suspected (33.3%) or not suspected (11.1%) farms\n Number of caesarean sections because of deformed lambs\\* More caesareans on SBV confirmed (12.3%), suspected (11%) than not suspected (1.6%) farms More caesareans on SBV confirmed (32.6%), suspected (24.5%) than not suspected (0%) farms\n Farmer perceived impact of SBV on sheep welfare† Higher impact (4 or 5) on SBV confirmed (36.8%), suspected (17.8%) than not suspected (0.5%) farms Higher negative impact on SBV confirmed (79.3%), suspected (59.3%) than not suspected (10.5%) farms\n Farmer perceived impact of SBV on financial performance† Higher impact (4 or 5) on SBV confirmed (32.8%), suspected (20.1%) than not suspected (2.3%) farms Higher negative impact on SBV confirmed (82.7%), suspected (62.9%) than not suspected (10.4%) farms\n Farmer perceived impact of SBV on farmers' emotional wellbeing† Higher impact (4 or 5) on SBV confirmed (49.3%), suspected (25.6%) than not suspected (6.5%) farms Higher negative impact on SBV confirmed (70.7%), suspected (61.7%) than not suspected (33.3%) farms\n Less likely to sheep farm next year because of SBV No difference between SBV confirmed (5.7%), suspected (5.9%) than not suspected (1.8%) farms Higher numbers less likely to sheep farm next year on SBV confirmed (10.2%), suspected (3.7%) than not suspected (0%) farms\n\n\\*Similar findings reported in both studies.", "\n\n†Methodology differs so not directly comparable.", " Differences were at the P\\<0.05 significance. ", "Data summarised for 2011/2012 outbreak.[@R16]\n\nNA, not applicable; SBV, Schmallenberg virus.", "\n\nMating start dates and lambing season duration were found to be significantly different between the SBV categories. ", "Importantly, SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms typically started mating in July/August (61 and 44 per cent, respectively), whereas the majority of SBV not suspected farms (69 per cent) reported mating in September/October; this would put the vulnerable period of gestation for fetal deformities (approximately days 28--56 of pregnancy) for these later mated flocks largely outside of the autumn activity peak of the SBV *Culicoides* vector species.[@R18] As SBV was determined to have circulated in *Culicoides* in August 2016 in Belgium,[@R29] and due to confirmed SBV malformations in lambs in south England beginning in December, peaking across England in January and February 2017,[@R22] it is likely that SBV circulated widely in England in September/October 2016.[@R22] This is further supported by unpublished data from the University of Nottingham flock, demonstrating seroconversion to SBV and viral RNA in October 2016. ", "This timing of circulation agrees with the results of this study: that those worst affected by fetal malformations were flocks mating in August/September 2016.", "\n\nQuestions have been raised regarding the impact of SBV on early reproductive losses in sheep flocks.[@R17] However, in the present study there was no difference in the reported barren ewe rate between SBV categories, nor was a difference reported in the previous 2011/2012 study. ", "Indeed, the reported median barren rates in this study (3.7 per cent) were very similar to those reported for the 2011/2012 outbreak (4 per cent)[@R16] and although these barren ewe rates are higher than industry guidelines,[@R30] they appear to be typical of UK sheep flocks.[@R25] A study on SBV infection and early ewe reproductive performance in the Netherlands also failed to find associations.[@R10]\n\nThe lamb mortality and lambing mortality were significantly higher on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms, with almost double the median lamb mortality and lambing mortality on SBV confirmed farms (median 15.2 and 9.1 per cent, respectively) compared with SBV not suspected farms (median 8.4 and 5.7 per cent, respectively). ", "These results were very similar to those reported in the UK during 2011/2012 lambing and in European studies.[@R10] The lamb mortality on SBV not suspected farms reported here was comparable to industry figures and studies of lamb mortality in UK flocks, prior to the 2011 SBV outbreak.[@R25]\n\nIncreased lamb mortality observed on SBV affected farms is likely an effect of the associated congenital malformations and behavioural abnormalities on the lamb's ability to adapt to postnatal life. ", "Several congenital malformations were associated with SBV infection in the present study. ", "Twisted limbs were the most frequently reported malformation of lambs on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms, followed by curved backs and deformed heads. ", "This agrees with the previous UK experience of SBV. ", "Several farmers reported eye deformities, including blindness; previously reported by farmers in the 2012/2013 study and in an SBV clinical investigation of a calf.[@R16] Some farms in the not suspected category did have lambs with deformities that could be consistent with SBV, though at a very much lower rate than the SBV farms. ", "Some of these may have been assumed to be due to teratogens like Border disease that farmers are more familiar with in the UK and that can produce similar deformities. ", "This highlights the need for testing as congenital malformations in lambs are not exclusive to SBV infection and can be the result of a wide range of teratogenic, genetic or nutritional factors.[@R34] This also helps to prevent the assumption that all malformations are SBV, ensuring the cause is properly investigated and diagnosed. ", "The data from such testing also provide passive surveillance, which can act as an alert for an increase in viral circulation or reduction in national flock immunity to SBV.", "\n\nOverall there was no difference in ewe mortality across SBV categories in the present study. ", "Although unsurprisingly, both ewe mortality associated with birthing malformed lambs and the number of assisted births (both by the farmer and by caesarean) were greater on SBV affected farms. ", "More caesarean sections were also reported on SBV confirmed and SBV suspected farms in this study (33 and 25 per cent, respectively) than reported during the initial 2011/2012 outbreak (12 and 11 per cent, respectively).[@R16] Certainly the delivery of malformed lambs presents increased risk to ewe health, although there was no evidence for an impact on overall ewe mortality as previously reported.[@R16] This could be due to improved farmer/veterinary awareness of the risk to ewe health, and therefore earlier appropriate obstetrical intervention.", "\n\nAs expected the perceived welfare, economic and emotional impact of SBV to farmers was generally high on SBV confirmed and suspected farms, and low on SBV not suspected farms. ", "The greatest reported negative impact was on farmers' emotional wellbeing. ", "As SBV is no longer novel, the distressing nature of the associated malformations is well known among farming communities. ", "It is likely that this awareness, along with potential previous experience of the disease, is likely to have contributed to the high proportion of negative emotional impact of SBV reported, even on unaffected farms. ", "A total of 4.3 per cent respondents stated they were less likely to sheep farm next year because of SBV. ", "This is comparable to the proportion of respondents stating the same after the previous SBV outbreak (3.7 per cent).[@R16]\n\nAlthough the data do not provide a complete description of the 2016/2017 UK outbreak, it is interesting that the geographic distribution of SBV confirmed farms in this sample did deviate from the previous 2011/2012 outbreak distribution. ", "In 2011/2012 the outbreak began in south-east England and rapidly spread in a north-westerly direction covering the majority of England and Wales to the Scottish Border.[@R35] Here, despite the survey being distributed nationally, the majority of SBV positive farms were in the west of England and Wales. ", "Perhaps the difference in response distribution between the surveys reflects a different route or timing of disease introduction between the 2011/2012 and 2016/2017 outbreaks.[@R22]\n\nVaccination history against SBV was also explored. ", "Only one-fifth (20.2 per cent) of respondents stated they had vaccinated against SBV previously; however, over 78 per cent of respondents stated they would consider paying to vaccinate against SBV if the vaccine was available. ", "Interestingly, more respondents from SBV confirmed farms stated they had vaccinated in 2013 than SBV suspected or SBV not suspected farms. ", "It may be the farm management practices place them at higher risk of SBV and therefore they are more conscious of disease risk and more likely to vaccinate.", "\n\nUnder-reporting of SBV cases is recognised as an issue for measuring the impact of the disease on populations.[@R14] The number of suspected cases in this study that were not sent off for testing, in areas where confirmed positives existed, also highlights the potential extent of under-reporting. ", "Surveys such as this represent the only way to estimate the potential extent of impact on farm of non-notifiable diseases. ", "Although many farmers would send off a single suspected case for testing, it would be unusual, due to the upfront and time costs of testing during an extremely busy period for sheep farms (lambing), to send off all suspected cases on farm for confirmatory testing.[@R14] Additionally, as infection of adult ruminants is typically asymptomatic it is likely that infection occurred on many unsuspecting farms, just outside of the vulnerable period of gestation for deformities. ", "This may account for why no significant differences were observed between SBV categories and early oestrus factors such as barren rates, lambing percentages and scanning percentages.", "\n\nThe results of this survey clearly demonstrate an impact of SBV on the 2016/2017 lambing season, comparable to that reported for the 2011/2012 lambing season.[@R16] If SBV transmission continues to be cyclical in nature, the associated animal welfare and subsequent economic costs to the UK sheep farming industry will continue every few years if intervention is not taken. ", "Controlling the *Culicoides* vector has so far been unfeasible, subsequently the importance of timely vaccination (if available) or coinciding mating with colder periods will continue to be necessary to reduce the impact of future SBV outbreaks. ", "National surveillance programmes, particularly collaborative surveillance programmes with European member states, are increasingly important for the application of timely vaccination programmes; however, vaccination production ceases when demand is low. ", "Future studies should aim to address this cyclical epidemiology, particularly identifying where the virus persists between outbreaks to allow the development of predictive early-warning models.", "\n\nThe authors extend their gratitude to K Harris and others for granting permission to replicate several questions from the original study. ", "The authors particularly thank all farmers who participated in the study.", "\n\n**Funding:** This study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BB/M011186/1).", "\n\n**Competing interests:** None declared.", "\n\n**Ethics approval:** This study was reviewed and approved by the University of Liverpool internal ethics committee (VREC537).", "\n\n**Provenance and peer review:** Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.", "\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }

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[ "Synthesis of 8-methoxy-1-methyl-1H-benzo[de][1,6]naphthyridin-9-ol (Isoaaptamine) and analogues.", "\n8-Methoxy-1-methyl-1H-benzo[de][1,6]naphthyridin-9-ol, isoaaptamine, a PKC inhibitor isolated from sponge was synthesized. ", "The synthesis parallels a synthesis of 8,9-dimethoxybenzo[de][1,6]naphthyridine, aaptamine, but uses a nitromethyl substituent as a precursor of the key 5-(2-aminoethyl)-1H-quinolin-4-one intermediate. ", "The quinolone intermediates were prepared by thermolysis (220-240 degrees C) of anilinomethylene derivatives of Meldrum's acid. ", "The quinolone intermediates were N-methylated prior to cyclization to the benzo[de][1,6]naphthyridine derivatives. ", "Aaptamine and several analogues of aaptamine and isoaaptamine were prepared including 9-demethylaaptamine, 1-methyl-8-demethylaaptamine, 1-methylaaptamine, and the 8,9-methylenedioxy analogues of aaptamine and 1-methylaaptamine." ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }

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[ "Q:\n\nAssigning to int from Compatible type int\n\nIn the bolded part, I am having compile error. ", "some one help to find out error?", "\nmy code is given below...\nvoid _multiDimensionalArray(){\n\n int row = 10;\n int column = 10;\n cout << \"\\n\\n For a 2-Dimensional Array:>>>>\" << endl;\n\n // 2D array is basically an array of pointers to arrays\n // dynamic array of size 100\n int pDoubleArray = new int*[row];\n for (int i=0; i<column; i++) {\n pDoubleArray[i] = new int[column];\n }\n // e) exchange rows: 0<------>9 and 3<------>4\n int (*ptemp)[10][1]; // temp is a pointer to an array of 10 ints\n ptemp = pDoubleArray;\n\n for (int i=0; i<10; i++) {\n ptemp[i][0] = *(ptemp+4);\n }\n for (int i=0; i<10; i++) {\n cout << ptemp[i] << \" \" ;\n }\n\n } // end of _multiDimensionalArray function\n\nA:\n\nYou need to only reference the first value of the pointer. ", "Once you reference the first pointer, at every other word length depending upon the data type, the reference is made. ", "\n\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }

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[ "\n604 F.3d 929 (2010)\nRaymond SAVOY, Plaintiff-Appellant,\nv.\nUNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellee.", "\nNo. ", "08-6240.", "\nUnited States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.", "\nSubmitted: April 28, 2010.", "\nDecided and Filed: May 12, 2010.", "\n*931 ON BRIEF: R. Leigh Grinalds, Assistant United States Attorney, Jackson, Tennessee, for Appellee. ", "Raymond Savoy, Fort Worth, Texas, pro se.", "\nBefore: BATCHELDER, Chief Judge; MOORE and COOK, Circuit Judges.", "\n\n\n*932 OPINION\nKAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge.", "\nRaymond Savoy appeals the district court's partial denial of his motion for return of property. ", "This matter arises as a proceeding ancillary to Savoy's criminal prosecution for child-pornography related charges in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. ", "United States v. Savoy, 280 Fed. ", "Appx. ", "504, 506 (6th Cir.), ", "cert. ", "denied, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. ", "742, 172 L.Ed.2d 739 (2008). ", "This court has previously affirmed Savoy's convictions for violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a) and 2252(a)(4)(B) for using minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce videotapes and for possessing those videotapes, which stemmed from evidence seized at the Rocky Top Tavern, Savoy's place of business. ", "While executing a search warrant at the Rocky Top Tavern for \"`intoxicating liquors and all records, papers, ledgers, pictures, or devices used in the storage, sale, transportation, distribution or manufacture of [said liquors] ... contrary to the Laws of the State of Tennessee,'\" officers discovered videotapes in Savoy's locked office that Savoy indicated were used for his video-surveillance system in the Tavern. ", "Id. at 506 (alteration in original). ", "The officers seized \"[s]ixty VHS tapes ..., two hundred ninety-one photographs, the components of the surveillance system, and a television.\" ", "Doc. ", "8 (Dist. ", "Ct. ", "Order at 1 n. 2). ", "The government used four of the videotapes depicting minors as evidence in Savoy's criminal prosecution.", "\nAfter his conviction, Savoy, now a federal prisoner, filed a Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g) motion for return of property, seeking the return of all of the seized property not admitted into evidence in his trial, with the exception of the surveillance system. ", "The district court engaged in an in camera review of the photographs and videotapes and granted Savoy's motion with regard to all items except those videos and photographs whose subjects were minors and those videos whose subjects were adults who were not aware that they were being recorded. ", "The district court found that Savoy was not entitled to lawful possession of those adult videotapes under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605. ", "Savoy appeals the district court's judgment with regard to the adult videos only.", "\n\nI. DISCUSSION\n\nA. Partial Denial of Savoy's Motion to Return Property\nWe review for abuse of discretion the denial of a Rule 41 motion for return of property, which involves \"essentially a civil equitable proceeding.\" ", "United States v. Duncan, 918 F.2d 647, 654 (6th Cir.1990) (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted), cert. ", "denied, 500 U.S. 933, 111 S.Ct. ", "2055, 114 L.Ed.2d 461 (1991); United States v. Headley, 111 Fed.", "Appx. ", "808, 809 (6th Cir.2004) (unpublished order). \"", "What we are concerned with is whether the district court properly balanced the competing equities in deciding whether return was in order.\" ", "Duncan, 918 F.2d at 654. \"", "`The general rule is that seized property, other than contraband, should be returned to its rightful owner once the criminal proceedings have terminated.'\" ", "United States v. Hess, 982 F.2d 181, 186 (6th Cir.1992) (quoting United States v. LaFatch, 565 F.2d 81, 83 (6th Cir.1977)). ", "Under Rule 41, \"`[a] district court has both the jurisdiction and the duty to return the contested property once the government's need for it has ended.'\" ", "United States v. Bowker, 372 F.3d 365, 387 (6th Cir.2004) (quoting Hess, 982 F.2d at 187), vacated on other grounds by 543 U.S. 1182, 125 S.Ct. ", "1420, 161 L.Ed.2d 181, reinstated by 125 Fed.", "Appx. ", "701 (2005). \"", "However, the person seeking return of *933 property must show that they are lawfully entitled to possess it.\" ", "United States v. Headley, 50 Fed.", "Appx. ", "266, 267 (6th Cir. ", "2002) (unpublished order); accord Sovereign News Co. v. United States, 690 F.2d 569, 577 (6th Cir.1982), cert. ", "denied, 464 U.S. 814, 104 S.Ct. ", "69, 78 L.Ed.2d 83 (1983); United States v. Francis, 646 F.2d 251, 262 (6th Cir.) (", "holding that Rule 41 places the burden on the claimant), cert. ", "denied, 454 U.S. 1082, 102 S.Ct. ", "637, 70 L.Ed.2d 616 (1981).", "\nRule 41 provides, in relevant part:\n(g) Motion to Return Property. ", "A person aggrieved by an unlawful search and seizure of property or by the deprivation of property may move for the property's return. ", "The motion must be filed in the district where the property was seized. ", "The court must receive evidence on any factual issue necessary to decide the motion. ", "If it grants the motion, the court must return the property to the movant, but may impose reasonable conditions to protect access to the property and its use in later proceedings.", "\nFED.R.CRIM.P. 41(g). ", "We have held \"that Rule 41(g) `clearly contemplates a hearing \"on any issue of fact necessary to the decision of the motion.\"'\" ", "Bowker, 372 F.3d at 387 (quoting Hess, 982 F.2d at 186). ", "Here, the district court looked to state law to determine whether Savoy was entitled to lawful possession of the adult videotapes. ", "Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605,\n(a) It is an offense for a person to knowingly photograph, or cause to be photographed an individual, when the individual is in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, without the prior effective consent of the individual ... if the photograph:\n(1) Would offend or embarrass an ordinary person if such person appeared in the photograph; and\n(2) Was taken for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification of the defendant.", "\n(b) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, \"photograph\" means ... any videotape or live television transmission of any individual so that the individual is readily identifiable.", "\n(c) All photographs taken in violation of this section shall be confiscated and, after their use as evidence, destroyed.", "\nTENN.CODE ANN. § ", "39-13-605. ", "The district court found that \"the tapes were made using a hidden camera, and the females were not aware that they were being taped in various stages of nudity and/or performing sex acts.\" ", "Doc. ", "8 (Dist. ", "Ct. ", "Op. ", "at 3). ", "But the court did not make an explicit finding as to whether the females were \"`in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy'\" as required under § 39-13-605. ", "Savoy argues \"that the individual's [sic] in the video's [sic] did not have an expectancy of privacy in a public tavern that was equipped with video surveillance.\" ", "Appellant Br. ", "at 3. ", "The government responds that \"while it is not reasonable to expect that one's nude body would not be viewable by those present, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy from recording.", "\"[1] Appellee Br. ", "at 7. *", "934 Savoy thus argues that the \"reasonable expectation of privacy\" inquiry requires a single analysis of the circumstances presented by the \"place,\" and the government counters that the inquiry requires a separate analysis of the circumstances of each \"individual\" recorded in the \"place.\"", "\nWe conclude that Savoy's approach is closer to the plain language of the statute and that under the plain language of the statute we must decide what is \"a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy\" under § 39-13-605 and whether the Rocky Top Tavern would meet that standard.[2]\n\n1. ", "Statutory Language: \"when the individual is in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy\"\nOur research uncovered only four Tennessee cases that even mention § 39-13-605,[3] and only two that state the facts of conviction. ", "In State v. Castrejon, No. ", "M2005-01886-CCA-R3-CD, 2006 WL 1097486 (Tenn.Crim.", "App. ", "Apr.6, 2006) (unpublished opinion), the court upheld the defendant's consecutive sentence for conviction under § 39-13-605 for videotaping himself touching a minor while she slept. ", "Id. at * 1. ", "In State v. Dickens, No. ", "M2003-00783-CCA-R3-CD, 2004 WL 735025 (Tenn.Crim.", "App. ", "Apr.6, 2004), the court upheld, against a sufficiency challenge, the defendant's conviction for criminal attempt to commit unlawful photographing in violation of § 39-13-605 for attempting to take a picture of a naked woman over the top of the wall in a closed, locked tanning-booth stall that was \"designed to ensure privacy.\" ", "Id. at *1-2, *4. ", "Neither court engaged in any analysis of whether the offense occurred in \"a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.\" ", "However, the Dickens court's sufficiency analysis focused not on the woman's expectation of privacy within the tanning booth but rather on the place itself, stating \"that each tanning room is designed to ensure privacy. ", "The doors lock from the inside and, although the walls do not extend all the way to the ceiling, it would be difficult *935 to see over them without standing on something.\" ", "Id. at *4. ", "The court thus focused on whether the place itself—the tanning room—could give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy and not whether the individual then in the place had a reasonable expectation of privacy. ", "Although the statute seems designed to protect the privacy interests of the individual subject to the photograph, the statute considers that privacy interest with reference to the individual's presence \"in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.", "\"[4]\nThe Tennessee courts have produced a wealth of case law on places where a person may or may not have \"a reasonable expectation of privacy.\" ", "Most recently, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the Court of Criminal Appeals's decision \"rejecting the Sixth Circuit bright-line rule that a resident always has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a secured common area\" in favor of \"the totality of the circumstances test ... for determining the reasonableness of an expectation of privacy.\" ", "State v. Talley, 307 S.W.3d 723, 732-34, 2010 WL 987072, at *6-7 (Tenn. 2010). ", "Applying this test, the court held that \"the Defendant [resident] did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the commonly shared, interior hallway of a condominium complex\" because no resident \"could unilaterally exclude others rightfully within the hallway,\" residents had collectively allowed non-residents to have intermittent access to the common areas, and there was \"no evidence that the defendant had taken any precautions to maintain his privacy in the common areas of the building.\" ", "Id. 307 S.W.3d at 734, at *7-8. ", "The court noted that \"[a]s a general rule, unlocked or unsecured common areas of apartment buildings do not qualify for any reasonable expectation of privacy.\" ", "Id. 307 S.W.3d at 732, n. 4., ", "at *6 n. 4.", "\nBased on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals's application of § 39-13-605 and the Tennessee Supreme Court's approach to the privacy inquiry, we conclude that a totality-of-the-circumstances test should apply for determining whether a place may give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy under § 39-13-605, recognizing that \"[t]he Fourth Amendment protects people, not places, and provides sanctuary for citizens wherever they have a legitimate expectation of privacy.\" ", "Minnesota v. Olson, 495 U.S. 91, 96 n. 5, 110 S.Ct. ", "1684, 109 L.Ed.2d 85 (1990) (internal quotation marks omitted). \"", "But the extent to which the Fourth Amendment protects people may depend upon where those people are.\" ", "Minnesota v. Carter, 525 U.S. 83, 88, 119 S.Ct. ", "469, 142 L.Ed.2d 373 (1998). ", "Therefore we must determine whether, under the totality of the circumstances at issue in each videotape, an individual in the Rocky Top Tavern would be justified in asserting that he or she is \"in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.\"", "\n\n2. ", "The Rocky Top Tavern\nAlthough the district court did not make findings with respect to the contents of the videos aside from their unsuspecting adult female subjects, this court has previously *936 stated the facts related to the videotapes as follows:\nDuring the search, officers discovered a locked room, which Defendant Savoy opened for them. ", "Mr. Savoy described this room as his office. ", "The room contained a single bed, a desk, a television (TV), a video cassette recorder (VCR), and several videotapes. ", "Defendant advised officers that the TV and VCR were used in relation to his video-surveillance system. ", "According to the officers, Mr. Savoy consented to the officers viewing the videotapes on his TV and VCR. ", "Agents played the tapes to determine whether they contained illegal liquor or beer sales. ", "However, the tapes actually depicted sex acts between Mr. Savoy and unknown females, what appeared to be minor females removing their clothing and dancing, and sexual acts between a male and what appeared to be a minor female. ", "Officers then found a camera and microphone hidden in a hollowed-out two-by-four (2 x 4) stud behind the bar. ", "The camera and microphone were not readily visible to persons inside the bar, and were recovered only after Defendant Savoy advised agents of their respective location. ", "The officers seized all of the videotapes for further review.", "\nSavoy, 280 Fed.", "Appx. ", "at 506 (footnote omitted). ", "Because Savoy was charged with child-pornography related offenses, this court discussed only the contents of the videos admitted into evidence at trial, and those tapes depicted only minors—not the adult females in the videotapes at issue here. ", "However, this court recounted that the videotapes admitted into evidence at trial depicted minor females in various states of nudity and/or engaged in sex acts \"behind the bar.\" ", "Id. at 507. ", "None of the four videotapes admitted into evidence contained footage from within the \"locked room,\" and it seems that the camera captured events solely in the area \"behind the bar\" because the camera was located \"behind the bar.\" ", "See id. at 506-07.", "\nOur inquiry is therefore confined to the business premises of the Rocky Top Tavern. \"", "An expectation of privacy in commercial premises ... is different from, and indeed less than, a similar expectation in an individual's home.\" ", "New York v. Burger, 482 U.S. 691, 700, 107 S.Ct. ", "2636, 96 L.Ed.2d 601 (1987); see also Carter, 525 U.S. at 90-91, 119 S.Ct. ", "469; Autoworld Specialty Cars, Inc. v. United States, 815 F.2d 385, 388 (6th Cir.1987) (\"`[Proprietor] did not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in areas of the store where the public was invited to enter and to transact business.'\" (", "quoting Maryland v. Macon, 472 U.S. 463, 469, 105 S.Ct. ", "2778, 86 L.Ed.2d 370 (1985))). ", "Tennessee courts have recognized that even when a person visits \"another's [private] home for a short period of time and is essentially at the location to conduct a business transaction, the [person] possesses no expectation of privacy in the home.\" ", "Kyles v. State, No. ", "W2004-00374-CCA-R3-PC, 2005 WL 645161, at *5 (Tenn. Crim.", "App. ", "Mar.16, 2005) (unpublished opinion) (citing Carter, 525 U.S. at 89-91, 119 S.Ct. ", "469). ", "And the Tennessee courts abide by the \"now-classic principle: `What a person knowingly exposes to the public, even in his own home or office, is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection.... But what he seeks to preserve as private, even in an area accessible to the public, may be constitutionally protected.'\" ", "State v. Medford, No. ", "W2002-00226-CCA-R3-CD, 2003 WL 22446575, at *8 (Tenn. Crim.", "App. ", "Oct.21, 2003) (unpublished opinion) (quoting Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 351, 88 S.Ct. ", "507, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967)); see State v. Ross, 49 S.W.3d 833, 843 & n. 9 (Tenn.2001). \"", "Public accessibility, in other words, does not invariably defeat a reasonable expectation of privacy.\" ", "Medford, 2003 WL 22446575, at *8; see State v. Munn, 56 S.W.3d 486, 494-95 *937 (Tenn.2001) (holding that defendant who requested to be alone with parent in police-station interview room and to have the recording equipment turned off had reasonable expectation of privacy from being recorded by hidden audio and video recording system after police complied with both requests and closed the door behind them when they left the room); State v. Roode, 643 S.W.2d 651 (Tenn.1982) (holding that helicopter surveillance of area of defendant's property within public view did not violate reasonable expectation of privacy). ", "However, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy \"in areas of [a business] where the public was invited to enter and to transact business.\" ", "Maryland v. Macon, 472 U.S. 463, 469, 105 S.Ct. ", "2778, 86 L.Ed.2d 370 (1985); see State v. Heller, No. ", "W2007-01455-CCA-R3-CD, 2008 WL 2901581, at *7-9 (Tenn.Crim.", "App. ", "July 24, 2008) (unpublished opinion) (holding that defendant had standing to challenge search of his person at a business but not to challenge the search of the business itself because present only as casual visitor without a reasonable expectation of privacy); State v. Norton, No. ", "E2001-01903-CCA-R3-CD, 2002 WL 1585634, at *8 (Tenn.Crim.", "App. ", "July 18, 2002) (unpublished opinion) (noting that owner had no reasonable expectation of privacy in his tavern because it was open to the public at the time the search warrant was executed, but expressly not ruling on privacy interests of customers present).", "\nThe district court failed to make findings of fact to support that the \"reasonable expectation of privacy\" element of § 39-13-605 was satisfied under the totality of the circumstances here. ", "Without such findings, we are unable to determine whether the district court abused its discretion in assuming that the element was satisfied because each videotape presents a unique set of circumstances that requires a fact-intensive totality-of-the-circumstances inquiry to determine whether the Rocky Top Tavern qualifies as \"a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy\" under the circumstances of each recording. ", "The videotapes were entered into the record in the district court, but neither Savoy nor the government has presented any evidence as to whether the adult females in the requested videos were present at the Rocky Top Tavern for anything other than business purposes at the time that the nudity and/or sexual activity occurred and was recorded. ", "Because findings of fact are the province of the district court, and the district court has already conducted a review of the twenty videotapes at issue, we vacate the district court's judgment with regard to the adult videotapes and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. ", "The district court must determine whether each videotape in question was recorded while the Rocky Top Tavern was open to the public for business purposes, what specific areas of the bar premises the hidden camera captured in each video (whether the videos contain only footage from \"behind the bar\" or within public view), and whether any steps were taken in an attempt to maintain the privacy of the activities that occurred in each video. ", "See Heller, 2008 WL 2901581, at *8;[5]Carter, 525 *938 U.S. at 88-91, 119 S.Ct. ", "469 (holding that defendant's expectation of privacy in premises owned by another depends on the purpose of the visit); Lowe v. Clift, 2007 WL 2112672, at *4 (E.D.Tenn.2007) (unpublished opinion) (\"Moreover, patrons of a venue into which the public is invited do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy—they necessarily encounter others who observe their presence and behavior.\" (", "citing Macon, 472 U.S. at 469, 105 S.Ct. ", "2778)). ", "Only after the district court makes findings of fact that enable it to determine whether the \"reasonable expectation of privacy\" element of Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605 was satisfied under the totality of the circumstances for each videotape individually may the court determine whether Savoy is or is not entitled to lawfully possess each videotape for purposes of his Rule 41(g) motion for return of property.", "\n\nB. Consideration of Search Warrant for Rule 41 Analysis\nSavoy argues that the district court in reviewing his Rule 41(g) motion should have \"consider[ed] the validity of the State Search Warrant, and whether it went outside the scope of `things to be searched,[] and/or items to be seized[]' before deciding to only return some of the property to Appellant's designee\" because the search warrant was \"obtained because of the sale of liquor in an establishment licensed for the sale of beer only.\" ", "Appellant Br. ", "at 3; see also id. at 4. ", "This argument has no merit because this court has already decided that the videotapes that were used in Savoy's prosecution were properly seized, Savoy, 280 Fed.", "Appx. ", "at 510-11, and the same rationale applies to the adult videotapes at issue here. ", "An earlier panel of this court held that the \"seizure of Defendant's videotapes was valid because the tapes were reasonably related to the offense that formed the basis of his search warrant,\" in accordance with the Supreme Court's holding in Harris v. United States, 331 U.S. 145, 67 S.Ct. ", "1098, 91 L.Ed. ", "1399 (1947), \"that a law enforcement agent in making a valid search may seize property found on the premises being searched which is the subject matter of a different crime, even though the officer was not aware that such property was on the premises when the search was initiated.\" ", "Savoy, 280 Fed.", "Appx. ", "at 511. ", "The fact that the adult videotapes were not later used in Savoy's prosecution for child pornography charges does not impact our analysis.[6]\n\nC. Additional Request Not Filed with District Court\nSavoy acknowledges that he did not include in his Motion for Return of Personal Property a specific request for the return of his video surveillance equipment, but he argues that the district court should have addressed its return anyway because \"[a] Pro se litigant should not be required to list every little piece of property that was seized.\" ", "Appellant Br. ", "at 5. ", "Although \"we are mindful to construe [pro se] arguments liberally,\" El Bey v. Roop, 530 F.3d 407, 413 (6th Cir.2008), a claimant may abandon a claim to seized items by not requesting their return in the request filed for the other items seized, see McBean v. United States, 43 Fed.", "Appx. ", "853, 855 (6th Cir.2002) (unpublished order). ", "Aside from the liberal construction afforded pro *939 se filings, Savoy presents no arguments on appeal as to why the district court should have returned his video surveillance equipment. ", "Savoy's motion was not a general request for all property seized but rather made specific requests for the return of the videotapes, photographs, and negatives.[7] Savoy's failure to request the return of his surveillance equipment in the district court precludes us from considering the propriety of return of that property in the first instance. ", "See Fed.", "R.Crim.", "P. 41(g); El Bey, 530 F.3d at 412. ", "Savoy may present this request to the district court on remand.", "\n\nII. ", "CONCLUSION\nFor the above reasons, we vacate the district court's judgment with regard to the twenty videotapes at issue in this appeal, and we remand for the district court to make findings of fact that will enable it to determine whether, consistent with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g), Savoy is entitled to lawful possession of the videotapes under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605.", "\nNOTES\n[1] The government, noting the dearth of case law related to § 39-13-605, attempts to utilize an analogy to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals's treatment of a \"similar\" Wisconsin statute, Wisconsin Statute § 942.09. ", "Appellee Br. ", "at 7-8 (citing State v. Jahnke, 316 Wis.2d 324, 762 N.W.2d 696 (2008)). ", "However, the relevant language of the Wisconsin statute— \"`while that person is nude in a circumstance in which he or she has a reasonable expectation of privacy'\"—justified the court of appeals's inquiry into the viewpoint of the individual subject to the recording at issue. ", "Jahnke, 762 N.W.2d at 698 & n. 4 (quoting Wis. Stat. § ", "942.09(2)(am)1) (emphasis added). ", "This language in Wisconsin differs from the language at issue in Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605 in a materially significant way. ", "Even so, we note that the Wisconsin Court of Appeals distinguished the reasonable expectation of privacy held by a private person recorded in the defendant's private bedroom from the lack of a reasonable expectation of privacy that an exotic dancer \"who dance[s] nude before multiple patrons in a club open to the public\" would enjoy. ", "Id. at 700 (emphasis added).", "\n[2] The district court also did not make an explicit finding that the videos, if made in violation of § 39-13-605, constituted \"contraband,\" but instead seemed to assume that if it was a crime to make the videos then it was a crime to possess the videos. ", "See Doc. ", "8 (Dist. ", "Ct. ", "Op. ", "at 2-3). ", "Although Savoy does not raise this issue on appeal, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in treating the videotapes as contraband. ", "BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY (9th ed.2009) defines contraband in part as \"[g]oods that are unlawful to possess\" and \"derivative contraband\" as \"[p]roperty whose possession becomes unlawful when it is used in committing an illegal act.\" ", "Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-605(c), \"[a]ll photographs taken in violation of this section shall be confiscated and, after their use as evidence, destroyed.\" ", "We read this provision to imply that it is also unlawful to possess such items and that they are contraband. ", "See One 1958 Plymouth Sedan v. Pennsylvania, 380 U.S. 693, 699-700, 85 S.Ct. ", "1246, 14 L.Ed.2d 170 (1965) (distinguishing between \"per se contraband\" and \"derivative contraband\").", "\n[3] Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-607 utilizes the same language—\"in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy\"—to codify the offense of observation without consent. ", "Unfortunately the Tennessee courts have not interpreted the phrase under this statute, either.", "\n[4] The Tennessee Legislature has proposed an amendment that replaces \"is in a place where there is\" with \"has\" such that the provision would read \"when the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy.\" ", "S.B. 3219, 106th Leg., ", "2d Sess. (", "Tenn.2009); H.B. 3277, 106th Leg., ", "2d Sess. (", "Tenn.2009). ", "This amendment, if it passes, would support the government's position that we must analyze the reasonable expectation of privacy held by each individual on the videotapes. ", "However, we are bound to interpret the statute as it was written at the time applicable to Savoy's claim, i.e., in 2005 when the videos were seized and Savoy was prosecuted.", "\n[5] In determining whether a business patron had standing to challenge the search of the business itself, the Heller court specifically listed \"seven factors to be considered when determining if a legitimate expectation of privacy exists,\" including:\n\n(1) ownership of the property; (2) whether the defendant has a possessory interest in the thing seized; (3) whether the defendant has a possessory interest in the placed [sic] searched; (4) whether the defendant has the right to exclude other[s] from the place; (5) whether he has exhibited a subjective expectation that the place would remain free from intrusion by the state; (6) whether the defendant took normal precautions to maintain his privacy; and (7) whether he was legitimately on the premises.", "\nHeller, 2008 WL 2901581, at *8 (quoting State v. Oody, 823 S.W.2d 554, 560 (Tenn.Crim. ", "App.1991)); accord Talley, 2010 WL 987072, at *5.", "\n[6] The legality of the initial seizure of the adult videotapes would not alter our analysis under Rule 41(g) because the same analysis applies \"where the initial seizure was lawful and where it was unlawful.\" ", "Francis, 646 F.2d at 262 n. 7.", "\n[7] Although Savoy's motion did not reference the television, the district court ordered the television's return because the government had no objection to its return—this stands in contrast with the government's objection in the district court to the return of the surveillance system. ", "See Doc. ", "7 (Dist. ", "Ct. ", "Order at 1-2).", "\n" ]

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[ "\n131 So.2d 831 (1961)\nAndrus GASPARD, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of His Minor Son, Ronnie Gaspard, Plaintiff and Appellant,\nv.\nGRAIN DEALERS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY et al., ", "Defendant and Appellee.", "\nNo. ", "298.", "\nCourt of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.", "\nJune 19, 1961.", "\nRehearing Denied July 12, 1961.", "\nEdwards & Edwards, by Nolan J. Edwards, Crowley, for plaintiff-appellant.", "\nMouton, Champagne & Colomb, by George J. Champagne, Jr., Lafayette, for defendants-appellees.", "\nBefore HOOD, FRUGE and CULPEPPER, JJ.", "\nCULPEPPER, Judge.", "\nThis is a suit brought by Andrus Gaspard, individually and as administrator of the estate of his minor son, Ronnie Gaspard, for damages for personal injuries received when the said minor was struck on the head by a baseball bat which slipped from the hands of Ronald Viator, minor son of the defendant, Alfred Viator, while the two minors were participating in a game of baseball during the recess period of a summer catechism school. ", "Defendant, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company, is the insurer of Mr. Viator under a comprehensive liability policy. ", "The defendants deny any negligence on the part of *832 Ronald Viator and specially plead assumption of the risk as a bar to plaintiff's recovery. ", "In the alternative, defendants allege contributory negligence on the part of Ronnie Gaspard. ", "From an adverse judgment in the lower court plaintiff has taken this appeal.", "\nThe facts of the accident are set forth in the lower court's written opinion as follows:\n\"The game being played was the game of `workup,' wherein some of the players occupy infield and outfield positions while others bat, and upon one of the batters being put out, the player responsible for the out comes in for his turn at bat, exchanging places. ", "Ronald Viator was the batter; it was a hot summer day; his hands were grimy with dirt and wet with perspiration on this hot summer morning, and he had selected a bat furnished by the church which was heavier than the other two bats available and which, through years of use, had become worn at the grip end so that the knob at the end of the bat was chipped and reduced in size from its original proportions. ", "Father Jabuert, who was on the playing field at the time, and a spectator at this game testified that this bat was the favorite of the boys because it is heavier and they could obtain better hits. ", "Ronnie Gaspard was near the players' bench situated to the left and a little bit behind the batter, some twelve or fifteen feet distant in the act of stooping to select his own bat, as he was next in line at the plate. ", "Viator swung at a pitched ball, missed it, and the bat slipped from his hands, flying through the air and striking young Gaspard on the head. * * *", "\n* * * * * *\n\"Both of these boys were voluntary participants in this game of baseball. ", "It was carried out under the supervision of Father Jabuert and a group of young seminarians who took charge of the boys and girls during recess. ", "It was a lawful, supervised athletic contest. ", "Neither of the boys was required to play in the game and both of them testified that they had played baseball considerably before the incident occurred, and both have played in the Little Leagues in Crowley since the accident occurred. ", "Ronnie Gaspard, the injured player, played for Miller's Little League, playing the position of pitcher and had a successful season despite his injury. ", "Both boys are alert intelligent youngsters and both seemed to fully understand the dangers inherent in the great American pastime of baseball of being struck by flying balls or bats, in spite of which knowledge they seemed to be ardent exponents of the game. ", "Gaspard testified that he had frequently used the bat which Viator used that morning and that he knew that bats sometimes fly from the hands of batters despite every effort to prevent this. ", "He stated that he had had the same experience while playing the game. ", "Ronald Viator testified that he was trying to grip this bat as hard as he could; that he knew his hands were sweaty, and that he wiped them on his bluejeans, as is customary among boys of that age; that despite these precautions when he swung at the ball and missed it, the bat slipped out of his hands.\"", "\nThe first issue is the negligence of Ronald Viator who was twelve years old at the time of the accident. ", "Plaintiff relies principally on the case of Polk v. Trinity Universal Insurance Company, La.App. ", "2 Cir., ", "1959, 115 So.2d 399 in which two boys, approximately ten years of age, were playing \"flys and rollers\" in the backyard of a home where three little four year old girls were also playing. ", "As one of the boys was swinging the bat, plaintiff's little girl moved toward him and was struck in the face. ", "In finding the boy negligent, the court held that he was aware of the presence of the little girls and of the possibility *833 of injury to them and should have taken the precaution of noting their whereabouts before swinging the bat, because he should have known that the actions of four year olds could not be anticipated.", "\nIn our opinion the trial judge was correct in finding the Polk case has no application here. ", "Although plaintiff urges that the Polk case indicates a baseball batter is negligent in not watching out for other children in the course of batting, the facts of the present case indicate that the Viator boy was aware of the presence of young Gaspard and the other boys approximately fifteen feet to his left rear, but whether Viator was or was not aware of the presence of Gaspard, this had no causal relation to the accident. ", "The accident here was caused by the bat slipping from Viator's hands, and not by his being unmindful of the presence of Gaspard. ", "Other obvious reasons why the Polk case is inapplicable here are that the Polk case did not involve an organized game of baseball, the little girl who was injured was not a participant in the game and the injured child, being only four years of age, could not have assumed the risk or been guilty of contributory negligence.", "\nPlaintiff argues further that the Viator boy was negligent in using a heavy bat with a defective grip knowing that his hands were dirty and wet with sweat. ", "Plaintiff contends that under these circumstances young Viator should have known that the bat might slip out of his hands and injure someone. ", "In answer to this argument, the defendant argues that the Viator boy acted as any other boy of similar age, intelligence and experience would have acted under the circumstances and that he has therefore met the standard of conduct to which such a child must conform.", "\nThe general rule as to the standard of care required of children is set forth in the annotation found in 173 A.L.R. 891 as follows:\n\"However, the reasonable care required by the general rule is only that degree or amount of care that is ordinarily exercised by one of like age, experience and development. ", "See Hoyt v. Rosenberg [80 Cal.", "App.2d 500, 182 P.2d 234] (reported herewith) ante, 883.", "\n\"A child of tender years is not required to conform to the standard of behavior which it is reasonable to expect of an adult. ", "His conduct is rather to be judged by the standard of behavior to be expected from a child of like age, intelligence and experience. ", "AmL Inst Restatement, Torts, Vol 2, §283, Comment e.\"\nThis general rule of law has been recognized many times in the jurisprudence of Louisiana particularly in cases involving the allegation of contributory negligence on the part of a minor. ", "See Kahn v. Shreveport Railway, La.App., ", "161 So. ", "636 and Arata v. Orleans Capitol Stores, 219 La. 1045, 55 So.2d 239 and the cases cited therein. ", "In our opinion the trial judge correctly disposed of this issue in holding as follows:\n\"A careful examination of all of the facts and circumstances of this case convinces the Court that the Viator boy was not negligent, that is, that he exercised that degree of care reasonably to be expected from a boy of his age engaged in such an athletic contest. ", "This is especially borne out by the fact that the bat in question was the favorite of these players, who were all approximately the same age; that it was not a dangerous instrumentality because of the fact that the knob at the end of the grip was worn and chipped; and that he exercised the precaution of wiping his hands to improve his grip. ", "What more could he have done, other than refrain from batting entirely? ", "To impose liability under such circumstances would, in my opinion, render the participation of the children of this State in almost any game or sport a practical impossibility, and become a constant *834 nightmare to parents throughout the State.\"", "\nA further reason for denial of recovery is that by voluntarily participating in this game of baseball the Gaspard boy, who was 11 years of age at the time of the accident, assumed the risk of this type of danger which is inherent in the game. ", "On this issue also it is our opinion that the trial judge, in his well considered written opinion, correctly stated the law and its application to the facts of the instant case as follows:\n\"The Court was not referred to any case involving injuries to participants in the game, nor have I been able to find one as a result of my independent research of our jurisprudence. ", "The law applicable, however, is well stated in the annotation appearing in Volume 8, A.L.R.2d, page 704, 706, section 2, as follows:\n\"`Summarizing the decisions, without at this point going into a detailed consideration of the underlying theories and reasoning, it appears that generally a participant in a lawful game or contest assumes the danger inherent in that game or contest with consequent preclusion from recovery for injury or death resulting therefrom.", "\n\"`But he does not assume the risk of injury resulting from negligence, though, of course he may be precluded from recovering because of his own contributory negligence.'\"", "\n\"`Nor does the voluntary participant assume the extraordinary risks of the game or contest unless he knew of them and voluntarily assented to them.'", "\n\"It would appear, therefore, that Ronnie Gaspard assumed the risk attendant upon his playing the game of baseball with his fellow students at the school of religion.\"", "\nAlthough, as the trial judge stated, there are no reported Louisiana cases dealing with claims by participants in a baseball game, two cases, Lorino v. New Orleans Baseball and Amusement Company, 16 La. App. ", "95, 133 So. ", "408 and Jones v. Alexandria Baseball Association, La.App., ", "50 So.2d 93, involved suits by spectators at professional baseball games who were struck by foul balls while sitting in the bleachers. ", "In both of these cases the court followed the well established jurisprudence of our sister states in holding that baseball is a strenuous game involving danger to both players and spectators and that one who, with full knowledge of this danger, attends a baseball game and places himself in a position of danger, assumes the risks inherent in the game.", "\nAs is shown by the above quoted portion of the trial court's finding of fact, the injured minor, an alert, intelligent, young athlete, had previously played baseball many times, had played \"Little League Baseball\" and was thoroughly familiar with the danger of being struck by flying balls or bats. ", "Gaspard testified that he had had the same experience of missing the ball and losing control of the bat. ", "In our opinion, all of the necessary elements of assumption of the risk are present in the instant case. ", "Flying balls and bats are dangerous, young Gaspard knew of the danger and he clearly acquiesced or proceeded in the face of danger by voluntarily playing the game. ", "See White v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company et al., ", "222 La. 994, 64 So.2d 245, 42 A.L.R.2d 338; Upshaw v. Great American Indemnity Company, La. App., ", "112 So.2d 125.", "\nFor reasons assigned, the judgment appealed from is affirmed. ", "All costs of this appeal are assessed against the plaintiff.", "\nAffirmed.", "\n\nOn Application for Rehearing.", "\nEn Banc. ", "Rehearing denied.", "\n" ]

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[ "Wait, what we meant to say was: Friday's here, and it's open thread time! ", "Like every week, we've opened up a comment thread specifically for you to unwind, ask any question, or chat it up about absolutely anything that you'd like to talk about. ", "The only requirement: You need a commenter account to join in the fun. ", "If you don't have one already, securing privileges is a breeze. ", "Happy Friday, one and all!" ]

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[ "Heat oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. ", "Add chicken mixture; cook and stir 3 minutes. ", "Add pea pods, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.", "\n\nAdd broth mixture; cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and vegetables are crisp-tender. ", "Serve over rice." ]

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[ "Source: Pixabay\n\nWelcome to our Baby Yoda Quiz page! ", "Here you can check how many percents of Baby Yoda you are! ", "And get your cuteness factor rated on a scale from Baby Yoda to a Wookiee.", "\n\nThe Mandalorian is the hot new series by Disney and Lucasfilm. ", "It’s based on the Star Wars series. ", "You can watch it on Disney+.", "\n\nThe events of the series take place between Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and Episode VII – The Force Awakens. ", "So it’s before Rey’s birth.", "\n\n\nThe main star of the Mandalorian is the insanely cute Baby Yoda. ", "This is a green little 50-year old baby creature from the same alien species as Yoda from Star Wars.", "\n\nThe Force is strong with this little one. ", "The insane cuteness is even stronger.", "\n\nOur Baby Yoda Quiz is centered on this adorable character.", "\n\nThe Mandalorian is super popular with fans because it looks like the classic old-school Star Wars episodes of the first trilogy.", "\n\nAt the same time, it’s a lovely story of a bounty hunter who gets so overwhelmed with Baby Yoda’s cuteness that he risks his life and career to protects the little baby.", "\n\nThe Mandalorian had been marketed as a dark space western. ", "So imagine the surprise the fans had when they saw the insanely cute Baby Yoda!", "\n\nBaby Yoda is probably the most popular hero of memes this year. ", "With a woman yelling at a cat being the runner up.", "\n\nYou can’t hide from Baby Yoda’s cuteness anywhere. ", "So we’ve decided to create this fun quiz.", "\n\nBaby Yoda Quiz Questions:\n\nHow much of a Baby Yoda are you? ", "What is your cuteness level? ", "Take our Baby Yoda personality quiz and find out!", "\n\nSEE ALSO: Star Wars Trivia Quiz: You’re Not A True Fan Of Star Wars Unless You Can Identify At Least 18 Star Wars Planets\n\nMORE: Reylo Star Wars Quiz: Only People Truly Obsessed With Reylo Can Get 17/17 Right On This Hilarious Reylo Quiz\n\nSEE ALSO: Star Wars Quiz: Only Real Star Wars Fans Can Get 20/20 On This Star Wars Character Name Spelling Quiz" ]

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[ "Q:\n\nHow did Harry get from Diagon Alley to Kings Cross Station?", "\n\nWhile watching (and loving) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, something occurred to me.", "\nHagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley and Gringott's Bank, which are clearly in the Wizarding World. ", "However, when he takes Harry to King's Cross, there is no sign for Platform 9¾, and Harry needs the Weasleys to show him how to get there. ", "We seem to have slipped back into the Muggle world again.", "\nIs there a passage in the book explaining this, which the film has omitted?", "\n\nA:\n\nIn the films there is so much missing, I had friends that don't know the books wonder why major things happen the way they do.", "\nWhat is missing here is that Hagrid visits Harry on his birthday, which is July 31st. ", "The train leaves on September 1st. ", "So there is the whole month of August between those two scenes. ", "This whole month Harry again lives with the Dursleys. ", "They mysteriously managed to get off the island without the boat, that Hagrid had taken away.", "\nAdditionally, in the book it's not Hagrid who takes Harry to King's Cross, instead, Harry manages to persuade Vernon to take him.", "\n\n\"All right, we’ll take you to King’s Cross. ", "We’re going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn’t bother.\"", "\n\"Why are you going to London?\" ", "Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.", "\n\"Taking Dudley to hospital,\" growled Uncle Vernon. \"", "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.\" (", "PS)\n\nThey even enter King’s Cross with Harry, mainly for their own amusement to show Harry that platform nine and three-quarters doesn't exist.", "\n\nThey reached King's Cross at half past ten. ", "Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. ", "Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.", "\n\"Well, there you are, boy. ", "Platform nine -- platform ten. ", "Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?\"", "\nHe was quite right, of course. ", "There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.", "\n\"Have a good term,\" said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. ", "He left without another word. ", "Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. ", "All three of them were laughing.(PS)\n\nIt is already irresponsible of Hagrid not to tell Harry how to get there, but if in the film Hagrid takes him there and then leaves him alone to find the way, that is even more irresponsible.", "\nHarry not finding the way is one of the key points, because there he meets Ron.", "\n\nA:\n\nAfter they went shopping, they left Diagon Alley (and the Wizarding World) via wall behind the Leaky Cauldron and then back into the Muggle world.", "\n\nThe late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty.", "\nHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - — CHAPTER FIVE — Diagon Alley\n\nThey traveled by Underground from the Cauldron to Paddington where Harry caught a train back to Little Whinging. ", "In the film this journey is omitted but we do see them in the Cauldron, when Harry learns about his parent's fate at the hands of Voldemort.", "\n\nHarry didn’t speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn’t even notice how much people were gawping at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the sleeping snowy owl on Harry’s lap. ", "Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realised where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.", "\nHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - — CHAPTER FIVE — Diagon Alley\n\nSeveral weeks later Harry then traveled from Little Whinging to Kings Cross (meeting the Weasleys) where he then returned to the Wizard World via the gate at Platform 9 3/4\n\n" ]

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[ "\nDescription & Setting\n\nWRITE Great FICTION \nTechniques and exercises for crafting a believable world of people, places and events\n\n **RON ROZELLE**\n**[ COPYRIGHT ]**\n\n **Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting.** ", "Copyright © 2005 by Ron Rozelle. ", "Manufactured in the United States of America. ", "All rights reserved. ", "No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. ", "Published by Writer's Digest Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. (", "800) 289-0963. ", "First edition.", "\n\nVisit our Web site at www.writersdigest.com for information on more resources for writers.", "\n\nTo receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter delivering tips and updates about writing and about Writer's Digest products, register directly at our Web site at http://newsletters.fwpublications.com.", "\n\n09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1\n\nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data\n\nRozelle, Ron\n\nWrite great fiction: description & setting / by Ron Rozelle. — ", "1st ed.", "\n\np. cm.", "\n\nIncludes index.", "\n\nISBN 1-58297-327-X (pbk. : ", "alk. ", "paper)\n\nISBN 13: 978-1-58297-682-2 (EPUB)\n\n1. ", "Fiction — Technique. ", "2. ", "Setting (Literature) 3. ", "Description (Rhetoric) I. Title.", "\n\nPN3383.S42R69 2005\n\n808.3′92 — dc22 2004023472\n\nCIP\n\n **Edited by \nMichelle Ruberg**\n\nDesigned by Stanard Design Partners\n\nInterior and cover illustrations by Getty Images\n\nCover by Nick Gliebe/Design Matters\n\nProduction coordinated by Robin Richie\n\n#\n\n## [ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ]\n\nRon Rozelle teaches Creative Writing on the Texas gulf coast. ", "He is the author of three books: _Into That Good Night_ , a memoir, _The Windows of Heaven_ , a novel of the 1900 Galveston storm, and _A Place Apart_ , a novel set in modern day Ohio. ", "He is the recipient of the Stephen F. Austin Father of Texas Award and the _Image_ Magazine Creative Prize. ", "His memoir, _Into That Good Night_ , was a national finalist for the P.E.N. Prize and the Texas Institute of Letters Carr P. Collins Award and was selected as the second best work of nonfiction in the nation for the year 1998 by the _San Antonio Express-News_. ", "He has taught writing workshops at numerous conferences and universities, and was twice the memoir teacher at the Newman National Conference at Mississippi College. ", "His articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications, and he was the Barnes and Noble Author of the Month in both the Houston and Dallas markets. ", "He has been a featured author at the Texas Book Festival in Austin and the Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio. ", "He has a new novel, _Touching Winter_ , coming out soon from TCU Press.", "\n\n#\n\n## [ DEDICATION ]\n\nfor Victor Platt and David Westheimer, wordsmiths, both\n\n### table of contents\n\n#### CHAPTER ONE:\n\nThe Importance of Description and Setting\n\n#### CHAPTER TWO:\n\nLearning to Pay Attention\n\n#### CHAPTER THREE:\n\nUsing All the Tools in Your Kit\n\n#### CHAPTER FOUR:\n\nShowing, Telling, and Combining the Two\n\n#### CHAPTER FIVE:\n\nSensory Description\n\n#### CHAPTER SIX:\n\nDescription of Characters\n\n#### CHAPTER SEVEN:\n\nTime and Place\n\n#### CHAPTER EIGHT:\n\nDescription and Setting in Specialized Fiction\n\n#### CHAPTER NINE:\n\nUsing Description and Setting to Drive the Story\n\n#### CHAPTER TEN:\n\nWorking the Magic\n\n#### CHAPTER ELEVEN:\n\nToo Little, Too Much\n\n#### CHAPTER TWELVE:\n\nDescription and Setting in the Writing Process\n\n#### APPENDIX:\n\nPoint by Point — A Quick and Easy Reference to Material Covered\n\n# 1\n\n## [ THE IMPORTANCE OF DESCRIPTION AND SETTING ]\n\nOne of the first things I learned about the difference between good and bad writing is that good writing is not entirely dependent upon the setting. ", "And bad writing sometimes is.", "\n\nI was in a college class called The American Novel on the third or fourth floor of the English building, watching the branches of a huge oak tree sway gently outside the open windows in the lazy breeze of a spring afternoon. ", "We were nearly halfway through that odd duck of a decade called the seventies, and the professor used the adjective _transcendental_ , which was almost always, in those times, paired with the noun _meditation_.", "\n\n\"Good writing is transcendental,\" the professor said. \"", "It rises above time and place.\"", "\n\nThat little pearl has stuck with me ever since. ", "And being for a long time now in the business of writing — good rather than bad, I hope — and teaching it, I can attest that it is true. ", "If it weren't, then only people who grew up in rural Alabama in the early years of the Great Depression would be able to make much of _To Kill a Mockingbird_. ", "But the fact is that any thoughtful reader can make a great deal of it, because _To Kill a Mockingbird_ is not about Alabama or the Great Depression. ", "Writing that is only about a time is not literature, it is history. ", "If it is only about a place, it is geography. ", "Literature is about neither; it is about people and all of the wide range of joys and troubles that people tumble into.", "\n\nNow, having said that, I'd better quickly say this: Even though good writing is not entirely dependent upon the setting, a writer of fiction would be paving the way to miserable failure if he did not first create, using every tool at his disposal, the most clearly depicted time and place he could come up with. ", "Because a story will not get very far — more specifically, your reader will not _go_ very far — without a setting that has been meticulously crafted.", "\n\nReaders want to know a few things right up front, like what the weather is like and the lay of the land, the color of that lake, or the steep pitch of that steeple. ", "Now whether or not these things have one iota to do with your story doesn't concern the reader. ", "And it shouldn't; that's your business as the writer. ", "That generic reader out there, who my students and I call the guy in Sheboygan, expects a few details from the start as part of his due for sitting down to spend any time with you at all.", "\n\nThe location and time frame of your story is more than just a stage for your characters to tromp around on. ", "In some cases, the setting becomes a character itself. ", "And all of the attendant details — societal conventions, seashores, mountains, regional dialects — determine the overall tone. ", "In fact, if you do it right, setting and description become essential in your fiction. ", "They become the foundation for the rest of your story to build on.", "\n\nVery few existing novels or stories would work as well as they do, or work at all, in completely different times and places. ", "It might be argued that _To Kill a Mockingbird_ could be set in Nova Scotia in the 1980s, provided there was discrimination of some sort there, which there almost certainly was, discrimination being an abundant commodity in most times and places. ", "In that venue, the story might possibly do the transcending my old professor spoke of. ", "But, though it may survive such a transplant, it certainly wouldn't be the same book, or even — almost surely — a very good one. ", "Harper Lee set her tale in the Deep South of the early 1930s, fertile ground for bigotry and family oddballs kept hidden away in crumbling old houses, a perfect bedrock for her unique novel.", "\n\nYour fiction has to have a setting rich enough to match the story you intend to tell. ", "It must be believable and sufficiently described to be as real for your readers as the rooms they are sitting in when reading it.", "\n\nIt's a tall order. ", "But it's one that you'll have to fill before your writing can work on any level. ", "This book will show you, through the use of explanations, examples, and practice drills, how you can go about establishing realistic, believable settings and providing engaging descriptions that will allow your readers to see, when they read your story, what _you_ saw when you envisioned it.", "\n\n **CRAFT AND VOICE**\n\nWhenever I meet with a new class, the first thing I tell them is that creative writing consists of two things: craft and voice. ", "I pilfer pretty liberally here from William Zinsser's _On Writing Well,_ but he wouldn't mind; writers are usually gracious sharers and universally proficient pilferers. ", "Then I tell the class that I might be somewhat helpful to them regarding craft, which includes the tricks of the trade and various clever manipulation tools, like rabbits out of hats.", "\n\nBut when it comes to voice, the entirely individual way in which they spin their yarns, I admit that I'm not likely to be of any use whatsoever. ", "They'll just have to dig around for that on their own. ", "I can point them in the right direction, can show them examples of other peoples' voices, and can even tell them when they haven't found it. ", "But _finding_ it is a personal expedition.", "\n\nThis business of description and setting is rooted firmly in both craft _and_ voice. ", "The careful brush strokes that bring your story to life, the delicate tightrope walking between too little and too much, and the careful choice of a locale that makes your tale accessible to the guy in Sheboygan will require all of the tools in your kit and your ability to employ them. ", "Jumbled in there — like screwdrivers and hammers — are metaphors, similes, sentence-and paragraph-length variation, onomatopoeia, allusions, flashbacks, and many more things. ", "Your job is to lift each one out as it is needed and — in your distinctive voice — put it to work.", "\n\nAnd while voice can't be taught — at least within the strictest definition of the word, by a teacher in a classroom or the pages of a how-to manual — it _can_ be learned. ", "The process through which it finally emerges is a refiner's fire of mystical components, made up of honing the basic skills of storytelling, devoting plenty of time to reading a wide assortment of talented writers who _have_ found their voices and put them to good use, and then undertaking, meticulously and slowly, the ancient enterprise of wordsmithing: the careful selection of each and every word and phrase.", "\n\n **THE TRINITY**\n\nIn each chapter, we'll look at various conventions and devices that undergird effective writing (craft), we'll dissect specific examples of how established writers have provided description and established setting (models), and we'll look at ways that you can go about the planning, writing, and fine tuning necessary to write quality fiction (wordsmithing).", "\n\nLet's set some ground rules. ", "Instead of dealing with craft and voice as two things, let's consider them from here on out as one. ", "The tools and your unique use of them must be a single enterprise, the two fusing continuously into what will eventually be your finished product: a story or a novel. ", "The same is true of our dual topics, setting and description. ", "One depends entirely on the other, and separating them in our thinking or our treatment won't be helpful. ", "For that reason, I've chosen not to break this book into two parts, one dealing specifically with setting and the other with description. ", "They're going to have to work together in your fiction, so let's go at them as a single entity.", "\n\nFinding and polishing the writing voice in which you will describe your setting is a solo voyage with you alone at the helm. ", "But if you tinker sufficiently, using the many tools available to you, and pay attention to how other writers have used them, then your style will surface, like Ahab's white whale off there on the horizon. ", "And it will get clearer and clearer as you row toward it. ", "Here's a warning, however. ", "This thing you are chasing is likely to give you as much trouble as the whale gave Ahab.", "\n\nGood writing is hard work, any way you look at it, and not always a lot of fun. ", "It's a lonely business and oftentimes a frustrating one. ", "We might as well have our first bit of wisdom from Flannery O'Connor, and you should get used to it. ", "Some of my students call her Saint Flannery since I invoke her words pretty often.", "\n\n\"I'm always highly irritated,\" O'Connor says, in _Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose_ , \"by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. ", "It's a plunge _into_ reality and is very shocking to the system.\"", "\n\nSo prepare to have your system shocked. ", "But prepare also to reap the rewards of your struggles. ", "I'm not talking about a huge advance from a publisher and a national book tour and plopping yourself down opposite Katie Couric on the _Today_ show. ", "You can't be concerned with any of that just yet. ", "What has to occupy you for a good while now is the actual writing of this piece that might or might not provide your deliverance. ", "The rewards I'm referring to are more basic: the good feeling of having written well for a few hours and the satisfaction of crafting a piece of your story in your very own way, putting your own stamp on it.", "\n\nGood, clear writing that has been sufficiently wordsmithed, that's what we're after. ", "A solid, well-written work of fiction with your name under the title and your voice throughout. ", "A story and a cast of characters that will make the guy in Sheboygan continue to think about them even after he's finished the reading.", "\n\nTwo of the most essential components are description and setting. ", "Before you can work one bit of the magic in that story or those characters, you have to make your reader fully aware of the place and the time, of what the weather is like, what things look like, smell like, and feel like. ", "All of these — and many more — are the details that add up to create the world that you're offering.", "\n\n **PUTTING THE READER IN THE SETTING**\n\nSaying that description and setting are important in fiction is like saying that an engine is important in a car. ", "Other things are essential too, like a steering wheel and tires and dozens of other gizmos. ", "The car won't do much without most of them. ", "But it won't even _start_ without an engine. ", "Neither will your story really start until your reader is aware of the time and the place.", "\n\nHere are several examples of how writers have chosen to introduce their reader to their setting. ", "Consider these options, determine which might work best to draw your reader in, and place them where you want them to be.", "\n\n **Giving the Lay of the Land**\n\nSlapping the reader in the face with the setting in the first few sentences is not usually the best approach. ", "The first image that you paint in his or her mind is enormously important; that image — that first taste of your story and your voice — will shade their impression of what you're up to. ", "If the first paragraph is a straightforward description of a house or a city street or any other place, with nothing evidently happening there, then the reader might assume that nothing much is going to happen later, either.", "\n\nThat's not to say that it can't be done, and done effectively. ", "Look at John Steinbeck's opening paragraph in _East of Eden_ :\n\nThe Salinas Valley is in Northern California. ", "It is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay.", "\n\nThis is pure telling rather than showing, a topic that we'll take up in chapter four. ", "It is reportage. ", "But Steinbeck goes on to quickly establish that the place itself is essential to his story and to the narrator. ", "Notice that we meet the place _before_ we meet the narrator or any of the characters; such is its importance to the tale we're about to be told.", "\n\nA first time novelist starting to write a story set in Bolivia would be ill advised if told to begin with a description of its topography, climate, and gross national product. ", "What he's likely to end up with is a report about Bolivia and not a story about the elderly rancher who has his sights set on the pretty peasant girl who is in love with his son. ", "The writer will eventually get around to all of that, but what readers are likely to have lodged in their minds is that little geography lesson. ", "And it will be hard to overcome.", "\n\nSo, how did Steinbeck pull it off ? ", "His first two sentences work in _East of Eden_ because he knew where he was headed and how he wanted to get there. ", "He knew that the land itself would be a living, breathing character in the novel, as essential as any of the other characters. ", "Look at his next paragraph:\n\nI remember my childhood names for grasses and secret flowers. ", "I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in the summer — and what trees and seasons smelled like — how people looked and walked and smelled even. ", "The memory of odors is very rich.", "\n\nNow we have the narrator present and accounted for, looking around and beginning to tell us whatever it is that he wishes to impart.", "\n\nSo, while I would be hesitant to suggest that writers who are still finding their feet regarding craft begin their books with a geographical description of the countryside, neither would I tell them _not_ to do it under any circumstances. ", "As a writer, you have to put your readers exactly where you want them to be, seeing exactly what you want them to see. ", "Or, more importantly, what you _need_ them to see to establish the setting in their consciousness. ", "If your setting is going to play a vital role in your story — which it almost certainly will — this may be the ideal approach for you. ", "But don't decide until you consider others.", "\n\n **Using Intricate Details**\n\nDon DeLillo begins his novel _Underworld_ with the famous 1951 baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. ", "Here's his first sentence:\n\nHe speaks in your voice, American, and there's a shine in his eye that's halfway hopeful.", "\n\nReaders don't know who _he_ is, not yet. ", "They don't know why there's a shine in his eye or why it's halfway hopeful. ", "They don't know that it's the famous baseball game — or any baseball game — that he's going to. ", "But they are made aware in the fourth word that they are being spoken to directly.", "\n\nDeLillo goes on, in the next fifty or so pages, to paint a picture, in present tense, of that game that plops readers down in one of the seats at the Polo Grounds on that long ago cloudy afternoon. ", "He infuses those pages with detail after detail after detail that lay the groundwork for the larger part of his story, set fifty years later, which plays out in the next eight hundred pages.", "\n\nListen:\n\nPeople stand in both decks in left, leaning out from the rows up front, and some of them are tossing paper over the edge, torn-up scorecards and bits of matchbook covers, there are crushed paper cups, little waxy napkins they got with their hot dogs, there are germ-bearing tissues many days old that were matted at the bottoms of deep pockets, all coming down around Pafko.", "\n\nThomson is loping along, he is striding nicely around first, leaning into his run.", "\n\nPafko throws smartly to Cox...\n\nCox peers out from under his cap and snaps the ball sidearm to Robinson.", "\n\nLook at Mays meanwhile strolling to the plate dragging the barrel of his bat on the ground.", "\n\nRobinson takes the throw and makes a spin toward Thomson, who is standing shyly maybe five feet from second.", "\n\nPeople like to see paper fall at Pafko's feet, maybe drift across his shoulder or cling to his cap. ", "The wall is nearly seventeen feet high so he is well out of range of the longest leaning touch and they have to be content to bathe him in their paper.", "\n\nLook at Durocher on the dugout steps, manager of the Giants, hard-rock Leo, the gashouse scrapper, a face straight from the Gallic Wars...\n\nNow notice what DeLillo is up to here. ", "Having called out readers individually in the first sentence of the book (remember the \"He speaks in your voice...\"), he goes on to show them everything that's going on: people in the stands, the mannerisms of the players on the field, the texture of the napkins that come with the hotdogs. ", "He points his readers in every direction that he wants them to go:\n\n\"Look at Mays...\"\n\n\"Look at Durocher...\"\n\nIn the wonderful flow of description that winds through the next many pages, DeLillo hovers over several characters at the game. ", "The young boy who \"speaks in your voice\" — with the halfway hopeful shine in his eye — has snuck in without paying and is nervous, jumpy. ", "The businessman in the seat beside him who buys him peanuts and soda is... \"close-shaved and Brylcreemed but with a casual quality, a free-and-easy manner that Cotter the boy links to small-town life in the movies.\"", "\n\nSuddenly we're in the radio broadcast booth with the announcer. ", "Then, in one paragraph, we're in people's houses and in bars and stores across the several boroughs of New York, where they're listening to the game on the radio. ", "Then we're in the stands again, with four men in the VIP section: Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Toots Shor, and J. Edgar Hoover. ", "There are people we know, men we've watched on television or read about.", "\n\nGleason is playing hooky from the rehearsal of his television show, where he's supposed to be running through his lines for a new skit they're trying out this week called _The Honeymooners_. ", "Hoover learns, during the game, that Russia has exploded an atomic bomb in their first rehearsal of an entirely different sort. ", "Both of these anecdotes serve to anchor us securely into a particular era that is bigger than a baseball game and into a world that is wider than the Polo Grounds. ", "Sort of the _thing_ played out against the bigger _thing_ , which we'll discuss throughout the book.", "\n\nAll of these characters — the ones we've never known and the ones for whom we have a preconceived mental image — are talking to each other and laughing and swilling beer and eating peanuts, and we are — through the courtesy of a gifted writer — right there with them. ", "Sinatra, Gleason, Shor, and Hoover are all dead now. ", "But here they are fully alive; their loosened neckties are as wide and colorful as all the other men's ties on that early 1950s afternoon. ", "Little triangles of handkerchiefs peek out from the breast pockets of their suit coats. ", "Cups of frothy beer are cold in their hands.", "\n\nThis detailed approach might be a good way for you to bring your reader into your story, to carefully paint a mental picture — down to the texture and shapes of seemingly unimportant things — and establish in the reader's mind an image as clear and focused as a good photograph. ", "We'll deal with how to _look_ for those details in the very next chapter. ", "Then in chapter four, how to _show_ them (rather than report them).", "\n\nLet's go back for a moment to that business about the three approaches to finding your writer's voice: craft, models, and wordsmithing.", "\n\nDeLillo uses most of his tools: a variety of sentence lengths, allusions, metaphors, similes, the five senses. ", "His mastery of the craft is apparent. ", "I've never met him, but I believe it's a pretty safe bet that DeLillo has read a novel or two, or — more likely — hundreds. ", "And I suspect that most of them made some impression on him as a writer. ", "He undoubtedly found in many of them techniques that he might employ, things that he might do, and plenty of things that he would make sure _not_ to do. ", "And all of it — the practice of the craft, the influence of models, and the fine wordsmithing — results in the sure, comfortable voice that makes the reader want to stay on board for another eight hundred pages.", "\n\nWe talked earlier about using a variety of writing approaches and techniques (the tools in your kit). ", "In a passage like DeLillo's, where there are several paragraphs or maybe pages of details, you'll need to pay particular attention to this in order to keep the reader interested. ", "So mix in metaphors and similes with strong, clever adjectives. ", "Slip in a few sound-words (ono-matopoeia) and maybe some pleasing cadence. ", "We'll be looking closely at these devices and others later, and we'll practice using them. ", "They are the basic building blocks of the craft of writing. ", "These instruments of manipulation are trickery of the most devious sort. ", "But that's okay. ", "In a long passage like this one, such devices are the keys to keeping your reader on board.", "\n\nThis is a good spot for us to make a distinction between literary and popular fiction. ", "Though the terms are too general — there is a wide middle ground where they bleed into each other's territory — we can at least try to pinpoint a place where they differ. ", "The use of description will serve nicely. ", "Readers of literary fiction, like the DeLillo novel we just looked at, will generally be more tolerant of long passages of description since they are as interested in the way the author unfolds the story as in the progression of the story itself. ", "Fans of writers of popular fiction, like Stephen King and Belva Plain and Ken Follett, usually want escapism first and foremost. ", "They want to be entertained, and one of the jobs of the writer is to _not_ bog them down in what they might perceive to be too much detail.", "\n\nThe problem for the writer of popular fiction is to give sufficient description without giving too much. ", "The best solution is to keep your type of reader in mind all the time, and follow what I call the clutter rule: If something isn't serving the advancement of the story, it needs to go. ", "All writers have sacrificed some finely crafted paragraphs or complete chapters to the clutter rule. ", "And while it's not fun to delete writing you've struggled with and polished, your story or novel will work better without it.", "\n\nAnother good idea would be to enlist a few of your friends who read the type of fiction you're writing. ", "Ask them to read your manuscript with an objective eye, trying their best to imagine that they've never met the author — writing groups are enormously useful for this — and the feedback you'll get will help to guide you in your description.", "\n\nReaders don't usually declare themselves as partakers of literary or popular fiction exclusively, like Democrats and Republicans attending caucuses. ", "Many, many readers enjoy both. ", "And many authors write both. ", "In this book, I'll use both types of fiction as models since each includes numerous talented wordsmiths in their ranks.", "\n\n **Sensory Description**\n\nChapter five will deal specifically with using the five senses in all of your writing. ", "But let's look here at how this approach might be a good way for you to get your story or novel going. ", "Consider how Margaret George starts her novel _The Memoirs of Cleopatra_ :\n\nWarmth. ", "Wind. ", "Dancing blue waters, and the sound of waves. ", "I see, hear, feel them all still. ", "I even taste the sting of the salt against my lips, where the fine, misty spray coats them. ", "And closer even than that, the lulling, drowsy smell of my mother's skin by my nose, where she holds me against her bosom, her hand making a sunshade across my forehead to shield my eyes. ", "The boat is rocking gently, and my mother is rocking me as well, so I sway to a double rhythm. ", "It makes me very sleepy, and the sloshing of the water all around me makes a blanket of sound, wrapping me securely. ", "I am held safely, cradled in love and watchfulness. ", "I remember. ", "I remember...\n\nThis is pure sensory description. ", "Before we know the name of the body of water we're floating on or its location, we know what it feels and smells and looks like. ", "Before we know who is telling us the story — though the title of the book would no doubt be helpful here — we know what is quite possibly her earliest memory. ", "And we are experiencing it with her, rocking gently with her, the sloshing of the water and the movement of the vessel setting the tone that slides us gently into the novel.", "\n\nSo, here's another way for you to bring your reader in. ", "Your beginning might benefit from the delicate brushwork of sensory description, letting the reader not only see what's going on, but feel, taste, touch, and hear it as well. ", "In fact, this might be one of the best choices for beginning writers, since relating what things sound, look, feel, smell, and taste like might prove to be an easier chore, starting out, than some of the other approaches.", "\n\n **Setting the Tone**\n\nThe tone, the pervading attitude or mood, will determine early on whether this is going to be a serious matter or a frivolous one. ", "Funny or sad? ", "Formal? ", "Informal? ", "Heavy or light? ", "And a very good place to begin the establishment of the tone, to get a solid toehold into it, is in description in general and description of your settings in particular.", "\n\nSteinbeck's tone in the first sentences of _East of Eden_ is straight to the point, with no dillydallying. ", "Here's where we are and here's the layout: mountains over here and a river over there. ", "In _Underworld_ , Don DeLillo works the tone like a musical instrument, hitting every detail just right, bringing the reader fully in. ", "Margaret George's mood is peaceful, almost drowsy; but instead of rocking us to sleep, she's carefully positioning us closer to where she wants us to be. ", "Now look at how Jack Finney starts his novella _The Night People_ :\n\nThe great bridge, arched across the blackness of San Francisco Bay, seemed like a stage set now. ", "Empty of cars in the middle of the night, its narrow, orange-lighted length hung wrapped in darkness, motionless and artificial. ", "At its center, where the enormous support cables dipped down into the light to almost touch the bridge, two men stood at the railing staring out at the black Pacific, preparing themselves for what they had come here to do.", "\n\nThere's nothing dreamy here; we're not being eased into this one. ", "The night is dark. ", "The ocean is dark. ", "The bay is black. ", "The bridge is massive and deserted, the support cables \"enormous.\" ", "The two men are dwarfed by the setting, and they have a mission. ", "We don't yet know what it is that they intend to do, or why. ", "But the tone is set. ", "The game — as Sherlock Holmes used to mumble to Dr. Watson — is afoot.", "\n\nThe tone of a piece of literature is the overall mood. ", "If you imagine your story being played out on a stage, the tone might be a combination of the backdrop, the set, and the lighting. ", "The prevailing tone of _The Night People_ , at least at the beginning, is gloomy and mysterious, maybe a little creepy. ", "So far, it could be an Edgar Allan Poe story. ", "And that gloom is exactly what the author wants us to feel as we start our adventure, whatever it turns out to be.", "\n\nWhen starting your story or novel, pay close attention to the overall mood or feeling that you want to convey, then work elements of that particular tone into the opening lines. ", "Carefully choose each adjective and image; in fact, each and every word should be the product of a meticulous selection.", "\n\n **DESCRIPTION AND SETTING THROUGHOUT THE STORY**\n\nWe're running the risk here, when putting forth models of how writers begin their novels, of making the neophyte author believe that careful description of the setting needs to happen only on the first page or two, like tempting bait impaled on stout hooks. ", "The truth is that the description of time and place must be a sustained effort; it has to be continuously worked at, continuously painted in the reader's mind.", "\n\n **It was a Dark and Stormy Night...**\n\nDon't hesitate to let the weather help you set the tone of your story or novel.", "\n\nOften in good fiction what's going on outside is reflective of what's happening _inside_ of characters and plots.", "\n\nHere are some examples:\n\n * _King Lear_ : a raging thunderstorm during Lear's \"Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!\" ", "soliloquy.", "\n * William Faulkner's humid, sweltering summer days mirroring his characters' lazy, apathetic attitudes.", "\n * The hopelessness and desperation of a blizzard as the backdrop for the central character's escalating madness in Stephen King's _The Shining_.", "\n * Though there are bits of humor and hopefulness and yearning in Edith Wharton's _Ethan Frome_ , the persistent mood can be encapsulated as stark or bleak, like the harsh wintertime New England countryside that is its setting.", "\n * Heathcliff, in _Wurthering Heights_ , is as brooding as the windswept moors he wanders around on.", "\n * The laid-back, bright sunshine lifestyle of a south Florida harbor community is reflected in the easygoing, but tough when it needs to be, narrator's voice in John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels.", "\n\nThe weather sometimes helps to determine _your_ mood (\"rainy days and Mondays always get me down,\" and all that), so let it do the same for your fiction.", "\n\nA short story makes enormous demands on description and setting, since everything has to transpire clearly and succinctly in not too many pages. ", "A novel, on the other hand, being so much longer than a story, usually hundreds of pages longer, makes just as many demands and usually many more. ", "Characters undergo big changes in those hundreds of pages, and their sagas are most often played out in a variety of places. ", "And the description has to be as strong and as useful on page 201 as it is in the opening paragraph. ", "Listen to E. Annie Proulx halfway through her novel _The Shipping News_ :\n\nThe hill tilting toward the water, the straggled pickets and then Dennis's aquamarine house with a picture window toward the street. ", "Quoyle pulled pens from his shirt, put them on the dashboard before he went in. ", "For pens got in the way. ", "The door opened into the kitchen. ", "Quoyle stepped around and over children. ", "In the living room, under a tinted photograph of two stout women lolling in ferns, Dennis slouched on leopard-print sofa cushions, watched the fishery news. ", "On each side of him crocheted pillows in rainbows and squares. ", "Carpenter at Home.", "\n\nHere's detail aplenty. ", "The novel takes place in Newfoundland. ", "But one chapter — chapter sixteen, titled \"Beety's Kitchen\" — takes place in one room, which has to be rich in its uniqueness. ", "Thus: children that have to be stepped over, the tinted photograph of an odd tableau, the assortment of mismatched sofa pillows and cushions. ", "Later, we hear water gushing into a kettle. ", "We smell bread baking, yeasty and strong in the hot room. ", "We watch one of those children eat yellow bakeberry jam (whatever _that_ is) on a piece of the bread.", "\n\nIt wouldn't be a bad idea to post this little tenet over your monitor or at least in your brain: _My reader has to be there, too._ ", "The fact that _you_ have to be there is obvious; you won't be able to have your characters walk around and do things in your setting if you don't have a good idea of the layout. ", "But the guy in Sheboygan's perception of it has to be just as clear. ", "You have to take him there.", "\n\nBy the way, you might have noticed in the Proulx model that there are three sentence fragments. ", "In fact, many of her strongest descriptions come in incomplete sentences throughout the entire novel. ", "Here's a good place to say something about the canon of rules pertaining to writing. ", "Namely, that it is sometimes a good idea to break some. ", "What, in fact, is the use of fragments — which many fine writers employ to great advantage — but the violation of a steadfast decree that has been drummed into us since elementary school?", "\n\nFragments can often be the very best way for you to emphasize something. ", "Because they are infractions, they stand out; so, if you _need_ something to stand out, here's a good way to do it. ", "But you might get a reprimand from your old English teacher.", "\n\n _The Shipping News_ , even with its abundance of fragments, won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.", "\n\nThus endeth that lesson.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: SENDING THE INVITATION**\n\nIf a novel works well, it's because the novelist has worked hard. ", "How many times have you heard somebody say that this or that author's prose is so real and comfortable that he bets the words just poured out?", "\n\nI'll take that bet.", "\n\nThe brutal truth is, when it comes to creative writing, words hardly ever just pour out. ", "What has to happen is that you have to struggle and groan and write something any number of times so that, at the end, the finished product has to look like it took no effort whatsoever. ", "The narrative has to be as easy and relaxed as an old uncle spinning a yarn on the front porch, as smooth as cold buttermilk easing out of a porcelain cup.", "\n\nIn other words, you have to work a little magic.", "\n\nYou'll have to do it other places, too. ", "Remember the bit about good writing having to transcend place and time that we started with? ", "That calls for magic, also. ", "Making your setting accessible to a reader who has never been there, has never lived in that era, or maybe never knew of the place's existence or cared one way or another about it is going to be a tricky task. ", "Here's Flannery O'Connor again: \"The writer operates at a peculiar crossroads where time and place and eternity somehow meet. ", "His problem is to find that location.\"", "\n\nThe real problem is the eternity part. ", "That's where the magic is required. ", "The eternity that Flannery O'Connor is talking about is the much larger commonality that links us all together. ", "It is — to risk sounding awfully philosophical — the vast human experience that all people share, the enormous connection that allows a reader removed from a setting by hundreds of years and thousands of miles to relate to the story, understand it, and enjoy it.", "\n\nAdequate use of description and an adequate rendering of time and place in a novel will allow your readers to have _some_ access to your story. _", "Good_ description and a carefully crafted setting will make them _want_ to be there. ", "This significantly more precise and polished effort will make them want to settle in and stay a while, to get to know the characters and their situations, to see how your characters get into moral dilemmas and out again. ", "They want to see how they end up surprising him, or how they misbehave. ", "With good description and a believable setting, your readers will have a front-row, center seat, as opposed to one in the back of the third balcony.", "\n\nThe difference between just being in attendance and _wanting_ to be there starts with an invitation. ", "Good, clear writing has to, first and foremost, lure the reader in. ", "Think of the examples we just looked at, at how Steinbeck, DeLillo, George, and Finney began their novels. ", "Here are four distinctively different styles and settings, four very different voices. ", "Yet what they all have in common is that they were carefully written to entice readers to step right up into the vehicle and, once in, to look around and wonder where they're off to.", "\n\nNovelists usually have to be stealthier than poets, who can get away with a beckoning as straightforward as Robert Frost's in \"The Pasture,\" which is usually the opening poem in collections of his work:\n\nI'm going out to clean the pasture spring;\n\nI'll only stop to rake the leaves away\n\n(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):\n\nI shan't be gone long. — ", "You come too.", "\n\nYou come too.", "\n\nThat's what your writing has to say to your readers. ", "Something in the situation you are presenting, in your characters and in your writer's voice, has to be compelling enough to bring them on board. ", "And two of the very best places to issue your summons, and to keep on issuing it page after page, are in your description and your setting.", "\n\nIn this book, we'll look at various ways to bring the magic about: techniques and examples and devices and blatant trickery, all aimed toward that moment when your readers will connect so strongly with something you've described, or have such a realistic sense of the place where you want to take them, that they hear your invitation: You come too.", "\n\n **EXERCISES**\n\nThroughout the book, there will be several exercises in each chapter to give you the opportunity to try your hand at specific approaches and techniques. ", "I encourage you to do these, so that you can get some hands-on experience. ", "For the introductory chapter, we'll try three ways that might help you ease into this overall process of providing your readers with a believable setting in particular and description in general.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nIn the next chapter, we're going to look at the importance of gathering details and then working them into your writing. ", "Let's get a little head start. ", "For this exercise, look back at the several paragraphs from _Underworld_ on pages 10 and 11. ", "The author piled detail on detail to firmly entrench his reader in the setting.", "\n\nI suspect one of the first things that Don DeLillo, the author, did was make a list of the details that he wanted to include. ", "In all likelihood, his list contained many more details than he ended up using when it came time to write the text.", "\n\nMake a short list of ten or so details or items that you might include in a good description of at least one of the following topics:\n\n * a trip to the dentist\n * a farm\n * riding mass transit (bus, train, subway)\n * Saturday chores\n * A busy city street\n\nThere's no need to incorporate your details into any lengthy writing; as I said, we'll go into this in much more detail in another chapter. ", "But, at least do this: Think about how you _might_ work them in, in any way other than simple statements of fact. ", "Then, select one or two of your choices and write a sentence that will bring the detail to life for your reader.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nLook back at the bit from _The Memoirs of Cleopatra_ on page 14. ", "Look at how the author conveyed the five senses in that one scene. ", "Think of the list that she might have made before she tackled that paragraph.", "\n\nNow, choose one of the following topics, and make a list of the five senses, leaving enough room beside each one to come up with several possibilities for description. ", "Then get down at least one example of each sense.", "\n\nI know. ", "The list looks awfully familiar. ", "That's not because I'm too lazy to come up with another one, but these same five topics can be approached from several entirely different directions by a good writer. ", "This time, instead of coming up with a collection of details or things, focus on the five senses.", "\n\n * a trip to the dentist\n * a farm\n * riding mass transit (bus, train, subway)\n * aturday chores\n * A busy city street\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nThink of five books or short stories that you've read and enjoyed. ", "Now, try to come up with a few words (maybe just one) that convey the overall mood, or tone, of the work. ", "Moods certainly change throughout stories, but you should be able to pinpoint a prevailing tone for each title.", "\n\nWhen you've completed your list, it might be interesting — and certainly instructive — to pull those books and stories down from the shelf and dig around in them looking for examples of how their authors went about setting the tone. ", "Searching for ways they worked the magic that you will work in your own writing.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 4**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts, look at how you introduced the setting. ", "You might have used one of the approaches discussed in this chapter — giving the lay of the land, using sensory detail, tone, etc. — ", "or you might have used a combination. ", "Now, try bringing the setting in using another strategy and see what works best.", "\n\n# 2\n\n## [ LEARNING TO PAY ATTENTION ]\n\nAnyone who spends any time at all at baseball games will immediately understand the phrase \"Heads Up!\" ", "It is to a baseball fan as instantly recognizable as \"Batter up!\" ", "and \"Two over here, with mustard.\"", "\n\nHeads up means, clearly and succinctly, pay attention. ", "It literally means, at the ballpark, that a baseball is currently in flight and you would be well advised to seek it out, and, if need be, get out of its way, lest it plow into your noggin with the velocity of a missile.", "\n\nTo a writer, heads up should mean something less dangerous, but not less important. ", "As a writer, you have to pay attention, too, constantly, not just when something appears to be coming your way. ", "For a writer, something is _always_ coming your way. ", "You just have to be alert.", "\n\nTo be a good writer, you have to be a persistent and meticulous harvester of detail. ", "To put it less politely, you have to be a thief, pure and outright. ", "Some of your best dialogue will come from people in the line with you at the grocery store or from the teller at the bank or from conversations at other tables that you aren't intended to hear. ", "Then if you're smart, you'll write the details down, preferably in a pocket notebook but saving that, on a napkin or a deposit slip or a business card. ", "You must gather seemingly unimportant minutiae from the world around you and then carefully place them in your writing, like perfect stones in a garden wall.", "\n\nMorley Callaghan in _That Summer in Paris: Memories of Tangled Friendships With Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Some Others_ remembers the time that F. Scott Fitzgerald came to his flat and was intrigued by freshly washed handkerchiefs spread out on the windowpanes to dry quickly in the sun. ", "Fitzgerald watched Callaghan's wife peel one off and fold it then asked if he could do one. ", "Here's some of what Callaghan recalls about Fitzgerald's reaction:\n\nDid women often do this? ", "he asked. ", "How simple and wonderful it was. ", "Oh, he would certainly use it in a story. ", "Day by day he sought out fresh little details like this one for use in his stories, he said.", "\n\nFresh little details. ", "That's what you'd better be on the lookout for. ", "Because all those fresh little details will finally blend together to make your fiction accessible to your reader.", "\n\nIn this chapter, we'll look at ways for you to pay much closer attention to all manners of things out there in your world, in your daily life. ", "So that when you undertake the important business of establishing your setting and describing it, you'll have — if not a veritable cornucopia — at least a wider selection of possibilities than if you hadn't looked around and taken notice in the first place.", "\n\nThen in the rest of this book we'll use our trinity of approaches (craft, models, and wordsmithing) to find the best ways for you to infuse some of that detail into your setting and your story or novel as a whole.", "\n\n **CREATING A WAREHOUSE OF DETAILS**\n\nWhen you begin to look at everything with a stronger magnification, you'll end up with more bits and pieces of data than you'll ever use. ", "Your journal or file or shoe box or brain (not your best choice here; bits and pieces stay put much better in a shoe box than they will in your brain) will finally become like that crate of old record albums in your closet. ", "You'll never need most of them, but if you _should_ happen to want to listen to a Roger Miller tune that you've taken to humming, you'll know where to look.", "\n\nThis constantly growing collection of observations and discoveries will serve you well. ", "Because the details that will eventually work their way into your setting and description — the characters that will people your story, the words they will say, the clothes they will wear, the rooms where they will wear the clothes — all have their genesis in the world around you, the writer. ", "What you have to do is have your antenna up, and when you find the details, catalog them in some way, tangibly or mentally. ", "Trust me on this: Tangibly is better. ", "Then, you can dip into your warehouse of details whenever you need to and use some of them in your writing.", "\n\nBut what you have to do first is hone your sense of perception and power of observation.", "\n\n **PAYING ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING AROUND YOU**\n\nWhen my wife and I visited Ellis Island one cold January day, we had lunch in the snack bar. ", "The snack bar offered typical snack bar fare, and we settled down to our burgers and fries and steaming coffee in a high-ceilinged, drafty big room that might have once been a holding area or examination room back when shiploads of immigrants still docked outside. ", "I looked around — I cased the joint, to use a crime writer's idiom — and made little mental notes of my surroundings. ", "About the texture of the walls. ", "The exposed pipes that gurgled and groaned. ", "The frosty condensation on the windows. ", "These are the kinds of details that you should always be on the lookout for as a writer, just in case you might be able to work some of them into your writing.", "\n\nThen I noticed an older couple sitting at the table nearest us. ", "I had seen them on the boat ride over, standing close together at the rail, their overcoat collars pulled up high at their necks. ", "Now they were still in their coats but had taken off their gloves and mufflers. ", "The small man said a few words to his small wife in a distinctly British accent. ", "High British, not Cockney. ", "The Queen's English. ", "Hugh Grant English. ", "They fidgeted with the little packets of salt and pepper; they smiled at them. ", "Then they carefully unwrapped their packets of plastic cutlery and began to eat their hamburgers and fries with knives and forks, the forks never leaving their left hands, the knives never leaving their right.", "\n\nMy attention was entirely on them now. ", "I lifted out my pocket notebook and scribbled a few words about the man's pencil thin mustache, their white hair, the way they sat up straight at the table, like our mothers used to tell us to do. ", "I noted the way they both lifted up the tops of their burgers with their plastic knives to peek at what exactly it was they were eating.", "\n\nMy wife and I have promised ourselves another trip to Ellis Island. ", "Her because she had so looked forward to it. ", "She's a third grade teacher and does an immigration unit, but she took too strong a motion sickness pill prior to riding the boat and was doped up for the whole experience. ", "And I want to go back because my attention was riveted the entire time on that little couple from England, on their mannerisms and their dialect, on their reactions to the exhibits. ", "On the way they held on to each other when they stepped back on the boat at the end, so neither of them would stumble.", "\n\nNow, let's put you in this scenario. ", "You're out there on Ellis Island instead of me, and your writer's radar has locked unto this couple. ", "How do you go about the task of gathering some useful information that you might actually end up using?", "\n\nFirst, I'd advise against following around behind them with your pocket notebook open and your pen scratching like that of a cub reporter in an old movie. ", "But you do need to pay careful and close attention. ", "To you, that little couple has to become _possibilities_. ", "Think about who they might be in a story. ", "You might imagine them as high society, having asked the concierge at the Plaza to book them an outing at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. ", "They'd had all their New York meals in fancy restaurants, at Tavern on the Green and the Four Seasons. ", "Out on the island and feeling a mite peckish, their only option was the strange snack bar cuisine and plastic utensils. ", "So, not used to eating with their hands, they made the best of it.", "\n\nThen mystery and irony may lift their sinister heads. ", "Now you might see them as a couple of spies blending in quietly on a tourist outing. ", "The crisp, British accent has been polished to perfection, the ritual with the knives and forks worked out nicely. ", "Or maybe he's on the lam — has been since the sixties — living on the money he embezzled in Geneva.", "\n\nThen, in a softer mood, they may become a retired tailor and his wife of fifty years from Liverpool, on the vacation they've been saving for since they started watching American shows on the telly. ", "Maybe one of them is sick, and this trip is the big splash before the darkness, before the other one is left alone in the small house on a narrow street where they've lived since Queen Elizabeth was a young girl.", "\n\nIf you end up using this pair in your fiction, you're going to have to eventually describe them so well that your readers will see and hear them as surely as if they were watching them in a movie. ", "If your story takes place at Ellis Island, you'll have to do the same thing with the setting. ", "So, here they are, the couple in the flesh and the place spread out around you laden with details. ", "If you intend to ever use them, what you need to do is come away from that outing with a notebook full of snippets that should soon become more legible entries in your journal. ", "Then, who knows? ", "They might just become a story that college freshmen will grapple with a century from now.", "\n\nOr — more likely — some of the snippets will work their way into several pieces of your writing, into several of your characters. ", "This encounter needn't have only character possibilities; you might end up using some of these details to describe how an entirely different elderly couple interacts or how foreigners behave in unfamiliar territory.", "\n\nNow, here's the point. ", "In order to come up with something that you can use in your writing, you have to glean many, many details, most of which you will probably end up not using at all. ", "You have to know how these people stood and walked and sat and waited in line. ", "You have to know how they moved their hands around when they talked to each other or how they kept their hands perfectly still. ", "Beyond the people themselves, you need to know what the place looked like, what it smelled and sounded like, and even what it felt like.", "\n\nIn short, you have to have a complete sense of it, whether you use the details in a story about that particular time and place or completely different ones — down to seemingly unimportant details — if you stand any chance at all of taking your readers there.", "\n\n **SCAVENGING FOR DETAILS**\n\nThe best way to become more proficient at anything is to practice; just ask any athletic coach or piano teacher. ", "And that certainly holds true for writers. ", "The more times you revise something, the better it's likely to get; the longer you write fiction, the better _you're_ likely to get. ", "And the more time you spend searching for details, the more interesting and useful details you're likely to come up with.", "\n\nThere will be some specific practice exercises at the end of the chapter. ", "But for now let's look at a couple of ways to get better at paying attention to details.", "\n\n **Focus on the Past**\n\nPick a time and a place in your past that you remember reasonably well. ", "You shouldn't pick an episode when you were an infant or a very small child, since you'll be fabricating almost everything. ", "Fabrication is fine and proper for a writer, but the purpose of these practice field trips is to hone your powers of perception, not your imagination. ", "Neither should you to pick a monumental or life-changing event, like the day your father died or the day you became engaged or became a parent for the first time. ", "The enormity of such an experience will tend to overshadow what you're trying to do, which is mine for particulars.", "\n\nHere are two more rules for these practices: The time has to be more than ten years ago (readers less than sixteen years of age may modify that to five), and the place has to be one that you haven't seen for quite a while. ", "That's important; this won't be a helpful practice if you had the experience recently or if you see the place often. ", "Your grandmother's kitchen might work, when you were, say, ten or eleven, or a girlfriend's or boyfriend's living room when you were in high school. ", "Maybe a place where you went on a family vacation many years ago would be a good choice.", "\n\nOnce you've settled on the time and a place, make plenty of notes. ", "Don't worry about sentence structure at this point; in fact, don't worry about writing sentences at all. ", "A list might work better for you, or some sort of diagram. ", "Get down everything that comes to your mind about both the time and the place: what the weather was like on that day, who else was there, what the landscape was like — if you were outside — and what kind of furniture there was — if you were inside.", "\n\nThen move on to the nitty and the gritty: the sensory details. ", "What did the furniture _feel_ like? ", "Exactly what _color_ was the sky? ", "Just blue won't do. ", "Maybe a metaphor will work better for you, or a simile. ", "Maybe just a darned good adjective will suffice. ", "Adjectives are one of the real workhorses of good writing, the salt and pepper that perk things up, but sometimes carefully chosen nouns and verbs can eliminate the need for them. ", "When you're practicing, just spill out a bunch of words and phrases that capture the place and time you are remembering for _you_. ", "When you're done, write a rough draft that will capture the moment for your _reader_.", "\n\nThese needn't be lengthy sagas. ", "Something around one typed, double-spaced page ought to do it, or two or three pages in the journal that I'm going to strongly suggest, a few pages from now, that you never let get very far from you. ", "And these _shouldn't_ be stories with conflicts and rising action and suspense and resolution and all of that business. ", "Trying to write a story will just defeat your purpose. ", "Just compose a clear first draft describing that time and place. ", "Be a wordsmith. ", "Choose each and every word carefully so that the finished product will actually take your reader there. ", "It's a good idea to start doing some of that wordsmithing in your notes; that way, a little of your most important work is done before you even get to the writing. ", "When something that smells good pops up on your list, you might go ahead and write down _aroma_ and _drifts_ , since these are better words than _smell_ and _approaches_. ", "Or when you first imagine clouds in a light blue sky, you might write _stringy wisps in a robin's egg sky_ , since this is an image you might end up using.", "\n\nEach time you start one of these practices you must remember an essential step: As you make your notes, think of that time and that place in _present tense_ , not past. ", "The events of that day should be happening right now. ", "In our pigeonhole brains, past tense means over and done with. ", "It means been there, done that. ", "Present tense means something is playing out as we watch it. ", "Even when you write a story in past tense, the events _still_ have to play out as the reader watches them. ", "So you had best do all of your imagining in present tense if you intend your story to come to life for your reader.", "\n\nTry this and see what you come up with. ", "I think you'll be surprised at the details you'll unearth that have been buried for a long time. ", "By practicing this over and over, you'll become accustomed to spotting — and creating — the small, often unnoticed fine points that will craft rich descriptions and settings in your stories and novels.", "\n\n **Focus on the Present**\n\nAnother way to practice allows you to give your memory a rest. ", "Settle comfortably into a fairly interesting place that is quite real and in the here and now. ", "It should be an active place where something is happening — preferably where people are coming and going — so that you can describe them. ", "Notice how they're dressed, the pitch of their voices, their mannerisms. ", "Pick a place where you don't know the people, so that your descriptions won't be based on preconceived notions but on what you actually see and hear.", "\n\nPlop yourself down with pad and paper on a bench in a busy park or in a shopping mall. ", "Maybe you're waiting for your flight to be called at the airport and you need something to do anyway; airports and bus and train stations are wonderful arenas for people watching. ", "Try a coffee shop, a museum, or outside your office building at lunch hour. ", "The possibilities are endless.", "\n\nAs with the practice from memory, pay close attention to the physical surroundings, to smells and textures and sounds. ", "Look for little things that you might very well have missed if you weren't tightening your focus. ", "See how perceptive you can be when you don't have to remember a thing, when all you have to do is pay close attention.", "\n\nWhen practicing in the present, your subject is hustling and bustling all around you — not in the foggy recesses of your brain — so you might dispense with taking notes and just _write_. ", "Freewriting is useful for practicing your thinking _and_ your writing. ", "With freewriting, you don't worry about syntax or spelling or maybe even punctuation. ", "You just spill out ideas as they come to you and images as you see them.", "\n\nBut as you freewrite, again practice wordsmithing, choosing just the right words and phrases. ", "Once you've come up with a paragraph or two, look back over it and circle words that might have better possibilities. ", "For instance, if somebody you are watching is walking, consider the kind of walking they are doing. ", "Walking is generic and dull. ", "It hardly ever tells your reader enough. ", "Watch your subject closer and determine just exactly what sort of walking she is up to. ", "Is she ambling? ", "Strutting? ", "Meandering? ", "Strolling? ", "Promenading? ", "Is she traipsing or tiptoeing or tromping or bounding? ", "Something that makes a person unique can very often be conveyed in one word. ", "But it has to be just the right word. ", "So choose carefully.", "\n\nWhen you're choosing, be careful with the thesaurus. ", "It's an extremely useful tool when used correctly, as simply a list of _possible_ replacements, but very few words are exactly interchangeable. ", "Look back at all those walking words; each one means a distinctly different action. ", "Each one carries with it a reflection of the walker's attitude. ", "So you can't very well slap one in place of any other one and expect to come up with the precise image you want to convey.", "\n\nAs an example, let's say you settle into a comfortable chair in a large bookstore a few days before Christmas. ", "What you come up with might start something like this:\n\nThe Christmasy sweater on the plump fellow in the chair across the table from me has seen more than a season or two. ", "Its turtle neck has drooped a bit; the holly and berries are less vibrant than they must once have been, the white background more a dull gray now. ", "Still, 'tis the season, and this guy's sweater is more of a celebration of it than I am currently providing. ", "He's flipping through a computer manual that is thicker than a Bible. ", "But he's not really looking at it. ", "He stares at his watch every minute or two. ", "Waiting for his wife to finish her shopping, I'll wager.", "\n\nTwo old friends run into each other in the aisle between Christian Inspiration and Poetry. ", "They are in late middle age and are either pleasantly surprised or act sufficiently so. ", "One of them has a granddaughter of seven or so with him. ", "She is restless and wants the little reunion to adjourn. ", "She begins to kick one small foot back and forth and then the other. ", "Now the kicking becomes a rhythmic enterprise, the upper half of her body not moving at all. ", "She's taken clog dancing, this one.", "\n\nNow, what can you make out of this hodgepodge, or any hodgepodge that you put together? ", "Probably nothing. ", "Remember, you're doing these exercises simply as practice, to hone your powers of observation and your wordsmithing.", "\n\nLook at a few of the details and word choices. _", "Christmasy_ is more unique than _festive_ or _holiday_ when referring to the man's sweater. _", "Thicker than a Bible_ offers a more concrete visual image than just _thick_.", "\n\nA freewriting exercise like this — in addition to giving you practice at locating and polishing details — might also provide you with some story ideas. ", "Even the beginning of this one has possibilities. ", "Maybe the two old friends bumping into each other is the starting point for an interesting backstory that involves both of them and the woman that they both loved long ago. ", "Maybe the clogging girl standing anxiously by is the granddaughter of that long ago love. ", "Maybe, in fact, she is the spitting image of the man who just ran into her grandfather.", "\n\nFor a writer, the world is made up of _maybes_. ", "And they're all in the details. ", "What you as a writer have to do — all the time — is pay attention to the grand parade that is constantly passing in front of you.", "\n\n **TAKING NOTES**\n\nNow that we've established the importance of digging up details, let's look at some useful ways to remember them.", "\n\nThe best chance I have of remembering anything is writing it down. ", "Whether it's groceries that need to be bought, dry cleaning that needs to be picked up, a phone call that needs to be made, or whatever, if it's going to get done by me it needs to be on paper.", "\n\nNote taking — the filtering down of lots of stuff to not very little, the focusing on the most important components — is a skill that too many high school students get to college without knowing how to do. ", "Their freshman fall semester grades are often evidence of this.", "\n\nFor you as a writer, note taking is as essential as it is for those college freshmen. ", "Being a keen observer of human nature and architecture and cloud formations and everything else that constitutes the big, wide world that is your database is one thing. ", "But _remembering_ any of it is quite another.", "\n\nI see more and more people poking away at their Palm Pilots with little probes, and that might work just fine. ", "Except that I don't have a Palm Pilot. ", "What I _do_ have is smaller, considerably less expensive, and — from the looks on the faces of those Palm Pilot pokers — less aggravating. ", "Of course, you should use whatever works best for you.", "\n\n **A TRUSTY NOTEBOOK, CLOSE AT HAND**\n\nI suggest you keep a pad or a small notebook in your pocket or purse. ", "Keep another one in the glove compartment of your car and one more in your desk at work.", "\n\nWho knows when you'll hear a nice bit of dialogue that is worth remembering or see a particularly pretty sunset whose mixture of colors needs to be recorded? ", "You'll most probably never again see that odd pair of children skipping stones across a lake — better get down the details while you have them.", "\n\nDon't think that you have to be only on the lookout for unusual or ironic things, like the couple eating their burgers and fries with knives and forks on Ellis Island. ", "You should be looking for ordinary things, as well. ", "Remember, everyday life is made up mostly of ordinary things. ", "And if your fiction is to be reflective of everyday life, it had better contain plenty of the same.", "\n\nIf you're afraid that that will make for boring fiction, I suggest you read John Updike's classic story titled \"A&P.\" It's set in a suburban supermarket, and the central character — a high school grocery checker — and his daily surroundings are as ordinary as things can get. \"", "A&P\" is anthologized in hundreds of collections. ", "It's taught in high schools and colleges. ", "It will outlive Updike by many hundreds of years. ", "I don't know about you, but I'll take the risk of dealing with ordinary things if any of that is even a remote possibility.", "\n\nPlenty of words and snippets about commonplace things and people find their way into my pocket notebook. ", "Then the little torn-out pages collect on my desk like autumn leaves, until I think better of their usefulness and throw them away or transcribe them into my journal or work them directly into a manuscript.", "\n\nThe leaves should start piling up on your desk, too. ", "They might be the sparks that get your writing started and the twigs that keep it burning. ", "Your fiction will be made up of ideas and details, and it's more than just a clever plan to jot them down as you find them. ", "It's absolutely essential to your craft.", "\n\nIn addition to scraps of dialogue that either get spoken by real people or that you (or your characters) dream up, and notations of details that you notice all over the place, the following are a few things that might end up in your notebook.", "\n\n **Maps, Floor Plans, Schematics**\n\nWhen I decided to write my first book — a memoir about growing up in a small East Texas town — I needed a more exact perception of that town than the almost thirty years separating it and me left intact. ", "I remembered my parents well enough, and my sisters; our house was sufficiently clear. ", "And I had photographs and some old letters and school yearbooks to help me. ", "But what I didn't have was a focused, visual layout of the town itself, in 1962. ", "What I needed was a map. ", "What I needed was Jonnie Hodges.", "\n\nJonnie and I have known each other all our lives. ", "And one of the things that I've known best about him is that he has one heck of a memory. ", "I hadn't seen or heard from him in a long time, but I was betting that he still had it.", "\n\nHe did. ", "I gave him a call, visited a few minutes, learned that Jonnie had become Jon about the same time that, in my case, Ronnie had become Ron, then told him my predicament. ", "Several days later, a large brown envelope showed up in my mailbox; folded into it was a big piece of butcher paper, maybe two and a half feet by four. ", "And on that paper, in careful pencil markings, was my old hometown. ", "To say it was detailed would be an understatement. ", "It was as much a bird's eye view as it was a map, and it even had trees — duly noted as \"pecan\" or \"elm\" or \"hard to climb\" — in the correct locations in yards. ", "Jonnie had penciled in little notes and arrows, like this one that hovers over the corner of the sidewalk at Bobby Stroud's hardware store: \"Narrow here. ", "Hard to turn on a bike.\"", "\n\nThat map became one of my most valuable sources for _Into That Good Night_. ", "It provided me with detail after detail that I would have never been able to remember for myself. ", "So I was smart, I think — and certainly fortunate — to tap a resource in the person of an old friend that could remember things better.", "\n\nWhen you're concocting your setting, be it real or imagined, it might prove useful to come up with a map of your own — or maybe a floor plan — showing how furniture is arranged in a room. ", "If an important scene (and if you're going to be any good at this, _all_ of your scenes will be important) is to be played out in a park, or on a city street, draw a schematic of where things are — of where your characters will be standing or sitting or running or dying.", "\n\nThe guy in Sheboygan might not want to know where absolutely everything is located. ", "Let's face it, often he doesn't _need_ to know. ", "But _you_ do, if you're going to write the scene well.", "\n\nWe'll be spending lots of time later on how you can best describe settings that are real and settings that are not. ", "But here's the deal: They _all_ have to be real for you.", "\n\n **Details From Movies, Television, and Radio**\n\nThe world around you is filled to brimming with images and details and people that you can draw from as a writer. ", "Now let's get a little more specific and look at three resources for your note taking that you probably spend a lot of your time with anyway.", "\n\nWhen I wrote _The Windows of Heaven_ , a novel that is set in Galveston in 1900, I must have watched the videotapes of two old movies, _O. Henry's Full House_ and _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_ , at least a dozen times each. ", "They are both set in the same era as my story and both have similar specific settings, like city streets and restaurants and front rooms and butcher shops. ", "Obviously, careful attention was paid in the production of each film to the accuracy of historical detail. ", "And that was precisely what I needed. ", "I needed to _see_ somebody sit down in a fancy eatery in 1900 and order a meal. ", "I needed to _hear_ horses clip-clopping on brick streets and delivery wagons clanking along behind them and organ grinders on the sidewalk. ", "Much of the description of the setting in my novel came directly from those two movies, and others.", "\n\nWhen you write your story or novel, don't overlook this readily available store of information. ", "Watch a movie or television program that might be helpful to you with a pencil and pad in hand. ", "You'll be surprised at how many nuggets of details you'll come up with that will find their way into your settings and descriptions.", "\n\nOne more thing: DVD copies of movies often provide an \"added features\" selection on their menus. ", "These are usually directors and/or screenwriters sharing why they chose to keep or delete or lengthen or shorten entire scenes in the film. ", "They offer a unique insight into the way the story has been developed, and it will almost certainly be useful to you as a writer, because you'll be constantly making exactly the same sorts of decisions in your work. ", "These artists' philosophies regarding the way they told their stories might very well influence how you will tell yours.", "\n\nMost of your readers grew up watching television, and almost all of them watch it on a regular basis. ", "Much of what they know about how stories work is from the programs they see on the tube, so — since you intend to tell them a story — you'd better log a little time watching also. ", "That's certainly not to suggest that you should pattern all that you write on television scripts, but here's an advantage to doing so at least some of the time. ", "Scripts written for television — especially those of the half-hour situation comedy variety — have to conform to very precise time limitations, so they must be free of everything that doesn't have to be there. ", "And guess what: so should your fiction. ", "A careful analysis of how a writer introduces situations, moves conflicts along, and then resolves them in short order will benefit you greatly when you have to do the same thing in your writing.", "\n\nNow, let's move to the radio. ", "Listen to National Public Radio (NPR) in your car, and in their wonderful interviews with writers and newsmakers and movers and shakers in society, you'll hear uniquely turned phrases and clever manipulation of syntax that you should try to remember to jot down when you get where you're going. ", "NPR also broadcasts lots of writers reading their essays or portions of their stories, novels, and poems. ", "We can learn more about the economy of language, the untainted essence of wordsmithing, from good poems than from just about any other place. ", "Hearing the poet read her words — emphasizing what she wants emphasized, whispering what she wants whispered — is pure magic to a writer and can be enormously useful to you when you sit down to write words of your own.", "\n\n _The Engines of Our Ingenuity_ , a program on NPR, is a daily essay read by its author, Dr. John H. Lienhard, a retired professor of engineering at the University of Houston. ", "I've listened to hundreds of them, all finely written little stories about how human beings down the centuries have made things work or have made them work better. ", "The stories are always interesting and enjoyable, but their greatest value to me has been the crafting of them by Dr. Lienhard. ", "I hear the program on the way to work each morning, and many days the first thing I do when I get to my desk is download and print out the text of that day's essay. ", "Then I read it over and marvel at its wordsmithing. ", "I owe Dr. Lienhard a debt of gratitude as a writer; his fine phrasing and sense of drama have been particularly beneficial to me as a writer. ", "Listen in sometime — or find another good essay program — and see if this method helps your writing, too.", "\n\n **Noting Other Wordsmiths**\n\nAn important component of our three-way approach to description and setting — our trinity that we will use in every chapter after this one — is modeling. ", "That means careful examination of how published writers work their magic. ", "Most of our models will come from novels and short stories, but don't overlook the many talented, skillful writers that appear in magazines and newspapers.", "\n\nI have favorites among columnists, who I look forward to reading. ", "Each has his or her own individual style that, more than likely, has affected _my_ style, _my_ voice. ", "I enjoy crusty conservatives like Bill O'Riley and fiery liberals like Molly Ivans equally well, since the one thing that they _do_ have in common is that they are both skilled manipulators of the written word. ", "And what wordsmith worth his stripes hasn't marveled at the pieces by William Safire — the syndicated king of all wordsmiths — who provides interesting and useful insight into the origins and history and changing meanings of words and phrases.", "\n\nWhen I wrote a novel set in northern Ohio where I've never been, I needed help regarding topography and climate and trees and such things. ", "A friend who lives in Cleveland proved useful, as did a couple of reference books and the Internet. ", "As odd as it might sound, my clearest, strongest _sense_ of the place came from a pair of small spaces I've visited daily for years: _Funky Winkerbean_ and _Crankshaft._ ", "They're both comic strips set in — you guessed it — northern Ohio.", "\n\nAll of these — movies, television, radio, columnists, even the comics — offer visual and mental images and unique phrasings that transport you somewhere else. ", "Pay close attention to them, so that you can do the very same thing for your reader.", "\n\n **SURPRISE, SURPRISE**\n\nRemember the small irony of the British couple I watched eating their hamburgers with knives and forks? ", "Very likely, I would never have dreamed that up on my own. ", "But once I saw it, I remembered it. ", "It was a nice, little surprise on a cold winter's day.", "\n\nOne of your best tools in your writing will be the use of irony, and sometimes it comes in small doses, in details. ", "So be on the lookout for surprises; readers like to be surprised. ", "Everybody likes a bit of irony worked in, if not in his or her own lives then certainly in fiction. ", "The fact is that we get plenty of irony in reality — things that don't work that should, people who let us down, situations that turn out all wrong or, happily, right for once — so we expect it to be there in stories and novels.", "\n\nLook a little closer at things, people, and places to spot anything that might be amiss. ", "Like ivy that has woven its way through the framework and wheel sprockets of a bicycle that has been left much too long beside a flowerbed. ", "Or the Baltimore Colts coffee mug that is never very far away from the security man in your office building, even though Baltimore hasn't had a team called the Colts in years. ", "What a fine little telling detail that would be to help establish one of your characters, whose loyalty to a team has outlived the team itself.", "\n\nBe on the lookout for surprises.", "\n\n **KEEPING A WRITER'S JOURNAL AND/OR A DIARY**\n\nYou've been expecting this, I suspect, since I've mentioned it more than once.", "\n\nIn my creative writing classes, I require my students to keep a writers' journal, a binder of blank pages on which I want them to record — on a daily basis — reactions to how stories work (or don't) in books and movies. ", "I want them to make notes about things they see or hear or taste or smell or touch, unusual word combinations, ideas for stories or poems. ", "And I encourage them to scribble down pieces of scenes from whatever they are currently writing.", "\n\nWe're not talking about a diary here. ", "A writer's journal shouldn't be made up of secrets. ", "Neither should it be rantings about how you've been mistreated. ", "We all get mistreated from time to time, and if you intend to wade into the publishing world one day, you'll get mistreated again. ", "Fret over it quietly, or howl at the moon, but keep it out of your writer's journal. ", "It should be reserved for the notes and sketches and observations of someone who is serious about the business of writing. ", "It's a fine place to embellish those maps and floor plans that you scribbled into your notebook and to record treasures you pick up in columns and interviews.", "\n\nWhat if one of your characters in your story starts talking in your head? ", "They do that, you know. ", "Well, you'd best write that down. ", "Because you won't remember it long, and they more than likely won't say it again.", "\n\nI use a loose-leaf binder for my journal, so that I can insert tabs in an attempt at categorizing the contents. ", "I can toss what proves on second thought to be chaff while keeping the wheat. ", "But use whatever format works best for you. ", "Try a few different ways until you find the right fit.", "\n\nJournaling is an essential component in writing fiction. ", "And, if I could believe that you will actually _do_ at least some of the things that I suggest, I hope that keeping a writer's journal will be one of them.", "\n\nMy new students balk at the prospect. ", "Many of them are veterans of teacher-imposed journaling. ", "But once they see how their journals can benefit them as writers, most of my students come onboard as believers, and I hope you will too. ", "Here's proof that journaling is effective: When I announce to my classes that they aren't responsible for journal pages over the Christmas break, my really dedicated writers do it anyway. ", "In fact, they almost always have many more pages filled in their journals on due dates than I assigned. ", "That's because, early on, they stopped writing the entries for me and started doing it for themselves. ", "More specifically, they started doing it for their fiction.", "\n\nAny writing that you do helps you to become a better writer. ", "Writing is like that, like playing the piano and driving a car and tap dancing. ", "The more you do it, the better you get at it.", "\n\nWhen you set aside enough time to write a page or two — or more — in your journal every day, you'll be surprised at how much of that seemingly unimportant stuff works its way into your fiction. ", "And at how much better you become at hooking words to each other to convey images, which is wordsmithing at its most fundamental level.", "\n\n **Some Things to Keep in a Writer's Journal**\n\n * outlines/planning\n * observations on how elements of storytelling work (or don't) in movies, novels, plays\n * borrowed (stolen) dialogue and dialect from the world at large\n * situations that you observe that might be worked into a story\n * physical characteristics of people that you might end up using to describe your own cast of characters\n * floor plans, maps, schematics for possible settings\n * title ideas (pilfer profusely from the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and poetry, historically the three most fertile sources for titles)\n * story ideas\n * possible first/last sentences\n * interesting, uncommon words\n * words that might not exist at all, but need to\n * a cliche´ count (every time you come across one, in print, in conversation, on television, movies or over the radio, jot it down. ", "Then avoid it like the plague)\n * life's little ironies (things that are not as they should be; people who should not be where they are)\n * general notes regarding your fiction\n * lyrics to songs that catch your fancy\n * Details! ", "Details! ", "Details! ", "that you might use in your description and setting\n\nNow this, please, about diaries: Even though I may never be able to convince some of my students to maintain one, they may wish they had. ", "A well-kept diary is a lucrative source for all manner of practical information concerning exactly when the diarist was at a particular place or event, whom she was there with, and what was done there.", "\n\nMy diary, rather than my journal, is where I _can_ vent on occasion about mistreatment. ", "It's where I jot down a little summary of each day's proceedings, oftentimes nothing more elaborate than \"Rained in the morning. ", "Graded short stories. ", "Meat loaf for supper.\" ", "Other times they run to a page or two. ", "Nothing, I assure you, that will keep a reader on the edge of their seat a century from now.", "\n\nWhen I wrote that memoir about growing up in the little East Texas town, every other chapter was the story of my father's Alzheimer's experience, his stroke, and, finally, his death. ", "My diary became an essential tool when it came to logistics, to specific dates and the general progression of his illness. ", "It was also very useful in helping me recall my own feelings about Alzheimer's. ", "And revisiting those emotions in the pages of my diary have helped me to develop characters in my fiction that are going through similar circumstances. ", "A day's events could wind up as the basis for a scene in one of your stories, or even as the major plot line.", "\n\nYou might be wondering why a journal and a diary can't be kept as one volume. ", "Many people do it that way. ", "I use them as two very different tools and have determined that for me they work better as separate units. ", "Each succeeding volume of the diary I _keep_ ends up on the closet shelf. ", "The journal dies in stages. ", "Those things that I will only need for a particular story or novel get tossed when the work is done. ", "But some of the other things that didn't get used this time around I hold on to. ", "They may be used later, or maybe not. ", "But — like that crate of old record albums — I know where to find them if I need them.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: THE LITTLE WORLD IN THE WRITER'S MIND**\n\nWherever you go searching for the details that might be helpful to you, wherever you locate them, and however you choose to preserve them, remember this: Your job as a writer is to ultimately weave some of them into a piece of writing that will lift your readers up and situate them in a place and a time of your choosing.", "\n\nIn this chapter, we've looked at the importance of paying close attention to details — in your writing and in the world around you — and ways to hang onto them. ", "Look for ideas and particulars everywhere, in places that you see every day and places that you've never seen before, in movies and television and radio programs, in conversations among people around you, in the published work of good writers, even in the most unlikely places, like comic strips. ", "And don't forget to look in one of your best resources: your own memory of times and things past. ", "Then get those things down, first on anything close at hand — like a pocket notebook — and later in a writer's journal or a diary.", "\n\nOnce you've sharpened your observation skills and taken notes about what you've seen, you're ready to get down to the matter of telling this story you want to tell. ", "And the first order of business is to create the little world in your own mind in which that story will take place. ", "Because if it doesn't exist there, it won't stand a chance of existing in your reader's mind. ", "Two of the most essential elements of that world — of your access and eventually your reader's access to it — are your treatment of setting and use of description.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nThink of five places you have visited for which you had a preconceived notion or expectation before arriving. ", "Think harder, now, and recall something in each place that blew that preconception away. ", "Write down your preconception and the detail that shattered it for each.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nTry this: In that pocket notebook you're going to start carrying around, make it a point to jot down at least one thing that you wouldn't have expected to be where it is, or there at all, in several places that you go every day, or every week. ", "Check out the lawns in your neighborhood on your way to work or to the market.", "\n\nAt least one of them will hold a surprise that you've overlooked, because you haven't been looking closely. ", "Now you are.", "\n\nHere are a few categories of things to look for to start you on your quest:\n\n * useless things\n * outdated things\n * flawed (or broken) things\n * things you hadn't expected\n * the absence of things you _had_ expected\n * things (or people) completely out of their element\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nWe've spent most of this chapter talking about how to look for details in the world around you. ", "Sometimes the best place to look is at the holes in your existing drafts that are begging for more elaboration.", "\n\nSit yourself down with a printed copy of several pages of your manuscript and a pencil. ", "Read over your work, paying particular attention to your inclusion of details in your setting and overall description, or — as might be the case — to your _absence_ of details. ", "Draw circles or arrows or frowning faces. ", "Use whatever code that best suits you, but find places that would benefit from better details and better description.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 4**\n\nPerhaps the best way to practice paying better attention is to do the two things we discussed earlier in this chapter:\n\n• Close your eyes and remember a place that you haven't seen in a long time and get down as many specific details as you can.", "\n\n• With pen and paper in hand, closely observe what is going on around you in an active place.", "\n\nIn both exercises, make sure you find things you wouldn't normally pay close attention to. ", "Write rough copies full of the things you found, practicing wordsmithing as you write.", "\n\n# 3\n\n## [ USING ALL THE TOOLS IN YOUR KIT ]\n\nJust because you might have a kitchen cabinet absolutely overflowing with spices and flavors and various sundry things from the specialty foods market, and a drawer brimming with gadgets and utensils and cutlery and racks of shiny pots and pans, you would be foolish to try to use all of those doodads and ingredients when preparing every recipe. ", "As foolish, in fact, as if you tried to use _none_ of them.", "\n\nCooking is a process of using what you need in order to come up with what you want.", "\n\nSo is writing.", "\n\nThe crafting of fiction is, as I've said before, a slow and deliberate undertaking, in which you should use all of the magic that you can conjure up to tell the best story that you can. ", "It will call for good ideas and planning, believable and interesting characters and settings and situations, and many other things. ", "But, at the bedrock of its foundation, it will require a set of useable tools.", "\n\nIn this chapter we'll look closely at just a few of the many devices and approaches available to you. ", "Some of them are purely utilitarian and serve a single purpose; others encroach on bigger ambitions, like moving the story along or calling attention to a character or a theme. ", "A few are out and out trickery, ways to influence your readers without them catching on. ", "We'll look at several that will be particularly useful to you when tackling description and setting.", "\n\n **MODIFIERS**\n\nWhen I say modifiers, I'm referring specifically to adjectives and adverbs whose functions are most often to more specifically define nouns and verbs. ", "You've relied on them all your life; you use them countless times every day. ", "You tell the kid at the drive-through window that you want the _big_ order of fries. ", "You urge your children to speak _quietly_ on the phone while you grab a nap. ", "So, none of this will be news to you. ", "But paying careful attention to the selection and use of these two essential parts of speech that are often taken for granted will make an enormous difference in your fiction, especially in regards to setting and description.", "\n\n **Adjectives**\n\nPeople who attempt to replicate the sparse, clean writing style of Ernest Hemingway — and it's become quite the vogue (they even have a festival in Key West that has a contest) — sometimes assume that his unique voice emanates from the almost absolute absence of adjectives. ", "Following that template, some would-be Hemingways have produced some really ghastly narratives.", "\n\nBut they miss the point. ", "Hemingway did indeed use fewer adjectives than many authors. ", "But when he used them — much, much more often than his imitators seem to realize — he did it in pure Hemingway fashion: the best that it could be done.", "\n\nHere's a morsel from _For Whom the Bell Tolls_ :\n\nThere had still been snow then, the snow that had ruined them, and when his horse was hit so that he wheezed in a slow, jerking, climbing stagger up the last part of the crest, splattering the snow with a bright, pulsing jet, Sordo had hauled him along by the bridle, the reins over his shoulder as he climbed.", "\n\n _Jerking, climbing, bright_ , and _pulsing_ make up an active little covey of adjectives, especially coming from a man who is widely believed to have shunned them. ", "More importantly, they are each perfect defining words that were selected carefully and well.", "\n\nAdjectives, along with other modifiers, are the spices that good writers use to flavor their writing. ", "A serving of scrambled eggs is okay all by itself, but it's much more appetizing, in most peoples' opinion, with salt and pepper sprinkled on and even more so — depending on personal taste and inclination — with paprika or garlic or rosemary or Tabasco sauce. ", "Eggs are good with a little spice or a lot. ", "So is fiction. ", "But remember, food that is not flavored at all might be bland, but when spices are poured on like mad it becomes inedible. ", "So strike a balance between too little and too much, in your cooking _and_ your description.", "\n\nLook at how Robert Cremins uses adjectives in a couple of places in his novel _A Sort of Homecoming_ :\n\nI laugh, a little hissy laugh, and that breaks the heavy spell I've been under for the past few minutes.", "\n\nThen, a few pages later:\n\nI woke up feeling grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, unprecedented.", "\n\nThe first time around, he relies on one small adjective — _hissy_ — to \"break the heavy spell\" and, in the second piece, he lays it on thick, putting forth a group of heftier modifiers, like defensive linesmen on a football team, to show that the spell has returned. ", "Determining how little or how much you want to describe is a decision that you will have to make constantly in your writing. ", "The answer, of course, depends on how much you _need_ to describe. _", "Hissy_ is a modifier that nails a particular, singular attitude, and does it well. ", "That thundering quartet of adjectives in the second example makes a stronger impression — each word packs more muscle than _hissy_ — that leaves no doubt about what sort of mood this guy woke up in.", "\n\nCremins uses the four adjectives to drive home his point, not because he thought of four good ones that would work. ", "He most likely could have thought of dozens more, but those dozens wouldn't make his description any clearer or stronger; in fact, the effect would be diminished with each new one he tacked on. ", "When using modifiers, don't get so carried away that you let the adjectives become the focus of what you are doing. ", "Never let _any_ of the tools become more that just that: tools. ", "The important thing — from start to finish — is your story. ", "In the Cremins model the use of an uncommon, unexpected word like _hissy_ is effective, as is the piling on of the four stronger ones later on. ", "But all of them do exactly what the author intended and needed them to do: They paint a clearer picture of a situation or a character within the larger context of the tale he is telling.", "\n\nThe use of any of these tools, as well as everything else that you do in your writing, must pass the clutter rule, which stipulates that anything that is not directly serving to move the story along is clutter and must go. ", "Test your adjectives and adverbs constantly. ", "If you've written something about a large, ferocious, gigantic dog terrorizing a neighborhood, you'd best lose either _large_ or _gigantic_ , since they both mean the same thing.", "\n\nAlso, be on guard against falling into a pattern of using similar modifier structures, like teams of adjectives, over and over.", "\n\nListen:\n\nAt the last of the hectic, exasperating day, the small, tired man approached the crowded, frantic train station with trepidation.", "\n\nEach of the coupled modifiers — hectic/exasperating, small/tired, and crow-ded/frantic — is a fine describer. ", "But what is likely to happen is that your reader will pick up on the repetition of the pairs and that will be what he focuses on, rather than on the action that is important to your story. ", "Then the adjectives will be working against you, and, as with all of these tools, you want them working _for_ you.", "\n\n **Adverbs**\n\nAs you know, adverbs serve a triple function; they can modify verbs (he _slowly_ chewed the apple), adjectives (the _overly_ attentive man became a bore), as well as other adverbs (she ran _very_ quickly). ", "Because of this, you will use them very, _very_ often. ", "But beware; they can, like all of their fellow tools, be used badly, to the detriment of your fiction.", "\n\nOne way to use them badly is to work them into your tag lines — speaker identification lines — in fiction.", "\n\nConsider:\n\n\"Oh, my,\" Ellen sadly replied, \"it's not even worth getting up today.\"", "\n\nIf it's not even worth getting up today, then we hardly need to be told that Ellen replied _sadly_. ", "Her own dialogue describes her as sad, and that is altogether more effective description than providing constant little instructions in modifiers.", "\n\nThis isn't meant to imply that adverbs are evil and should never be used at all. ", "They _should_ be used — even occasionally in tag lines — but they should be, when you use them, the best choice available to you. \"", "Leave me alone,\" she said, defensively,\" might be the most effective way for you to show that a speaker is defensive. ", "Having her cringe and bare her teeth would be a little over the top, don't you think? ", "And using the one word — _defensively —_ is a much more delicate approach.", "\n\nHere's one more point concerning adverbs: Since so many of them end in _-ly_ make sure that you don't overdo it, lest you end up with _eagerly, charmingly, angrily_ , and _cleverly_ in the same sentence. ", "After wading through all of those, your reader might just put your story aside, vehemently.", "\n\n **PUNCTUATION**\n\nWe could get awfully technical here and trot out the several rigid grammatical rules regarding punctuation usage. ", "But for our present purpose regarding description and settings, let's bypass all of the procedural guidelines that you can dredge up out of style manuals and grammar texts and get to the point of what these little devices can do for you when writing fiction.", "\n\nIn a nutshell, exclamation points, periods, commas, colons, semicolons, and dashes are road signs for your reader, put there by you throughout your fiction to show them where to pause, where to continue, where to speed up, and where to stop.", "\n\nThis requires that you _listen_ to your story or novel, both while you are writing it and when you revise. ", "Not necessarily reading it out loud, or having somebody else do it, but actually striving to hear the words and phrases and sentences as you want your reader to receive them.", "\n\nSometimes more of your story can be told in a pause, either in narration or in dialogue, than in a paragraph or a page. ", "And your readers won't make that pause unless you tell them to.", "\n\nPeriods and commas carry most of the workload, and their placement is usually so predetermined that you don't have much flexibility in their usage, but you have more options with exclamation points, colons, semicolons, and dashes.", "\n\n **Exclamation Points**\n\nIf your characters bellow at each other from time to time, that's fine, and that's when you'll need to use exclamation points. ", "But _your_ voice, the hopefully dependable and comfortable voice in which you tell your story, shouldn't depend on such shenanigans as shouting. ", "Horde these useful little devices in the corner of your kit, and use them only when you really need them, as Luanne Rice does in her novel _The Perfect Summer_ to emphasize the absurdity of a concept:\n\nThe other parents would be smiling at her father, giving him thumbs-up for her excellence in — Annie cast about, searching her mind for the perfect sport — field hockey!", "\n\nIn your fiction, determine when your characters need to be loud and when they need to be quiet. ", "By the same token, determine when _you_ need to be loud and quiet in your telling of the story. ", "Sometimes an important moment in your plot will demand some noise, thus requiring exclamation points, but other times the point will be better made by a different approach. ", "Listen:\n\n\"I hate you so much I could _kill_ you!\" ", "she yelled.", "\n\nIt certainly gets the point across. ", "If somebody yelled that at me, it would get _my_ attention. ", "But in a story or novel, something like this might create a stronger image:\n\nShe locked him into a frigid gaze, the hate welling up in her eyes along with the tears. \"", "I could kill you right now,\" she whispered.", "\n\nThere's no yelling this time, so there's no need for an exclamation point. ", "People who are angry often yell, which carries with it all of the fly-off-the-handle, heat-of-the-moment, sorry-about-that business that whispering hardly ever involves. ", "People who whisper things usually have thought things through, and mean every word of what they say. ", "Your readers know that, because they have both yelled and whispered. ", "So the quieter treatment of this little scene — the one with the whispering and the tears — will deliver a more vivid image.", "\n\nWhen writing your fiction, consider each and every scene and decide how it will best be played out — loud or quiet, long or short, light or heavy — in order to serve the bigger story.", "\n\n **Colons**\n\nThis fellow (:) is so regularly confused with its cousin the semicolon (;) that some writers use them interchangeably, and in doing so they commit a cardinal sin. ", "The use of a colon gives the reader some warning. ", "Here comes something of importance, it says.", "\n\nThe most common task of a colon is to introduce a list, and this can be one of the best ways to describe a character or a situation in your fiction.", "\n\nHere's Edward Rutherfurd, in his novel _London_ :\n\nThere had been three candidates for King Henry's vast inheritance: Richard, his brother John, and their nephew, Arthur.", "\n\nRemember, your job is to convey information and images to your reader. ", "And, sometimes, things are made clearer when methodically laid out — one, two, three.", "\n\nThat information doesn't _have_ to be a list. ", "It might be a definition, like this one, again from _London_ :\n\nNed was a good dog: medium size with a smooth, brown and white coat, bright eyes, and devoted to his cheerful master.", "\n\nOr it might be an example or a clarification:\n\nThe patriots of the Revolution fought for one thing and one thing only: freedom.", "\n\nWhenever you use a colon, you're setting your reader up for something: for a description, a clarification, an idea, a list. ", "It's one of the best ways for you to call attention to something important in your story.", "\n\n **Semicolons**\n\nWhile colons can be used in several ways, semicolons have only one function. ", "But it's a very important one. ", "They connect two otherwise complete sentences without resorting to conjunctions like _and_ or _then_ , thus letting you avoid two unforgivable offenses: (1) run-ons and (2) an overabundance of short, choppy sentences that bump along like a rocky road.", "\n\nConsider these three sentences, all of which are complete (subjects and predicates in attendance) and all of which are clearly stated:\n\nThe Hens continued laying.", "\n\nIt was a miracle of sorts.", "\n\nAs a boy he'd not eaten a fresh egg from November until the spring.", "\n\nTaken together, the sentences dovetail into a particular image, that of a boy who hadn't expected a thing to happen and saw its occurrence as a sort of a miracle. ", "If you wanted to convey this image in your fiction, you could line the sentences up just like that and be done with it. ", "But look how much nicer the image works when configured in another way, as Jeffrey Lent does it in his novel _In the Fall_ :\n\nThe hens continued laying. ", "It was a miracle of sorts; as a boy he'd not eaten a fresh egg from November until the spring.", "\n\nVarying the lengths of your sentences is an effective tool that we'll get to in a few pages, and the best way to create longer, more flowing ones is to use semicolons to tie short sentences together. ", "Be on the lookout in your manuscripts for places to do this.", "\n\n **Dashes**\n\nDashes do almost exactly what commas do; they set things off from the rest of a sentence. ", "But the use of dashes comes much closer to establishing your unique voice. ", "Everyone must use commas in exactly the same way; they fall into the province of the immutable rules of the language. ", "But dashes are freer spirits than commas and offer you more leeway. ", "Look at how Clare Francis uses them in two places in _Night Sky_ :\n\nHe wondered what time it was — probably after four. ", "Still too early to go out.", "\n\nAnd later:\n\nSoon — by tonight — he would have enough money to buy a D8SS.", "\n\nIn both examples, the author uses the words set off by the dashes to more clearly define something mentioned in the main bodies of the sentences. ", "In each case, she could have used commas, but, by using dashes, she focuses the reader's attention more closely on the details they enclose.", "\n\nDashes everywhere will become old fast. ", "But using them sporadically, along with the more conventional commas, or _instead_ of them in many cases, will add a little spice to your description.", "\n\n **Parentheses**\n\nDon't get dashes and parentheses mixed up. ", "Anything set off by dashes is still a part of the ongoing story, but if it's set off parenthetically, the reader is being told to assume that it isn't there at all. ", "It's like an _aside_ in a play, where an actor turns away from the drama and explains something to the audience. ", "It's like a jury being told by a judge to disregard something said in the witness stand. ", "Of course, the jury can't _really_ disregard it, since they heard it. ", "Neither can a reader separate it fully from the tale, which you don't really want him to do anyway, or you wouldn't have put it in.", "\n\nUsing parenthetical material throughout a manuscript is a way to carry on a running conversation with your reader, as if you're sitting beside him while he plows through your story or novel, offering little comments along the way. ", "Charles Dickens did it regularly, as did Victor Hugo; both were of that era of literature where a phrase like \"And now, gentle reader, let us continue\" popped up pretty often.", "\n\nChit-chatting with your reader in modern times isn't likely to be the best of ideas, unless you've decided to use a correspondence or a diary motif in which to tell your story. ", "But adding little snippets of information in parentheses occasionally can add flavor to your work. ", "Here's an example from _King, Queen, Knave_ , a novel by Vladimir Nabokov:\n\nSomewhere a door closed softly, and the stairs creaked (they were not supposed to creak!), ", "and her husband's cheerful off-key whistle receded out of earshot.", "\n\nIf the parenthetical information was lifted out altogether and tossed away the rest of the sentence would still convey the image that needs to be conveyed. ", "But the slipped-in bit — almost like a secret being shared — adds much to the description, especially since it is followed up with that dramatic exclamation point.", "\n\n **WAYS TO SHOW RESEMBLANCE**\n\nOne of the most effective ways to convey a particular image to your reader is to show him something that it is similar to. ", "Metaphors, similes, analogies, personification, symbolism, and allusions are all ways to nudge your readers toward making the connection that you want them to make. ", "The first three differ in what they do only by degrees; a metaphor is an implied resemblance, a simile a stated one, and an analogy is a detailed one. ", "Each of them will be useful to you, depending on how broad or how slight you want a particular resemblance to be in your story or novel.", "\n\n **Metaphors**\n\nA metaphor is an implied analogy; it suggests a similarity without actually saying that the similarity exists. ", "It literally makes your reader think of a thing or an action that is _not_ the thing or the action that you are describing. ", "The end result of which is — you can only hope — that the reader will see the thing or the action that you are pointing her toward more clearly.", "\n\nLook:\n\nWinston Churchill, a proud statesman, led England through the war.", "\n\nIt isn't quite as catchy (or as effective) as this:\n\nWinston Churchill, that proud English lion, led his nation through the war.", "\n\nThe second sentence isn't meant to imply that Mr. Churchill was an animal. ", "Only the most literal of readers would get that out of it. ", "Metaphors help your reader to see how something that is in your story is like, in some way, something that is not actually _in_ the story at all, so very literal readers will just have to make the little leaps of faith that metaphors require. ", "It's very much like a wine expert saying that a particular vintage has hints of berries or melons or pepper. ", "These things aren't actually _in_ the wine, but they help the listener imagine what it will taste like.", "\n\nIn _Roots_ , Alex Haley did not mean for his readers to believe that big carpets sometimes fly around when he wrote this description:\n\n... a great beating of wings filled the air and a vast living carpet of seafowl — hundreds of thousands of them, in every color of the rainbow — rose and filled the sky.", "\n\nIn your fiction, you'll want to use this tool pretty often. ", "If you have a burglar in the process of burgling, and you want the reader to see him as catlike, you can simply tell him he's catlike, or you can have him move around on \"little cat's feet\" (to steal a line from Carl Sandburg). ", "Now you're not telling the comparison; you're implying it.", "\n\nWe need to call attention now to the greatest and most constant danger of using metaphors, namely mixing them. ", "We've all come up with these rascals. ", "My most recent faux pas of this particular variety was in the first draft of the first chapter of this book. ", "I originally wrote this sentence:\n\nFinding and polishing the writing voice in which you will describe your setting is a solo flight, with you alone in the cockpit.", "\n\nThen, a few sentences later, I referred to your style surfacing, like Ahab's white whale off there on the horizon. ", "So I had, in one paragraph, both aeronautical and nautical imagery and, almost certainly, a very confused reader. ", "So when I revised, I changed that first sentence to this:\n\nFinding and polishing the writing voice in which you will describe your setting is a solo voyage, with you alone at the helm.", "\n\nAfter the alteration, my images are completely nautical, with no mention of airplanes or pilots. ", "I hesitate to say we are, to use a common metaphor, all on the same page now, since pages have nothing to do with ships. ", "So I'll just say we are all steering in the same current.", "\n\nIf you want to see mixed metaphors used pretty often, read the comic strip _Crankshaft_ , part of the humor of which rests on the central character's frequent use of them. ", "In one strip, somebody tells the old man that his granddaughter has really grown up. \"", "Yep,\" he responds. \"", "Pretty soon she'll be spreading her wings and walking out the door.\"", "\n\nMixed metaphors come off as comical when you have a character use one. ", "But it's not one bit funny when _you_ let one slip into your writing.", "\n\n **Similes**\n\nSimiles do exactly the same thing that metaphors do, except the similarity is prefaced by _like_ or _as_. ", "So it's not quite as subtle. ", "This time, Mr. Churchill might roar _like an English lion_ , or be _as proud as an English lion._", "\n\nHere are a few examples of how authors use similes (the italics are mine):\n\nAidan Chambers uses one to express movement in _Postcards From No Man's Land_ :\n\nTo one side of the theater, facing in to the rest of the plein _like an auditorium facing a stage_ , was a mini-square crammed with tables served by waiters who fluttered in and out of canopied cafes _like birds from nesting boxes_.", "\n\nKen Follett, in _The Hammer of Eden_ , uses a simile to portray a lack of action:\n\nAs the light strengthened, they could distinguish the dark shapes of cranes and giant earthmoving machines below them, silent and still, _like sleeping giants_.", "\n\nWhen some of my writing students first stumble onto the fine things that similes can do for them, they tend to _over_ do, like young girls dipping for the first time into their mother's makeup drawer and globbing it on too thick. ", "Some of the students are apt, in their stories, to trot similes out one after another, like ponies in a parade.", "\n\nI overdid the similes myself in that last paragraph. ", "The cosmetic laden girls are _like_ writers using too many metaphors; so are ponies in a parade. ", "But to use both in one paragraph is a bit much. ", "But, not overdone, the simile will be one of the most effective tools in your fiction.", "\n\nYou'll use similes in many of the places were you might have otherwise chosen to use metaphors, but now they will be stated resemblances rather than implied ones. ", "This time, your burglar will not move on little cat's feet but will move _like a cat_ , or as silent _as a cat_.", "\n\n **Analogies**\n\nWhile metaphors are more delicate than similes, analogies are at the other end of the spectrum and make no attempt whatsoever at understatement. ", "They are carefully laid out comparisons, hitting on how two things are similar in at least one way. ", "Here's a short one from _When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune_ , a novel by Lori Aurelia Williams:\n\nThe bayou was to me like hot-water cornbread was to Mama.", "\n\nThis one is in the exact format of all those analogies that used to give you fits on standardized tests in high school — you remember: _card is to deck as month is to year_ — but don't think you have to work your brief analogies into this precise wording. ", "Yours might go something like _The bayou was as important to me as hot-water cornbread was to Mama_ or _Hot-water cornbread was the epitome of goodness to Mama; just like the bayou was to me._", "\n\nSometimes in your fiction a short analogy won't accomplish everything you need it to. ", "Then you'll need to work it into something longer.", "\n\nThe subjects of James Michener's _The Eagle and the Raven_ are Santa Anna and Sam Houston, so he decided to begin with an extended analogy, linking them metaphorically with the two birds that symbolize them in the title and throughout the book:\n\nIt was as if two powerful birds had entered the sky within a single year, The Eagle in the south, The Raven in the north, each circling and gaining strength, each progressing in the consolidation of its own powers. ", "For forty-two tempestuous years the adversaries would fly in ever-widening orbits until confrontation became inevitable. ", "They would meet only once, a clash of eighteen culminating minutes in the spring of 1836 which would change the history of the world.", "\n\nIn your own fiction, short descriptions of similarities will work best as metaphors or similes, and more elaborated juxtapositions that compare two characters or things should be treated in a brief or an extended analogy.", "\n\nSo if you choose to use an analogy in your burglar saga, you would go into some detail about just _how_ he is like a cat.", "\n\n **Allusions**\n\nSince we're already on the subject of cats, let's look at how Kurt Vonnegut begins his novel _Cat's Cradle_ :\n\nCall me Jonah. ", "My parents did, or nearly did. ", "They called me John.", "\n\nThe \"Call me Jonah\" part is an allusion, a figure of speech that makes reference to a famous person or event. ", "In this case, the author is referring to the first sentence of _Moby Dick_ (\"Call me Ishmael.\"), ", "just as I alluded to that novel a few pages ago when I mentioned Ahab and his white whale.", "\n\nUsing an allusion is a great way to describe something or someone by calling attention to something else, but you must remember this (which is an allusion to the song in the movie _Casablanca_ ): The key word in that definition is _famous_. ", "The allusion will fall flat if the reader doesn't make the connection. ", "So, while your Uncle Elmer out there in Flagstaff might be the epitome of thrift, saying that a character in your fiction is as cheap as your Uncle Elmer isn't likely to work for anybody outside of your family.", "\n\nSo, when using allusions, you want to make them wide enough for the reader to get. ", "Neither should they be a puzzle that you've designed. ", "I was given a novel a few years ago in the introduction of which the author let us in on a little game that she had devised. ", "She said that those readers who, like herself, had \"been happy enough to have had a classical education\" should look for allusions to works of art and literature that she had planted in the text: words or phrases or dialect that would ring a bell (a silver one, no doubt). ", "She gave the exact number of the precious nuggets and sent us on our way, like well-scrubbed children after Easter eggs. ", "She said, in that introduction, that none of the allusions were essential to any understanding of her novel, and that neither disregarding them nor being unable to decipher them would alter a reader's perception.", "\n\nAnd here is where I disagree with this classically trained scribe. ", "Allusions that are not perceived with at least some ease are useless. ", "They slow down the pace at best, or, at worst, they offend. ", "I don't know if I would have picked up on any of her little gems or not, since I slammed her tome shut before even getting to her story.", "\n\nThe purpose of using allusions is not to drive your readers away, but to bring them more completely _in_ , by reminding them of similar situations or events that they know something about. ", "And, by the way, this author was wrong in thinking that allusions don't have to add to the story. ", "If you choose to use them, they should have a purpose beyond giving your reader a chance to identify them. ", "They should — as everything you write should — add value to your story.", "\n\nHere's how Tony Kushner alludes to the movie _The Wizard of Oz_ in his play _Angels in America_ by having a character wake up from a serious illness and point to some of his friends. \"", "I've had a remarkable dream,\" he says. \"", "And you were there, and you... and you. ", "And some of it was terrible, and some of it was wonderful, but all the same I kept saying I want to go home. ", "And they sent me home.\" ", "This is exactly what Dorothy says at the very end of the movie. ", "It's an obvious allusion to a film that long ago established itself as an American icon, so most readers will recognize it.", "\n\nMuch less obvious is the short sentence \"Then I defy you, Heaven!\" ", "in Anne Rice's _The Tale of the Body Thief_. ", "Which is awfully close to Romeo's \"Then I defy you, Stars!\" ", "in _Romeo and Juliet_. ", "The character in the Rice book is going through a Romeo-like moment, so his shouting of the similar line reinforces its meaning.", "\n\nAllusions, either strong or subtle, will work well for you in your writing, as long as you make them broad enough so that just about everyone will get it. ", "You're on solid ground calling a little boy's dash on his bike through town to alert the population to a fire a \"Paul Revere's ride.\" ", "But leave your Uncle Elmer at home.", "\n\n **Lofty Language Indeed**\n\nLiterary tools that show resemblance have been used in the world's religions for centuries.", "\n\nConsider a couple of the hymns that are sung each Sunday morning. \"", "A Mighty Fortress is Our God\" is not proclaiming that the Almighty is, in fact, a fortress, but that He is _like_ one. ", "In another one, we sing of Christian soldiers, marching as to war, not _off_ to war, or _into_ war, which would be the thing itself. _", "As_ to war means that these soldiers are not soldiers in the literal sense, but are similar to them in their commitment.", "\n\nSacred texts are filled with metaphors, similes, and symbolism. ", "What are parables but stories whose only function is to make their hearers think of other things than are _in_ the stories? ", "And while debate rages on regarding the literal, historical truth of many biblical or sacred text events, most of the debaters would agree that, whether Noah actually floated an ark or not, the symbolic lesson is the most important thing: that people better behave.", "\n\nThink of how many times characters in sacred texts allude to characters that came before them, to prophets and kings and rascals and rogues. ", "And if a group of listeners are referred to as sheep, or lambs, then you can bet (or hope) a metaphor is being employed.", "\n\nIf literary devices like symbolism, similes, metaphors, and allusions have helped countless generations to see something as mystical and lofty as divine nature and eternity, just think how useful it will be in your fiction, which will more than likely focus on characters and settings and situations that are tethered more securely to the here and now.", "\n\n **Personification**\n\nLet's consider another couple of lines from _Romeo and Juliet_ , at the very end:\n\nA glooming peace this morning with it brings;\n\nThe sun for sorrow will not show his head...\n\nHere, Prince Escalus is lamenting the two dead lovers sprawled out before him and numerous other deaths in the play (Shakespeare liked to bring his tragedies to a close with high body counts). ", "He is implying that the very sun in the heavens — the gaseous star itself — is remorseful and hides behind clouds. ", "And though even the most literal of readers will know that this can not be (it just happens to be a cloudy day in Verona), it works well as personification, a figure of speech that bestows human actions or sensibilities on inanimate objects and ideas.", "\n\nHere's another literary element that you already use constantly, both in your thinking and in your speaking. ", "Who hasn't been _slapped_ by a wave or _kissed_ by the wind? ", "Who hasn't heard the wind _singing_ in the trees or a last slice of pie in the fridge _calling_ your name?", "\n\nYou can take your time with personification in your writing, working it meticulously along, as Ann Packer does in her novel _The Dive From Clausen's Pier_ :\n\nThe silk was like nothing I'd ever worked with before, slippery and so fluid it was almost as if it were alive, slithering from my table onto the floor, sliding off the deck of my sewing machine if I was careless when I pulled the needle out, if I didn't have my hands right there to coax it to stay.", "\n\nOr you can pack the personification into one short image, as J.K. Rowling does in a single word (swam) in _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ :\n\nThey set off across the deserted moor, unable to make much progress through the mist. ", "After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view.", "\n\nThe use of personification is an excellent opportunity for you to make clear in your reader's mind an action that is important in your story. ", "It is a dull description indeed to say that the warm water of a swimming hole touched a character's arm, and extremely more effective to say that it _caressed_ it.", "\n\n **Symbolism**\n\nToo many people, I fear, come away from their high school and college English courses thinking that literature is composed almost completely of symbolism. ", "This is because teachers pay a great deal of attention to what characters and things and situations stand for or, more specifically, to what they _think_ or the textbook or the study guide _says_ they stand for. ", "So their students sometimes get the notion that the heart and soul of the works they are told to read are the various symbols their teachers point out, often to the exclusion of other important elements in the stories; too often, in fact, to the exclusion of the meanings of the stories themselves.", "\n\nThough symbolism isn't the alpha and omega of literature that your high school teacher might have thought it was, it _is_ an essential tool in your kit. ", "Aaron Elkins in _Fellowship of Fear_ describes some sculptures that are obviously intended to be symbols, things that represent other things or ideas:\n\nThe great stone eagles on either side of the entrance had once gripped laurelled swastikas in their talons, but those had long ago been chipped away by young GIs laughing into the newsreel cameras, so that now they did duty as American eagles, guarding the headquarters of USAREUR — United States Army Europe.", "\n\nIn this example the symbolism is as heavy as those stone eagles. ", "Almost always in fiction you will need to be more understated than that when using this tool.", "\n\nIt's a good idea to refrain from intentionally building symbols in, unless you're up to something as obvious as Elkins was with his eagles. ", "The most effective symbols occur naturally in the story and float effortlessly to the surface, like cream in milk.", "\n\nWhen I wrote the memoir about my father and his Alzheimer's ordeal, I mentioned, several times, a navy surplus clock that he had bought before I was born and attached to the wall in our kitchen. ", "It is a great, heavy thing, with a glass face that tilts up on a hinge; I grew up watching my father wind it with a key each morning, and even learned to tell time on it (unfortunately, it is a twenty-four-hour contraption and I had to be retaught on a traditional twelve-hour clock in elementary school). ", "When my father died, I unscrewed the clock from his wall and moved it to my house, where I took over the winding duties.", "\n\nI honestly never intended that clock to be representative of anything or anybody in my book, but more than a few readers perceived it as symbolic — of my father, of their fathers, of _all_ fathers, of the inevitable passage of time (the classic symbol called a _memento mori_ — a reminder of death). ", "So, the fact is that my inherited clock is indeed a symbol, no matter what I think about it. ", "And it's a symbol because it _works_ as one, in the natural progression of the story, and not because I planted it there to _be_ symbolic.", "\n\nWhat you're probably asking yourself right about now is how the heck you're supposed to use symbolism if you're not supposed to put symbols in your text. ", "Here's my answer: Write your story or novel the best that you can — write it truly and well, as Hemingway might have said — and don't worry about what will be symbolic and what won't be. ", "Let things and characters that turn out to be symbolic simply materialize.", "\n\nThat's not to say that you won't write characters that personify goodness or evil or love or vindictiveness or any number of other things. ", "But they should personify those qualities because of things you have them say and do in the story, not because your intention was to set them up as symbolic. ", "What you'll likely end up with — if your overall intention is to create a symbol — is what some critics call cardboard characters, people who are so one-dimensional that they resemble cutouts that are propped up to look like real folks. ", "In short, let your characters _be_ real folks, and if they end up being symbolic, then so much the better.", "\n\nThe same holds true for things and places. ", "You don't want your setting to be just a backdrop that thumps down on the stage when a scene changes. ", "You want it to be a vibrant, believable _place_. ", "And if your only goal for it is to stand for something, like Maple Street being a slice of apple pie America right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, that's likely _all_ it will be, and not a street where real people with real problems live.", "\n\nNow, how about the names of the people that live there? ", "Long ago, very obviously symbolic names could be used to great effect. ", "Like the hero who made his hard journey through life in _Pilgrim's Progress_ being named _Christian_. ", "But now we have to be considerably quieter about it. ", "So quiet in fact that my first inclination is to persuade you not to make your characters' names stand for things at all. ", "But if you do, make sure you are as inconspicuous as Harper Lee was in _To Kill a Mockingbird_ when she named the central character Atticus Finch. ", "A finch is a songbird that doesn't cause anybody any problems, just like a mockingbird, and just like Atticus himself, and Tom Robinson, another character in the novel.", "\n\nPerhaps the best use of symbolism, when it comes to names, will be in nicknames. ", "In _The Windows of Heaven_ , I had the children at an orphanage call a nun with a large birthmark that covered much of her face Sister Blister. ", "And symbolic nicknames can be ironic, as when naming a slow thinker Einstein or a bumbling lady Grace.", "\n\nIn your manuscripts, stay on the lookout for characters or situations that might make the natural progression to symbolism. ", "Then you might very well want to do things that emphasize the resemblance. ", "Let's say it becomes obvious that an old homestead in your setting begins to represent a years old crime and the guilt that a character feels because of it. ", "That means you'll need to come up with a backstory, a few red herrings (false clues), a few foreshadowings (real clues), and a good many other things. ", "The homestead, in the midst of all that literary commotion, becomes finally a bona fide symbol. ", "And your story becomes the richer for it.", "\n\n **ONOMATOPOEIA**\n\nMany first-time writers want to begin their stories with onomatopoeia, words that sound like the actions they describe. ", "Or they want them to stand alone in their texts. ", "So words like _Bang! ", "Pow!_ ", "and _Slam!_ ", "pop up as one-word sentences all over the place and, before long, it's like we're back in an old _Batman_ television episode, where such things frequently splashed across the screen. _", "Splashed_ , by the way, is an example of onomatopoeia.", "\n\n _Ring! ", "Ring!_ ", "all by itself is one way to show that a phone is ringing, but it's almost never the best way. ", "Even resorting to reporting that the phone rang is preferable. ", "But much better yet is something like this:\n\nHe picked up the receiver and said hello.", "\n\nGive your reader a little credit. ", "Surely she knows, if a character picks up the receiver and says hello, that the phone rang.", "\n\nInstead of using onomatopoeia all by itself, weave it into the fabric of your sentences, letting the sound words work their magic in little doses. ", "Like Zane Grey does in the opening sentence of _Riders of the Purple Sage_ :\n\nA sharp clip-clop of iron-shod hoofs deadened and died away, and clouds of yellow dust drifted from under the cottonwoods out over the sage.", "\n\nClip-clop sings out to readers from within the sentence, not set apart as a sentence of its own. ", "We hear it, and then we move on to the next bit of business, just like we do hundreds of times every day in real life.", "\n\nMake sure that your use of onomatopoeia occurs as naturally in your story or novel as it does in the real world. ", "Let what things sound like work toward the bigger description that you are after, rather than be isolated little descriptions of their own. ", "If your scene is set on a beach where some gulls are squawking and the waves are sloshing against a piling, steer away from coming up with something like this:\n\n\"Squawk! ", "Squawk!\" ", "sang out the many gulls. ", "Slosh! ", "The water met the piling.", "\n\nAs a matter of fact, steer _far_ away from something like that, because it's absolutely abysmal.", "\n\n\"Squawk! ", "Squawk! ", "Slosh.\" ", "The sounds of seagulls and the waves filled up the morning.", "\n\nNow that's a little better. ", "But you'll fare better yet with something like this instead:\n\nA congregation of gulls squawked as they floated through the gray morning; uninspired waves sloshed against a concrete piling.", "\n\n _Squawking_ and _sloshing_ are fine sound words that will help your reader imagine the setting you are offering, but the words will be much more effective when worked into the overall framework of your description, not standing outside of it calling (squawking) attention just to themselves.", "\n\n **CADENCE**\n\nHere's a mantra that you might consider chanting from time to time while writing: _Cadence is good; repetition is bad_.", "\n\nCadence is when you employ a measured, lyrical movement, often repeating words and phrases for rhythmic effect. ", "Repetition, on the other hand, is when you botch things up and repeat a word or a phrase too soon. ", "Believe me, your reader knows the difference and so should you.", "\n\nCadence is a wonderful way to describe something in your writing, all the while letting your reader glean the information in something akin to hearing it in a melody. ", "John Grisham uses a brief cadence in this segment from his novel _Bleachers_. ", "He uses the same word — _our_ — and the same verb structure — _were waiting_ — in a pair of sentences that describes a situation:\n\nWe ran two plays until all eleven guys got everything perfect. ", "Our girlfriends were waiting. ", "Our parents were waiting.", "\n\nAnd in _Provinces of Night_ , William Gay establishes a longer cadence by giving a pleasing cluster of descriptions of the setting:\n\nThe citrusy smell of the pine woods, the raw loamy earth smell of a field turned darkly to the sun by Brady's tractor, the faint call of distant crows that was all there was to break the silence.", "\n\nIf you come to a place in your story where you want your reader to have no doubt that one character is deeply in love with another one, you might just say that this is the case: He loved her very much.", "\n\nThere. ", "That should do it, don't you think? ", "Well, it does accomplish what you set out to do: to relate that he was deeply in love with her. ", "But if you want to _prove_ it, do something like this, using cadence to get the point across:\n\nHe thought of her all the time. ", "He thought of her when he got out of bed in the morning and when he rode the subway to work. ", "Thought of her all day long, as he went about his dreary job, and when he rode the subway home again. ", "Thought, during his nightly dinner of meat and cheese from the corner deli, of how beautiful she would be standing on the platform at the train station on the weekend. ", "And he thought of her, finally, when he closed his eyes to go to sleep each night.", "\n\nAll of those _thought ofs_ aren't repetition at all (remember: repetition is bad). ", "They make up a carefully choreographed melody that should bring your reader fully on board with the fact that this guy is head-over-heels in love.", "\n\nUsing cadence is one of the best ways to utilize and call attention to the essential beauty of language. ", "It is pleasing to your reader's ear and — being that — it provides you an excellent opportunity to not only convey important parts of your story but to help establish the unique voice in which you are telling it.", "\n\n **FLASHBACKS, BACKSTORIES, FUTURE STORIES**\n\nA flashback is a sudden, brief relocation to a previous time and then, just as suddenly, a return to the present story. ", "A backstory is a longer trip (in fact, sometimes backstories make up _most_ of a story or even a novel). ", "A future story is a glimpse of what is to come after, sometimes long after, the present action.", "\n\nIn a flashback, a character is usually reminded of something or someone from his past. ", "The smell of cabbage cooking might cause him to see a kitchen that he hasn't actually seen in years. ", "Or you might have a character who looks over at his wife of fifty years and, in just the right light, sees her as the teenager he married.", "\n\nFlashbacks come in handy when you need to infuse a clue or two into a mystery story or when some character trait needs to be enhanced or explained. ", "Let's say you have a fellow in your story that doesn't like dogs. ", "Your reader wants to know why this is the case, so you lead her along for a while and then give her a nice little flashback, in which the man recalls being bitten by a dog as a child.", "\n\nFlashbacks are quick. ", "Backstories, because they drag in the baggage of a character or a situation, are longer. ", "Here's how William Styron begins the fourth chapter of _Sophie's Choice_ :\n\n\"In Cracow, when I was a little girl,\" Sophie told me, \"we lived in a very old house on an old winding street not far from the university.\"", "\n\nThus begins the backstory that becomes the heart and soul of that novel. ", "It goes on to play itself out in many scenes that are built into the framework of the present story.", "\n\nA less frequently used vehicle to wander away from the present story is the future story, which can be nothing more than a glimmer into the future, like this from M.M. Kaye's novel _The Far Pavilions_ :\n\nYears afterwards, when he had forgotten much else, Ash could still remember that night. ", "The heat and the moonlight, the ugly sound of jackals and hyenas quarreling and snarling within a stone's throw of the little tent where Sita crouched beside him, listening and trembling and patting his shoulder in a vain attempt to smooth his fears and send him to sleep.", "\n\nFlashbacks, backstories, and future stories are good ways to establish setting and provide description. ", "Diverting your readers' attention away from the here and now allows you to focus on times and places that give deeper insight into a character or a situation.", "\n\n **FORESHADOWING**\n\nForeshadowing gives the reader a clue — a taste of what is to come — like a formation of geese ahead of an approaching cold front. ", "Listen to the first sentence of Alice Sebold's _The Lovely Bones_ :\n\nMy name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.", "\n\nThe word that is most packed with foreshadowing is the verb _was_. ", "Why, most readers will want to know, isn't her name _still_ Susie Salmon? ", "The very next sentence answers that one:\n\nI was murdered on December 6, 1973.", "\n\nNow the readers' inquiry changes; now they want to know how and why she was murdered. ", "That, and what the heck is going on here? ", "They won't get all of their questions answered for several hundred pages. ", "But their interest is stirred in the two opening sentences.", "\n\nThat's what foreshadowing should do for you. ", "And that is also exactly what first sentences should do: make the reader keep reading.", "\n\nLittle harbingers of what's to come are wonderful carrots to dangle in front of your readers. ", "They are the cold wind against the windowpane, the giddy step along the lane, the money buried in the backyard. ", "They are some of the things that keep your readers reading. ", "So they are very important bits of business.", "\n\n **SENTENCE AND PARAGRAPH LENGTH VARIATIONS**\n\nSometimes you can impress your reader with the _arrangement_ of your sentences and paragraphs as well as with the fine wordsmithing that comprises them. ", "Consider these sentences from Patricia Cornwell's novel _From Potter's Field_ :\n\nOne bullet had entered through his right cheek, and as I compressed his chest and blew air into his mouth, blood covered my hands and instantly turned cold on my face. ", "I could not save him.", "\n\nThe point here — that this unfortunate fellow's a goner — is made as effectively by the structuring of the two sentences as by the words contained in them. ", "Your reader may not realize this when reading them; so in a way this is a form of manipulation. ", "But it is also a darned effective way to convey what you want the reader to know.", "\n\nLook at this passage from Shelley Mydans's novel _Thomas_ :\n\nBaldwin sat back and looked at him. ", "In Eustace's mind, a thought was forming; he looked at Thomas, then to his brother, then at Thomas, breathing as though he might soon speak, but he said nothing.", "\n\nShe begins with a short, nonelaborated sentence and then gives us a much longer, more involved one that builds on the first. ", "It makes for a fine description of a scene. ", "You'll do well to pay attention to sentence length variation in your own writing, and the best way to do it is to fiddle with your sentences constantly, either in your mind or on the monitor screen. ", "Consider several configurations, then choose the best for what you're trying to show.", "\n\nImagine for instance that you wrote this paragraph, which is really from _Miss Buncle's Book_ by D.E. Stevenson:\n\nSarah looked up at the clock; it was midnight and John had not returned. ", "She hoped there was nothing wrong. ", "It was a first baby, of course, and first babies were apt to keep people waiting.", "\n\nThe sentences work fine as they are, but they will work a little differently when reworked. ", "How about this, starting with a shorter sentence and following it up with a pair of longer ones:\n\nSarah looked up at the clock. ", "It was midnight and John had not returned, and she hoped there was nothing wrong. ", "It was a first baby, of course, and first babies were apt to keep people waiting.", "\n\nNeither is inherently better than the other, and your decision should be based on the meaning you are attempting to convey.", "\n\nPay as much attention to the _structure_ of your sentences as to their length. ", "Many times I find myself falling into a pattern of using the same sentence framework one after another. ", "A prepositional phrase followed by my subject followed by my verb followed by one more prepositional phrase felt right the first time, so why not do it again? ", "You know the answer to that one: because it becomes repetitive quickly. ", "So mix your structures up; move things around. ", "Flip-flop phrases and clauses and adjectives and adverbs as regularly as you shorten and lengthen the sentences themselves. ", "Word processing programs are real blessings here. ", "Just think: Shakespeare and Jane Austen and Hemingway had to do all of this tweaking in their heads or with lots of scratch-throughs and little arrows. ", "We can do it with a few clicks of a mouse (a phrase that would have baffled those three writers mightily).", "\n\nThis same advice applies to the lengths of paragraphs. ", "Some authors are of the opinion that starting a work of fiction — or anything else — with a long paragraph is counterproductive to enticing the reader to come onboard. ", "And it's a valid argument that goes along with another one concerning long chapters as opposed to shorter ones. ", "As a reader, I can tell you that, if I am getting tired and contemplating turning off the lamp and going to sleep, I am much more likely to read one more short chapter than a long one. ", "But I'll leave psychology to people who know considerably more about it than I do. ", "Varying the lengths of paragraphs has little to do with psychology, and much to do with creating a user-friendly format. ", "Readers get weary of long paragraphs, and they get just as weary of paragraphs of the same length being lined up like a freight train. ", "So vary the length; write a long paragraph followed by a very short one.", "\n\nIt's quite effective.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER**\n\nIn this chapter we've rummaged around pretty thoroughly in the set of tools available to you as a writer. ", "We certainly didn't lift each and every one out and look at it, but we focused on several that will be particularly useful to you when writing description and settings.", "\n\nInstead of recapping all of the approaches and devices, let me leave you with some good advice: Let moderation and balance weigh heavily when selecting the tools and using them. ", "You won't use all of them in any one story or chapter; you'll employ them as you need them, given specific scenes and characters and situations. ", "In one case an extended analogy will work better than a metaphor or a simile. ", "Sometimes a trio of adjectives will work better than one; other times no adjectives at all will be needed.", "\n\nThink of these tools as the spices and ingredients and utensils that we started this chapter with. ", "Use each one carefully and well, sparingly at times and in abundance at others. ", "Then, when you're done, look at the end result as one thing, not as all of the little things that went into it or were used to prepare it. ", "Then you will almost certainly have to go back in and make some changes (that's where you're better off working with writer's tools than with kitchen utensils and spices; when you cook a meal that turns out badly, you're pretty much stuck with it).", "\n\nAfter several revisions, and reusing the tools and tinkering and maneuvering, you'll finally come up with a story or a chapter that works for you. ", "And that's the most essential criteria that it must meet in order to eventually work for your readers.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts, circle verbs that might work better if you substitute onomatopoeia (sound words), like replacing _fell_ with _splattered, pounded_ with _thumped_ , and _hammered_ with _ratatattatted_.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nUsing random paragraphs from published stories and novels, practice restructuring sentences and paragraphs. ", "Remember to vary the lengths; chop long sentences into shorter ones and make choppy ones into longer ones to see how the reorganization might produce a different effect.", "\n\nWhen you've played around for a while with other people's writing, turn your attention to your own. ", "Dig out one of your manuscripts and go to work on revising sentence and paragraph variation and structure; you'll be surprised at how much better (and clearer) some of your passages will end up.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts, try this: Circle every adjective and adverb. ", "Then, for each one, ask these four questions:\n\n * Is it essential to have it here?", "\n * Is it the best word choice for this context?", "\n * Is the description you're trying for already made somewhere else in the text?", "\n * Can the modification be made stronger in some way (i.e., additional modifiers, more elaboration, use of Italics for emphasis)?", "\n\nIf the answer is no to one or both of the first two or yes to the third or fourth, then you have some work to do.", "\n\n# 4\n\n## [ SHOWING, TELLING, AND COMBINING THE TWO ]\n\nShowing versus telling is a constantly waged war in creative writing. ", "And some of the battles have been fought in my classroom.", "\n\nMy students come to me from years of composition assignments in which they were not only expected, but required, to tell everything. ", "And show nothing. ", "So when they wander into Creative Writing, I have to attempt to pound into them many of the basic essentials of writing, one of which is to do exactly what they've been trained not to do. ", "If I'm not successful, what I'll get for their first assignment will be a thinly disguised term paper, or a report.", "\n\nOr I'll get a five-paragraph theme, that tired old plow horse that is fine when used for its intended purpose: to line up pieces of information and trot them out systematically. ", "But it is a horribly ineffective structure for writing fiction.", "\n\nThe reason it doesn't work for creative writing is that it is pure reporting, which is almost completely made up of telling. ", "Reporting is a fine mission, if you work for _The New York Times_. ", "But, when you're writing your story or novel, you don't want to be a reporter, you want to be a storyteller.", "\n\nIt's time for another little dose of Flannery O'Connor here. \"", "Fiction writing,\" she tells us in _Mystery and Manners_ , \"is very seldom a matter of saying things; it is a matter of showing things.\"", "\n\nLet's go back for a moment to _To Kill a Mockingbird_. ", "Never on any page in that novel does Scout, the narrator, tell us that Atticus Finch, her father, is a good man. ", "But throughout the novel, we know it; at the end, one of the strongest images is his goodness. ", "The author, Harper Lee, carefully gives us scene after scene in which Atticus' actions speak for themselves. ", "She _shows_ us his goodness constantly, and _tells_ it never.", "\n\nSo you might expect the absolute rule to be _Show, Never Tell!_ ", "Always and forever. ", "No exceptions.", "\n\nThe trouble is that for a writer there aren't as many absolute rules as one might think. ", "There are certainly a few, like run-on sentences never being acceptable, and subjects having to agree with verbs (though even that one can be broken when writing dialect). ", "But this matter of showing and telling refuses to be governed so strictly.", "\n\nOnce you locate that voice that we've discussed, or more correctly when you've polished the one that is already in residence, you'll be constantly determining when to show things and when to tell them. ", "As your voice becomes more distinctive and your powers of description better, you'll show more than you'll tell. ", "But — believe me — you will do _both_ if your fiction ends up being any good. ", "Remember, Flannery O'Connor didn't say that fiction writing was _never_ a matter of saying rather than showing, she said it _seldom_ is. ", "O'Connor was a wordsmith of the highest order; she wouldn't have used _seldom_ if she had meant anything else.", "\n\nIn this chapter, we'll look at several examples to see how other writers have primarily shown or told or — more commonly — used a combination of both. ", "We'll dig into the examples to see exactly what they did to make them work, and we'll pay special attention to the fine-tuning they employed to bring them fully to life. ", "Then we'll look at a few ways that you can sharpen your skills, when tackling description and setting, at combining showing and telling.", "\n\nBut, first, let's determine the distinction between the two.", "\n\n **THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHOWING AND TELLING**\n\nConsider this statement:\n\nA good time was had by all.", "\n\nNow, spend a moment with this paragraph from Toni Morrison's novel _Sula_ :\n\nOld people were dancing with little children. ", "Young boys with their sisters, and the church women who frowned on any bodily expression of joy (except when the hand of God commanded it) tapped their feet. ", "Somebody (the groom's father, everybody said) had poured a whole pint jar of cane liquor into the punch, so even the men who did not sneak out the back door to have a shot, as well as the women who let nothing stronger than Black Draught enter their blood, were tipsy. ", "A small boy stood at the Victrola turning its handle and smiling at the sound of Bert William's \"Save a Little Dram for Me.\"", "\n\nA question: Which of the two descriptions on page 63 does more for you as a reader?", "\n\nI'll bet you chose the longer one, unless you're one of those people who likes to be different just for the heck of it — one of those go-against-the-grain sorts.", "\n\nBut the point is this: In terms of what we end up knowing about this celebration, they both do exactly the same thing. ", "We end up, both times, realizing that a good time was had by all.", "\n\nSo, why should we opt for the longer one when the snippet fills the bill?", "\n\nBecause brevity doesn't usually fill the bill for a writer or — much more to the point — for a _reader_. ", "The guy in Sheboygan, unless he's addicted to condensations of novels, wants elaboration. ", "He wants to know about those feet-tapping church women and that jar of hooch that got poured into the punch to help things along.", "\n\nThe big difference between these two examples isn't that one is considerably longer. ", "It's that the most essential image, a sense of universal enjoyment, is not specifically mentioned at all in the longer one.", "\n\nThe first version is telling, the second is showing. ", "We know that all of the participants in Morrison's paragraph are enjoying themselves because we watch them doing it.", "\n\nShowing rather than telling is part of the magic that you have to work as a writer; in fact, it's one of the most vital parts. ", "Your reader has to make his way through your story or novel — and then finally come away from it — with a sense of the characters and the settings and the situations that must have seemed to occur naturally. ", "To use a sewing metaphor: You have to stitch your images together so meticulously that the seams are invisible.", "\n\nOne of the most effective ways to pull that off is to let your reader experience things rather than be told about them, to feel them rather than have them reported to him.", "\n\nIn _Black Rain_ , Masuji Ibuse's novel about the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, this sentence does not appear:\n\nThe city suffered significant damage in the blast.", "\n\nBut this paragraph _does_ :\n\nAmong the ruins, the reflection of the sun on the pieces of broken glass on the road was so strong that it was difficult to hold your head up as you walked. ", "The smell of death was a little fainter than the day before, but the places where houses had collapsed into tile-covered heaps stank vilely and were covered with great, black swarms of flies. ", "The relief squads clearing the ruins seemed to have been joined by reinforcements, since I saw some men whose clothes, though bleached with frequent washing, were not soiled with sweat and grime as yet.", "\n\nAgain, as in the example from Toni Morrison's novel, we get the pertinent information in the first version. ", "But we see and hear and touch and taste and smell the experience in the second. ", "The difference between the two accounts is something like the difference between an accident report that a patrolman would write and the sensation of being in the accident itself. ", "If you've ever been in one, you know that the curt, factual summary is worlds away from the reality of experiencing it.", "\n\n\"The city suffered significant damage in the blast\" is too cold, too distant, and too all-inclusive. ", "So what Ibuse does is drive home the image in small details, one after the other, throughout the novel. ", "Pay attention to the delicate pictures here, almost like miniatures arranged on a wall: the reflection of the sun on the pieces of broken glass, the collapsed houses, the smell of death. ", "The swarms of flies. ", "All bits and pieces of wordsmithing that add up to an inevitable conclusion: that the city suffered significantly in the blast.", "\n\nIn short, the second piece is considerably better. ", "And it's better because it brings the reader more fully in.", "\n\nNow, this is important — so heads up, please. ", "The longer version is not better because it is all showing and no telling. ", "It's better because it is both showing _and_ telling.", "\n\nLook back over it; \"the reflection of the sun... was so strong that it was difficult to hold your head up...,\" \"The smell of death was a little fainter...,\" and \"... were covered with great, black swarms of flies\" are all telling. ", "But the overall effect of the paragraph is that it shows the reader how badly the city had suffered. ", "And it makes much, much more of an impression than simply reporting it.", "\n\nYour fiction has to be a balanced blend of both approaches. ", "Just remember this: Your story shouldn't come off as a report, or a summary. ", "Think about that car accident we envisioned a few moments ago. ", "Would your reader benefit most from the patrolman's efficient, curtly worded account of the wreck or from the driver's or the passenger's emotions and sensations as it happened?", "\n\nYou know the answer to that one, even if you're the gotta-be-different, go-against-the-grain guy.", "\n\n **Actions Speak Louder Than Words**\n\nRemember the television preachers who could deal out fire and brimstone from the pulpit, holding themselves up as paragons of virtue? ", "Then remember how we read about the escapades and scandalous behavior of some of them in the newspaper.", "\n\nThey didn't practice what they preached.", "\n\nThey didn't _show_ what they _told_.", "\n\nTake Reverend Dimmesdale in _The Scarlet Letter_ , who had no trouble presenting himself to the community as pious and stainless, all the while letting poor little Hester Prynne catch all that Puritan flack for a transgression of which he was equally guilty, or even more so.", "\n\nDimmesdale and those television preachers didn't remember something that you — as a writer of fiction — must never forget: Showing carries greater credibility than telling. ", "And not just in your actions, but in your writing. ", "Particularly in your descriptions.", "\n\nThe best way to keep your tale from emerging as a report is to mostly show, and, when you tell, to make the telling as carefully wordsmithed and polished as the rest of your writing.", "\n\n **WHEN TO SHOW; WHEN TO TELL**\n\nWe'll spend some time now with a variety of writers, looking at how they used this combination in their work.", "\n\nIn her novel _The Book of Mercy_ , Kathleen Cambor could have written this:\n\nIn addition to the potential risk and the possibility of notoriety, one reason he chose to become a fireman was that he liked the uniform, which his mother also admired. ", "But his father was against the whole idea.", "\n\nWhich would have gotten the point across. ", "But not nearly so effectively as what she _did_ write:\n\nHe liked everything about the idea of being a fireman. ", "The excitement, the danger, the chance to be a hero or a prince. ", "The dress-blue uniform, dark serge, a knifelike crease down the center of each pants leg, patent-leather visor on the cap, in which a man could see himself reflected. \"", "Very fancy,\" said his mother. ", "His father's eyes were wells of rage and disappointment. ", "He spit onto the floor.", "\n\nThe short one tells us pretty much what we need to know to understand this part of the story. ", "But the longer one — the _real_ one that Ms. Cambor actually did compose — does far more than that. ", "It takes us into the attitude of the character, into his sense of values. ", "It shows us how he feels about becoming a fireman rather than telling us. ", "And there is more drama and description in those last two sentences, about his father's reaction to it, than the author could have conveyed in a page or more of explanation.", "\n\nLook a little further along at a bit more about how the character feels about his new job:\n\nHe learned to smell the smoke from blocks away, he watched for the sky to begin to lighten, as if from the tip of a rising sun. ", "Each time, he felt his heart pound, his own heart filled his chest, it echoed in his ears until they made the final turn into the red-hot stunning light.", "\n\nHere again the writer could have told us what we needed to know in fewer words. \"", "His job was exciting\" might suffice. ", "Or if you want a little more detail: \"His heart rate elevated when his truck approached a fire.\" ", "But the point is that your reader wants, in fact he demands, a _lot_ more detail, not just a little.", "\n\nYour characters, their situations, the basic logistics of your plot — how characters move from Point A to Point B and the chronological order of their actions — are all important to your story, essential in fact. ", "What brings the story to life, and makes it all as real as seeing it happen for the reader, is your description. ", "Showing these things, as opposed to simply reporting them, will be what finally makes the whole thing work.", "\n\nDig back into that last piece. ", "Note the strong images of the lightening sky and the pounding of the fireman's heart. ", "That's fine stuff that drives home to the reader exactly how this fellow is feeling at that moment, in that place. ", "Because the reader has probably felt that way, too. ", "Maybe when a family member was in an accident and he was rushing to the scene. ", "Maybe in a war. ", "Maybe when his teenager was three hours late coming home from a party and dozens of possibilities — all bad — had galloped through his mind.", "\n\nIn your story, you need to plug your reader into images like that — to situations and emotions he can relate to. ", "That's difficult, maybe impossible, to do when you are telling the thing. ", "But your images can ring soundly and true when you are showing.", "\n\nHere's a smidgen of _Cold Mountain_ by Charles Frazier, where Ruby, a mountain girl, has first arrived to help Ada, one of the central characters, on the farm she has inherited during the Civil War:\n\nRuby's recommendations extended in all directions, and she never seemed to stop. ", "She had ideas concerning schedules for crop rotation among the various fields. ", "Designs for constructing a tub mill so that once they had a corn crop they could grind their own meal and grits using waterpower from the creek and save having to give the miller his tithe. ", "One evening before she set off in the dark to walk up to the cabin, her last words were, \"We need us some guineas. ", "I'm not partial to their eggs for frying, but they'll do for baking needs.\" ", "Even discarding the eggs, guineas are a comfort to have around and useful in a number of ways. ", "They're good watchdogs, and they'll bug out a row of pole beans before you can turn around. ", "All that aside from how pleasant they are to look at walking around the yard.", "\n\nThe next morning her words were, \"Pigs. ", "Do you have any loose in the woods?\"", "\n\nAda said, \"No, we always bought our hams.\"", "\n\n\"There's a world more to a hog than just the two hams,\" Ruby said. \"", "Take lard for example. ", "We'll need plenty.\"", "\n\nIt is made abundantly clear, in this passage, that Ruby's knowledge of farming and farm life is extensive. ", "And, at the end, it is just as obvious that Ada doesn't have a clue about such things. ", "The author could have just told us that and been done with it. _", "Ruby understood everything about the workings of a farm, about which Ada knew absolutely nothing_. ", "That's what the reader needs to know.", "\n\nBut what she wants to know is more than that basic fact. ", "She wants to know more about the uniqueness of these two women and their situation that can never effectively come through in just the telling. ", "This flowing catalog of the things Ruby knows slowly paints a picture of her in the reader's mind, one that the author continues to add to as the novel progresses.", "\n\nLook at how Ruby uses words like \"partial\" and \"discarding,\" and the phrase \"in a number of ways.\" ", "If we are paying sufficient attention, we begin to see that she's not your average bumpkin that wandered down out of the holler. ", "Probably she's had some education; probably she's done some reading. ", "And those possibilities add an interesting aspect to a character that could have been one dimensional, and stereotypical.", "\n\nIf the reader ends up liking Ada and Ruby, and if she ends up pulling for them in their struggles, it will be because the characters and the struggles have been adequately shown to her, not reported.", "\n\nNotice, too, that all of this attention to corn crops and guinea eggs and tub mills and pole beans goes a long way toward establishing the rural, historical setting of the story. ", "Remember, it is easy enough to tell your reader that we're on a farm during the Civil War. ", "But it isn't enough if the reader is going to actually feel like she is there. ", "You're going to have to work considerably harder than simply telling her. ", "You're going to have to show her hundreds of little details, all of which finally add up to what an 1860s era farm looked and smelled and sounded like.", "\n\nBy the way, you might have noticed that Frazier plays loose and easy with old, established rules regarding quotation marks in particular and dialogue in general. ", "For which we'll forgive him, as the National Book Award judges obviously did, when they gave him their award.", "\n\nLook at how John Gardner first shows, then tells in _Grendel_ :\n\nNo use of a growl, a whoop, a roar, in the presence of that beast! ", "Vast, red-golden, huge tail coiled, limbs sprawled over his treasure-hoard, eyes not firey but cold as the memory of family deaths. ", "Vanishing away across invisible floors, there were things of gold, gems, jewels, silver vessels the color of blood in the undulant, dragon-red light. ", "Arching above him the ceiling and upper walls of this cave were alive with bats. ", "The color of his sharp scales darkened and brightened as the dragon inhaled and exhaled slowly, drawing new air across his vast internal furnace; his razorsharp tusks gleamed and glinted as if they too, like the mountain beneath him, were formed of precious stones and metals.", "\n\nMy heart shook. ", "His eyes stared straight at me. ", "My knees and insides were so weak I had to drop down on all fours. ", "His mouth opened slightly. ", "Bits of flame escaped.", "\n\n\"Ah, Grendel!\" ", "he said. \"", "You've come.\"", "\n\nThe first longer paragraph shows us much about this dragon and his lair. ", "In fact, if I asked you to make a list of every detail covered in that paragraph, it would take you a while. ", "Then, in the second paragraph, Gardner curtly reports Grendel's reaction to it. ", "The first paragraph floats along like a river of nicely wordsmithed images; the second is five short, to the point statements of fact — some more of that sentence length variation I pointed out earlier. ", "Taken together, the paragraphs work very effectively to convey the horror that Grendel feels in the confrontation. ", "It's a good example of showing _and_ telling, from an author who knew when to do each.", "\n\nHere's another example that effectively uses both showing and telling. ", "Consider these two paragraphs from Ray Bradbury's _The Martian Chronicles_ :\n\nMr. and Mrs. K were not old. ", "They had the fair, brownish skin of the true Martian, the yellow coin eyes, the soft musical voices. ", "Once they had liked painting pictures with chemical fire, swimming in the canals in the seasons when the wine trees filled them with green liquors, and talking into the dawn together by the blue phosphorous portraits in the speaking room.", "\n\nThey were not happy now.", "\n\nNotice that the word _happy_ is never used in the first paragraph, the obvious intention of which is to convey that Mr. and Mrs. K _are_ happy. ", "In a mellow flow of pleasing, futuristic images, Bradbury shows us that this is the case.", "\n\nThen, in the second paragraph, the image is brought to an abrupt halt with five words.", "\n\nBradbury, like Gardner, knows when to show and when to tell. ", "Often, as in this example, the carefully constructed, elaborately detailed showing is the perfect setup for the sucker punch — for the change-up pitch. ", "In baseball, a good pitcher will lull the batter into expecting the same offering every time, maybe one fast ball after another, until he throws a change-up — say, a sinker — to catch the batter off his guard. ", "Good writers do that, too. ", "The buildup calls for showing; the change-up is most effectively told, in the shortest, most matter-of-fact manner.", "\n\nLet's look now at how Bradbury crafted that overall sense of happiness in the first paragraph before he negated it in the second. ", "Consider the physical description of the couple, detailed images like fair, brownish skin and yellow coin like eyes. ", "We get a good glimpse of them, even of their natures (soft, musical voices), in less than twenty words. ", "Then we see the things they once enjoyed: the strange (to us earthbound folk) Martian things like painting with chemical fire and visiting in a speaking room with phosphorous portraits.", "\n\nWe are told these things, you might be thinking — and you are correct. ", "But remember, the prevailing image that the paragraph gives us is that they were happy. ", "And we are not told that. ", "It is shown to us.", "\n\nWhat we _are_ told — in no uncertain words — in the second paragraph, is that they are no longer happy. ", "The harshness of the fact is equal to the harshness of its telling. ", "And while the author could certainly come up with a paragraph or two to illustrate their discontent, this blunt statement of it works much better.", "\n\nRemember this technique when you're writing. ", "There will be places in your story or your novel where careful, intricate showing will best be followed by rapid telling.", "\n\nI'll bet good money that Bradbury didn't spend all of his time while writing _The Martian Chronicles_ thinking \"I believe I'll tell this\" and \"I think I'll show this.\" ", "Neither, certainly, did he flip a coin (a yellow one, like Martians' eyes) to determine whose turn it was: showing or telling. ", "He instinctively knew when to do one and when to do the other. ", "And so will you. ", "As your story unfolds, both in your thinking and your writing, you'll find yourself making the show or tell decisions almost subconsciously, based on the particular need or circumstance.", "\n\nBut remember: show more than you tell.", "\n\n **DON'T TELL WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SHOWN**\n\nThe student manuscripts that make their way to the critique table in my classroom often contain something like this:\n\nMartha Louise considered the three large teacakes in her hand. ", "She thought of the yeasty sweetness of them, and how they would feel as she slowly chewed them, how they would taste, like sweet cream and butter and cinnamon. ", "She even thought of the crumbling bits of them that would trickle down her face and the front of her dress.", "\n\nThen she considered this pair of barefooted girls, standing beside the wagon. ", "Their dresses had obviously been handed down through many children before them. ", "Their big eyes were as empty as their stomachs surely were.", "\n\nMartha Louise sniffed at the teacakes just once, then handed them to the girls. ", "She was a generous child.", "\n\nHere, the writer shows us how important these cookies are to this particular little girl, and how much of an impression is made on her by the two unfortunate children. ", "The writer then hints at the internal dilemma for the girl as she sniffs at the teacakes, \"just once,\" before sacrificing them. ", "Good job, all around.", "\n\nBut then the writer blows it.", "\n\nIf the reader doesn't understand — after all of that showing — that this kid is generous, then he just isn't paying attention.", "\n\nThat last sentence in the example is pure telling, and the difference between it and the bits of telling at the ends of the Gardner and Bradbury examples is that, this time, we've already been _shown_ what is now being told. ", "In good writing, that should never, _ever_ happen.", "\n\nThe last sentence is clutter, which William Zinsser in _On Writing Well_ calls the disease of American writing. ", "And he's right; it is a human tendency to tell more than is needed. ", "Specifically, in creative writing, to tell when we've already shown.", "\n\nThe best way to assess how you're doing in this regard is to ask yourself — every time you convey a new image or situation — if you have already shown what you are now telling. ", "If the answer is yes, then you've got yourself a piece of clutter that needs to be disposed of. ", "The delete key (or a good eraser) is close by, and it should be one of the most frequently used tools in your kit.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: A LAST WORD ON THE SUBJECT**\n\nWhat we've discussed in this chapter are ways to go about blending showing and telling in your descriptions and settings, in fact, in all of your writing. ", "We'll look at using sensory description next and then many other things. ", "But showing and telling will weave their way into most of what we talk about.", "\n\nDeciding when to show and when to tell will become an instinctive process, if it hasn't already for you. ", "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't stop pretty often when you're writing and ask yourself if a particular passage or image would work better in another way. ", "And that other way, usually, is showing rather than telling, or vise versa.", "\n\nBefore we close, let's look at one last example, this time from a movie rather than a book or a story. ", "Good movies tell their stories in images, too, just like good writing does.", "\n\nThere's a wonderful moment at the end of _Out of Africa_ where the narrator, an old woman, looks back at her long-ago love affair with a fellow who died young. ", "She wants to tell us, near the end of her long life, that she believes in the existence of heaven, of an afterlife.", "\n\nBut she shows us instead. ", "Here's how:\n\nShe hears from an old friend back in Africa, where she has never returned after moving far away from there, that lions often go to her old sweetheart's grave on a hillside that overlooks vast plains. ", "The lions lie on the grave, the friend reports, sometimes for several hours. ", "Her sweetheart, dead for many, many years, had loved and respected lions.", "\n\n\"He would have liked that,\" she tells us, in her old, tired voice.", "\n\n\"I'll have to remember to tell him.\"", "\n\nHow insufficient it would have been for her to announce that she believes in heaven, and intends to see her lover again, probably soon. ", "How wonderful to casually let it slip its way into her narration, as if she hadn't meant to tell the thing at all.", "\n\nWhich is, almost always, the precise difference between showing and telling.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nChoose a verb. ", "Any _action_ verb, that is. ", "Make a list of several common verbs that are generic in their meanings. ", "Words like walk, talk, and hit. ", "Then take a few moments with each word and write down as many verbs or phrases that you can think of that are more specific. ", "Your goal is not to create a catalog of more precise descriptions; instead, practice refining an action down to its clearest description.", "\n\nBy the way, after admonishing you regarding the use of the thesaurus earlier, I encourage you to use it here. ", "Many of its offerings will be what you're looking for. ", "Some won't. ", "And you'll come up with some of your own.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nThink of some ways that you could show the things that are told in these short statements, then jot down a few notes on how you might go about it.", "\n\n * The man is nervous.", "\n * The pocket watch is a very old keepsake.", "\n * The lawn has been recently mown and the hedges trimmed.", "\n * The cruise ship is considerably larger than the sailboat docked beside it.", "\n * The student is ready for the final bell of the day to ring.", "\n * The old woman in the bus station is waiting for someone.", "\n * The larger of the two dogs is arrogant.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nThink about this statement: She told me about how wonderful Paris is.", "\n\nI think you would agree that this, alone, doesn't go very far in describing someone's perception of Paris. ", "And if you've got a good story churning along that has arrived at a point where one of your characters tells another one about Paris, \"she told me about how wonderful Paris is\" just isn't going to cut it.", "\n\nSo grab your journal and a pencil, and redo it. ", "Elaborate. ", "Turn this sow's ear into a silk purse. ", "If you've never been to Paris, that can't be your excuse for not attempting this. ", "I'm pretty sure that Ray Bradbury never went to Mars either. ", "But that didn't keep him from writing beautiful, believable passages about Martian cities and landscapes and Martians themselves.", "\n\nTake your image of Paris and put it to work. ", "Put it into words.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 4**\n\nHere are some other telling statements that you might try to work into short compositions that show. ", "Remember, avoid using _telling_ words and phrases like _feels, hears, sees, felt like_ , and _smelled like_.", "\n\n * Sunsets are nice at the beach.", "\n * A housewife's work is never done.", "\n * He had never looked closely at his father-in-law.", "\n * It seemed that the mail would never come.", "\n * he park is interesting at daybreak.", "\n\nYou can, of course, come up with plenty of statements of your own. ", "Try this. ", "It will make you a closer observer of details and encourage you to show things to the guy in Sheboygan rather than report them to him in little summaries.", "\n\n# 5\n\n## [ SENSORY DESCRIPTION ]\n\nTwenty or so years ago, I attended the dedication of the planetarium at the arts and sciences center in the town where I live. ", "James Michener was the speaker. ", "He had moved to Texas to research and then write the novel of that name, and his novel _Space_ had recently been published, so his public blessing of a planetarium was altogether fitting and proper. ", "And quite a crowd gathered. ", "He packed the house.", "\n\nThat night, Mr. Michener talked about his long career as a novelist, about some of the fascinating places he had lived in and written about, and even about what he considered to be his strengths and weaknesses as a writer. ", "His place in literature was secure by then — his many long sagas in their millions of copies — and he seemed satisfied with what he could do well and with what he couldn't.", "\n\nI don't recall what he said were his failings, but I remember exactly what he said he believed was his great strength as a writer. ", "He said that he could imagine a chair, carefully write a paragraph or so about it, and his reader would know precisely what it would be like to sit in _that_ chair. ", "To not only visualize it, but feel it. ", "To hear it creaking under his weight and to smell the oil that was used to polish it and the old cloth of its cushion.", "\n\nAnd he was right. ", "James Michener was quite often letter perfect when it came to using the five senses to describe.", "\n\nIn fact, he hadn't come to my part of Texas to dedicate that planetarium at all. ", "That arrangement got cooked up when the committee had learned that he would be in the area. ", "What he had come for was to spend a couple of days with a local water well digger that he had heard of, that, most probably, one of his research assistants had dug up (no pun intended). ", "Michener was an absolute stickler for accurate detail, and a researcher of the first order.", "\n\nThe digging of a well certainly plays no great part in _Texas_ , and the author could easily have told one of his minions to just look up the procedure. ", "But he intended to watch the location of a site and then observe the actual digging, noting every detail, missing nothing. ", "A couple of chapters ago remember how much emphasis was put on the importance of paying attention to everything and collecting details? ", "Michener's work is the perfect example of how details can make an important difference in engaging readers.", "\n\nMichener told us that night that he was off to the frozen North soon to research his next book _Alaska._ ", "He intended to stand somewhere in the Arctic Circle, outside, for long enough to truly know the effect of that frigid temperature, and at the coldest time of the year. ", "Most writers — myself included — would be content to just imagine how darned cold that would be. ", "But not Michener. ", "He had to feel it, taste it, touch it, hear it, and smell it, so that his readers could, too.", "\n\nThat's the important business we'll undertake in this chapter. ", "Because, as I've said all along — and you're no doubt tired of hearing it by now — the success of your story or novel will depend on many things, but the most crucial is your ability to bring your reader into it. ", "And that reader will be most completely _in_ when you deliver the actual sensations of the many things that comprise your story.", "\n\n **USING THE FIVE SENSES TO PAINT A PICTURE**\n\nHave you ever stood in front of a painting in a gallery and gotten hungry? ", "You've looked, perhaps, at one perfect peach in a still life, with just a glimmer of morning sunlight falling on it, its delicate fuzz caught in the muted illumination, its plumpness attesting to the sweet nectar and meat inside. ", "You hadn't been thinking of eating a peach before you came across the painting, but now you're giving serious consideration to stopping at the market on the way home and picking up a few.", "\n\nYou can blame the artist for that. ", "With a mixture of just the right colors and tones, and the careful application with the brush, the artist made you realize what that peach would feel like if you could actually touch it, what it would smell like if you could lift it to your nose. ", "And — this is what will cost you the trip to the market — what it would _taste_ like if you could bite into it. ", "In short, the artist has given you a mental perception of a peach. ", "The better the artist, the better the perception.", "\n\nIn your writing, you have to do exactly the same thing. ", "You have to describe places and things and people and situations so completely that you actually give them to your reader. ", "If you're good at it — and you'd better be _very_ good at it if you want your fiction to work — then you, like the painter of that peach, might also be responsible for a little inconvenience. ", "A fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies in your story, their aroma wafting through the house like sweet perfume, might just send the reader off to the bakery in search of a dozen.", "\n\nThe way to do this is to make use of your readers' five physical senses, and sometimes even that mysterious sixth. ", "When they can relate to the tangible nature of things and places and characters, then you, the writer, have taken a giant step toward bringing them fully on board.", "\n\nLet's briefly review two important distinctions again — the difference between showing and telling and between literary and popular fiction — before we look at ways that you can work sensory description into your story.", "\n\n **Showing and Telling**\n\nFirst, think back to the preceding chapter, to all that we talked about regarding showing and telling. ", "Nowhere will all of that be more important than in the use of sensory description.", "\n\nSaying that something _smelled like_ or _tasted like_ or _felt like_ is always telling. ", "Sometimes that's fine, like following up a long description of a slaughterhouse with a curt proclamation like this: _It smelled like death_. ", "But to simply blurt out that something smelled like death, without somewhere showing why, is ineffective.", "\n\nHaving a rich aroma wander in is better than saying that it smelled like coffee, just as showing why a person's feet hurt is preferable to saying that they do.", "\n\nNowhere in your writing would I encourage you more adamantly to show more than you tell than when using sensory description.", "\n\n **Your Audience**\n\nYou might recall that I said readers of literary fiction will usually be more tolerant of long passages of description, since they are as concerned with how the author is working her magic as with what's going on in the story. ", "Readers of popular fiction want the magic worked, also, but they want it done more quickly. ", "The plot and its various twists and turns are more important to them than how the story is being unfolded.", "\n\nLook at a couple of examples — one from a literary novel and one from a popular one — to help illustrate how to work description into different types of stories.", "\n\nHere's William Goyen in _The House of Breath_ , a novel that is something of a literary classic of southwestern prose:\n\nA fragile, melodious Oriental language blew in on the wind like the odor of a flower and we saw the string of smoke from a gypsy camp somewhere in the woods. ", "The sliding of our feet in the road flushed a flutter of wings from the bush. ", "The fields were alive with things rushing and running; winged and legged things were going where they would, no engine or human to stop them. ", "Out in the fields under the thick brush and in the grass and green were myriad unseen small things that were running and resting from running.", "\n\nNow compare that to Joy Fielding's _New York Times_ bestseller _Whispers and Lies_ :\n\nI unlocked the kitchen door and tiptoed outside, the grass cool on my bare feet. ", "A sudden rush of nausea almost overwhelmed me, and I gulped frantically at the fresh air until the feeling subsided. ", "I took several long, deep breaths before continuing toward the cottage door. ", "It was then I heard the sound of laughter from inside the cottage. ", "Clearly, Alison wasn't sick. ", "Nor was she alone.", "\n\nThe reader of literary fiction is as interested — in the first piece — in what the character is seeing and hearing, the intricate details of the sensations, as in where he is going. ", "In the second piece, the character sees and hears and feels things, also. ", "But the emphasis this time is on what Alison is up to in that cottage.", "\n\nThe reader of popular fiction doesn't mind at all that the narrator tells her outright that she hears laughter. ", "Someone used to reading literary fiction might want to know what that laughter sounds like.", "\n\nOne of your first jobs as a writer is to determine which of these audiences you're aiming for and craft your description accordingly. ", "When writing popular fiction — for readers who want that story fairly zipping along — you'll need to keep detailed description to a minimum.", "\n\n **EACH OF THE SENSES IN THEIR TURN**\n\nYou will, of course, use sensory description many, many times in your fiction, and the employment of one or another of the senses will be dictated by the plot and the setting. ", "Never feel compelled to use _all_ of them. ", "The crafting of fiction is not like coaching Peewee League Baseball; you don't have to get every player into every game. ", "Determine in a particular scene or circumstance which image you most want to convey, what _exactly_ you want your reader to experience. ", "Then you will know which of the senses to use. ", "Let's say a child in one of your stories receives a new puppy. ", "Now you need to decide how to describe it: by how it feels, smells, sounds, or looks. ", "Maybe — if the child you have created is particularly curious — even by how it tastes. ", "If the old curmudgeon that lives upstairs gets angry about noise, then what the dog sounds like will be most important; if the child has allergies, then smell will move up on your agenda list. ", "You might end up using a combination of the senses. ", "And you might end up using none of them. ", "Maybe this gift is not at all important to the larger story that you are building, and it will suffice for the reader to know that the gift was given and received. ", "Use the senses as you need them or, more precisely, as your reader needs them to get a more detailed, personal conception of whatever it is you are describing.", "\n\n **Titles With Sense and Sensibility**\n\nYour title is your very first offering to your reader. ", "In many cases, its appeal will determine whether or not she will move on to the first sentence and paragraph. ", "So you need to craft precisely the right few words — or sometimes just one — that will stand above your name.", "\n\nIt might be a good idea to appeal to one or more of the senses in the title, before you do it continuously in your text. ", "Here's how some writers have worked sensory description into their titles:\n\n * _The Touch_ by Colleen McCullough\n * _If You Could Hear What I See_ by Kathy Buckley\n * _Snow Falling on Cedars_ by David Guterson\n * _A Stone in My Hand_ by Cathryn Clinton\n * _The Smell of Apples_ by Mark Behr\n * _A Knife in the Back_ by Bill Crider\n * _A Distant Trumpet_ by Paul Horgan\n * _Night Scents_ by Carla Neggers\n * _Strangled Intuition_ by Claire Daniels\n * _Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry_ by Mildred Taylor\n * _Hungry for Home_ by Cole Moreton\n * _Cat on a Hot Tin Roof_ by Tennessee Williams\n * _A Fair Wind Home_ by Ruth Moore\n * _Too Loud a Solitude_ by Bohumil Hrabal\n * _Bitter Medicine_ by Sara Paretsky\n * _Death Is Lighter Than a Feather_ by David Westheimer\n * _The Sound of Waves_ by Yukio Mishima\n * _Scent of Danger_ by Andrea Kane\n * _Wolf Whistle_ by Lewis Nordan\n * _In Plain Sight_ by Carol Otis Hurst\n * _The Whisper of the River_ by Ferrol Sams\n * _A Taste of Blackberries_ by Doris Buchanan Smith\n * _When the Wind Blows_ by James Patterson\n * _All Quiet on the Western Front_ by Erich Maria Remarque\n * _Hard Rain_ by Barry Eisler\n * _Echoes_ by Danielle Steel\n * _Light on Snow_ by Anita Shreve\n\nDon't hesitate to let the senses overlap. ", "For instance, you might want to let what something _looks_ like describe what it _tastes_ like. ", "You do this all the time (remember that peach in the painting), so let it happen in your fiction, also.", "\n\nLet's consider each of the senses now, looking closely at how you might use them effectively in your fiction and how other writers have done so.", "\n\n **Sight**\n\nThis is the one you'll use most often, since showing what things and people and places look like is the most common sort of description. ", "The inherent danger in using this sense is to use it too often, to the exclusion of all the others. ", "But when you use it, pay close attention to what you're showing the reader, and how you're doing it.", "\n\nThe trick is not simply reporting what you want the reader to see. ", "It's using your wordsmithing to full advantage, filling your writing with words and images the reader can't predict. ", "Surprise him. ", "Look at these two snippets from Cormac McCarthy's _Cities of the Plain_ :\n\nBilly peered out at the high desert. ", "The bellied light wires raced against the night.", "\n\nAnd, a little later:\n\nBilly sat watching the night spool past. ", "The roadside chaparral, flat black scrim of the mountains cut into the starblown desert sky above them. ", "Troy smoked.", "\n\nBefore I first read that passage, I never thought of the sagging lines between utility poles as _bellied,_ but now I do. ", "Neither did I perceive them as racing against the night, which gives the image of a vast, seemingly endless landscape, reinforced in the next section by the night _spooling_ past. ", "I doubt if _scrim_ — a light, transparent fabric used mostly for window curtains — had ever before been used to describe a mountain range, but McCarthy wants us to see these mountains as distant and hard to detect, as almost not there at all. ", "The stars, on the other hand, he wants to be there in abundance, so he makes the desert sky _starblown_.", "\n\nHe uses unexpected images — uncommon phrases and adjectives — to paint precise images in the reader's mind.", "\n\nThis is an effective approach that you will want to make use of in your own writing. ", "Describing something or someone in an unusual way — like this writer calling the power lines \"bellied\" — makes the reader pay a little closer attention and remember the image better. ", "It also makes her remember the _writer_ better, which is what that elusive voice is all about.", "\n\nAvoid giving your reader the overused cliche´s that she's read time after time after time. ", "Like a startled character being caught \"like a deer in the headlights,\" or one gazing intently \"staring daggers.\" ", "Those have been done to death. ", "But they are resurrected by far too many authors.", "\n\nA warning here: while uncommon, unexpected bits of description will serve you well, they will probably only do so _once_ in a single story or novel. ", "A uniquely turned phrase is delightful the first time around, but goes stale quickly if used again.", "\n\nIn your fiction, you might want to use description to do more than simply describe. ", "It's also a good way to establish the tone you are seeking or to call attention to the time period. ", "If your story is set in London in the late nineteenth century, then you should pay careful attention to the description of things Victorian, like horse-drawn cabs and gentlemen's walking sticks and ladies' parasols. ", "If your plot involves the Jack the Ripper murders or some other mysterious doings, then come up with plenty of dark alleys and a pea soup fog hugging the river.", "\n\nSometimes, even the types of words you choose will bring your readers closer in to where you want them to be. ", "Consider how Walter M. Miller employs unusual imagery to convey another desert landscape in his science fiction novel _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ :\n\nA sky-herd of cumulus clouds, on their way to bestow moist blessings on the mountains after cruelly deceiving the parched desert, began blotting out the sun and trailing dark shadow-shapes across the blistered land below, offering intermittent but welcome respite from the soaring sunlight. ", "When a racing cloud-shadow wiped its way over the ruins, the novice worked rapidly until the shadow was gone, then rested until the next bundle of fleece blotted out the sun.", "\n\nHere the writer infuses his tale set in the distant future with a descriptive device pulled from ancient literature. _", "Sky-herd, shadow-shapes_ , and _cloud-shadow_ are modern day kennings, hyphenated metaphorical compounds that you might not have dealt with since you read _Beowulf_ in high school. _", "A Canticle for Leibowitz_ is set in a world that is reorganizing itself after devastation, so this use of an antiquated descriptive device is very much in keeping with the primitive, back to the basics tone of the novel.", "\n\nDon't be afraid to try something as unusual as this in your fiction. ", "The figures of speech and other approaches you'll use — like adjectives and metaphors and all the rest — are the common tools of all writers, but the unique manipulation of them can be quite uncommon.", "\n\nOccasionally you will need your reader to detect only slight differences between things in your story, like the almost imperceptible disparity between two shades of the same color. ", "Here's one way to do it, from William Martin's _Cape Cod_ , a novel that begins with the pilgrims coming to the new world on the _Mayflower_ :\n\nJones raised his newfangled and most expensive spying glass to his eye and studied the horizon. ", "Smoke gray sky sat atop slate gray sea, and beyond the line that divided them lay America.", "\n\nHere, the reader needs to know that there is only a slight disparity, or none at all, between two shades. ", "The easier task for the writer would have been to tell it: \"The sky was a slightly darker gray than the sea.\" ", "But the descriptions of colors do more than _just_ describe, they serve to move the bigger story along by showing that a destination, hopefully bright, lies wedged between those two gloomy hues. ", "Sort of a light at the end of the tunnel, one of those cliche´s you should avoid.", "\n\nYou must keep pointing at things that you want your reader to see. ", "Many times, it will be a big, blaring thing that is hard to miss. ", "Other times it will be so tiny that he might otherwise have overlooked it altogether, like the slight differences between these colors.", "\n\nRemember, you'll call upon the reader's sense of sight much more often than his other senses to anchor him in your time and place, and keep him there. ", "So pay very special attention, always, to what everything _looks_ like, so that you can show it in your writing. ", "Focus on the fine points of colors, lighting, shadows, shapes, and textures as closely as you note the bigger aspects of what will end up in your pages.", "\n\nRemember, too, that there are at least four other senses to appeal to. ", "Too many writers make the mistake of packing almost all of their description into showing what everything in the story looks like, bypassing more effective senses.", "\n\n **Smell**\n\nI heard or read somewhere that the sense of smell is the most nostalgic of the five senses. ", "And I believe this to be true. ", "Every time I smell diesel fumes from a bus or a truck my mind's eye goes quickly back over thirty years to the large army motor pool shop in Germany where I was the clerk. ", "If I'm ever around where butter beans — perhaps they're called lima beans in your part of the world — are being boiled, I am instantly back in my grandmother's kitchen, where she cooked them nearly every day. ", "I'm sure there are certain scents that you, too, can identify because of the memories they evoke.", "\n\nThe fact that your reader's olfactory memory is laden with treasures is reason enough for you to take full advantage of it. ", "If this truly is the most nostalgic of the physical senses, then you should draw on it like a bank account, tapping it often to engage your readers more fully. ", "You have to be generic enough for everybody to make the connections you need them to make, however. ", "Not all of my readers served in motor pools, I suspect, or had butter bean-cooking grandmothers, so I can't use those continuously and get away with it.", "\n\nYou can use smell to, among other things, kick your character's memories into gear, to symbolize something else, to describe something that is difficult (or impossible) to describe, and to help build your setting. ", "Let's look at how a few writers did these things, and at how you can do them, also.", "\n\nGore Vidal lets a certain aroma trigger a memory in one of his characters in his novel _Washington, D.C.:_\n\n\"There you are! ", "But get away from those gardenias. ", "I can't stand the smell. ", "They make my head ache. ", "I don't know why Mother's so keen on them. ", "They remind me of dancing school! ", "Remember Mrs. Shipman's? ", "When each boy had to bring his date a corsage consisting of two wilted yellow gardenias. ", "My God, it's hot in here.\"", "\n\nWhen using a scent to remind a character of something in your fiction, you have to first decide — in addition to what the memory will be — if it will be a pleasant memory or a bad one. ", "Happy or sad? ", "Frightful or hopeful? ", "The overall tone of the thing will color the tone of the remembrance of it. ", "Here, the recognition of a particular smell makes a character recall something unpleasant. ", "So gardenias, which give off a pleasing smell to most people, make this woman want to get completely away from them. ", "Using scents in this way allows you to enlarge your story and, more specifically, your backstory.", "\n\nIn Marly Youmans's _Catherwood_ , a smell becomes symbolic of something being given up:\n\nThe smell of the sea grew in intensity as the last glimpse of Ireland fell into the mist. ", "The rich odor of the Irish coast, a fragrance of turf smoke and soil, dropped away.", "\n\nSometimes it's a good idea to let something that defines your character — like loyalty or honesty or, as in this case, devotion to a particular place — be triggered by something she smells. ", "A long lost love might come to mind when a woman detects a particular brand of cologne, or the fragrance of fresh lemons might unlock a clue in a murder mystery.", "\n\nThe use of symbolism can be a tricky business for a writer and can quickly go over the top. ", "Modern-day readers aren't as a rule very tolerant of blatant symbolism, where great white whales stand for vengeance and fallen young women walk around with scarlet letters on their chests. ", "But even the pickiest of symbol hunters will accept subtle ones. ", "And some of the most subtle reminders in the world are aromas. ", "In the two sentences from _Catherwood_ , the smells of the sea, the coast, the turf smoke, and the soil are mentioned only once, and quickly. ", "The words are barely there, like the scents themselves, and they are receding, like the place they represent.", "\n\nThere are as many times to be quiet in your writing as there are to be loud. ", "And I'm not just referring to having your characters bellowing out at the stars or whispering sweet nothings in each others' ears. ", "Loud and quiet in regard to using the senses really means blatant and subtle, and all the stations in between. ", "The overpowering stench of stockyards in Upton Sin-clair's _The Jungle_ is one thing; the delicate hint of Ireland in _Catherwood_ is quite another. ", "Both are extremely effective. ", "In your fiction be prepared to be quiet as often as you are loud in your descriptions, for the quiet, subtle approach is often the most effective.", "\n\nOne or another of the senses can even be used on occasion to describe the indescribable. ", "As the sense of smell does in _Montana 1948_ by Larry Watson:\n\nBecause Daisy kept the curtains drawn and windows closed to keep the heat of the day out, the McAuley house was dark and stuffy. ", "The house always had a strange smell, as though Daisy had found some vegetable to boil that no one else knew about.", "\n\nA lesser writer might have gone to great lengths to describe this completely indistinguishable odor, or might have finally resorted to letting the narrator conclude that he doesn't know _what_ the heck it smelled like. ", "But you have no intention of being a lesser writer, so learn a valuable lesson here from this author: When you've got a particular thing to do, be clever. ", "Turn a phrase. ", "Invent a word. ", "Give the guy in Sheboygan what he's not expecting. ", "Remember those bellied light wires in Cormac McCarthy's novel? ", "Your only limit is your own imagination. ", "Your readers have been seeing things from their vantage points all their lives; let them have a taste of yours.", "\n\nAs with the sense of sight, the description of what things smell like can help you establish the setting in your fiction. ", "Look at how Patrick Suskind in his novel _Perfume_ captures the city of Paris in the eighteenth century by focusing specifically on what it smelled like:\n\nIn the narrow side streets off the rue Saint-Denis and the rue Saint-Martin, people lived so densely packed, each house so tightly pressed to the next, five, six stories high, that you could not see the sky, and the air at ground level formed damp canals where odors congealed. ", "It was a mixture of human and animal smells, of water and stone and ashes and leather, of soap and fresh-baked bread and eggs boiled in vinegar, of noodles and smoothly polished brass, of sage and ale and tears, of grease and soggy straw and dry straw. ", "Thousands upon thousands of odors formed an invisible gruel that filled the street ravines, only seldom evaporating above the rooftops and never from the ground below.", "\n\nNotice that the author uses the word odors, but not aroma. ", "These are words that are at different ends of the olfactory spectrum. ", "Aroma is positive, indicating a scent that is pleasing, and odor is negative, pinpointing something that stinks. ", "Though there are some pleasing smells in his \"invisible gruel\" — like fresh-baked bread — they are mixed in with significantly more displeasing ones, so the overall balance is tipped decidedly toward _odors_.", "\n\nThis catalog of odors should take the reader directly to the grimy streets of Paris of two centuries ago, where Suskind's tale takes place. ", "But remember, _Perfume_ can be considered a literary novel, so the author has the luxury of heaping detail on detail to paint his picture. ", "In popular or commercial fiction, we might need to cut to the chase here and winnow all of this down to a couple of well-crafted sentences that show that Paris contained an abundance of scents.", "\n\nLet's say you have two of your characters taking a walk on a nice spring day. ", "On the soft breeze they can detect several things at once: the fragrance of wild onions from a field beside them, the odors from a factory not far away, and the pleasing scent of a bakery in town. ", "Now, you have two choices here. ", "You can build your details slowly, layering them like bricks in a wall — like Suskind does in _Perfume_ — or you can come up with a nice sentence or two that will do the job more succinctly.", "\n\nIf you choose the more meticulous approach, you can move the tangy presence of those onions across the landscape toward the walkers; you can have multicolored smoke belching out of the smokestacks of the factory (tapping home a bit of environmental criticism into the bargain). ", "And you can have a field day with the enticing fragrances emanating from that bakery.", "\n\nBut if you are aiming toward an audience that reads popular fiction, then you might make do with something like this:\n\nZach and Noah stopped for a moment and took in the fine day. ", "The sweet, yeasty aroma from Mulligan's Bakery blended with the harder presence of the tire factory. ", "Something sweet and pungent on the gentle breeze told them that old Wilson's big field was teeming with wild onions.", "\n\nAnd that's not just making do at all. ", "It's a perfectly fine way to describe that setting, that moment. ", "Your shorter approach can't _just_ be shorter. ", "It has to paint a picture in your reader's mind, just like the longer, more detailed one. ", "So what you have to do here is select the very strongest images, the best ones.", "\n\n **Touch**\n\nThe sensation of what something _feels_ like is used in fiction to describe everything from sensual pleasure to pain and torture. ", "It's a wide range, and your readers have actually experienced only some of those feelings. ", "So your job is to either make them recall exactly what it feels like when something occurs in your story or, if they haven't experienced it, what it _would_ feel like if they did.", "\n\nLet's start with the pain and torture, and get them out of the way. ", "We'll save the sensual things for later, sort of like delayed gratification.", "\n\nOne of the very best portrayers of physical pain is Dick Francis, the retired jockey turned suspense novelist, who must have taken more than a few tumbles from his mount to glean such eye-squinting detail. ", "Here he places his narrator in a particularly unpleasant situation in _Longshot_ :\n\nI put both palms flat on the decaying undergrowth and tried to heave myself up unto my knees.", "\n\nPractically fainted. ", "Not only could I not do it, but the effort was so excruciating that I opened my mouth to scream and couldn't breathe enough for that either. ", "My weight settled back on the earth and I felt nothing but staggering agony and couldn't think connectedly until it abated.", "\n\nSomething was odd, I thought finally. ", "It wasn't only that I couldn't lift myself off the ground but that I was stuck to it in some way.", "\n\nCautiously, sweating, with fiery stabs in every inch, I wormed my right hand between my body and the earth, and came to what seemed like a rod between the two.", "\n\nAs it turns out, this fellow has been shot by an arrow. ", "Now, I've never been shot by an arrow, but I can imagine how painful it must be. ", "And part of the reason for that is Dick Francis's description. ", "Look at some of his wordsmithing here: _practically fainted, excruciating, couldn't breathe, staggering agony, sweating, fiery stabs_. ", "All of which leaves little doubt that this experience is downright painful.", "\n\nDescription of pain in your story or novel might call for such elaboration, but sometimes you can drive the image home with a single sentence, as Chuck Palahniuk does in _Invisible Monsters_ :\n\n\"A headache, I get the kind of headache God would smote you with in the Old Testament.\"", "\n\nNow _that's_ a headache. ", "The severity of which is confirmed by the verb _smote_ and the reference to the Old Testament. ", "I think you will agree it is light years better than \"I have a bad headache.\"", "\n\nWhen you describe pain in your fiction, remember that the level of the pain (for your character) should correlate with the level of your description of it. ", "A headache, even an Old Testament one, should usually be mentioned and then you should move on. ", "If the headache gets progressively worse, and impacts your character's actions and your story, then you'll want to describe _how_ it is getting worse. ", "Maybe throbbing becomes pounding.", "\n\nYou want to give your readers an accurate depiction of what the character is going through, but you don't want to lose them — the readers, not the character (maybe both) — in the process. ", "Graphic breaking of bones and twisting of sinews is usually not a great idea. ", "Give a good sense that something bad and painful is happening, but don't overdo it. ", "Look again at one of the phrases that Dick Francis uses: _staggering agony_. ", "He could have gone into much greater detail here. ", "I, for one, am thankful that he didn't. ", "I don't know about you, but when a writer tells me that a character is in staggering agony, I'm prepared to believe him.", "\n\nRemember this: When it's time to inflict a bit of pain and suffering in your fiction, put more emphasis on your character's reaction to it than on the actual description of it. ", "In the Francis piece, what this guy is going to do about his situation is the important thing, both to his survival and to the story.", "\n\nWhen using the sense of touch, you won't always be describing what a character feels. ", "Sometimes you'll be nudging your readers toward what you want _them_ to feel when they read your fiction, so they can associate a feeling that they might never have experienced with one that they probably have.", "\n\nHere's an example of how something as simple as rubbing dried flowers between fingers can be used metaphorically for something as lofty as the reshaping of politics and governments. ", "It's from _The Poisonwood Bible_ by Barbara Kingsolver:\n\nLanguidly they bring their map to order. ", "Who will be the kings, the rooks, and bishops rising up to strike at a distance? ", "Which sacrificed pawns will be swept aside? ", "African names roll apart like the heads of dried flowers crushed idly between thumb and forefinger — Ngoma, Mukenga, Mulele, Kasavubu, Lumumba. ", "They crumble to dust on the carpet.", "\n\nThe overwhelming odds are that your reader has never restructured governments, but it's a safer bet he has rolled the heads of dried flowers into dust. ", "So here is a small action, which he has experienced, being used to describe a much larger one, which he hasn't.", "\n\nAs with the other senses, let touch sometimes serve more of a function in your writing than to just convey what things feel like. ", "When I was writing my novel _A Place Apart_ I needed to reemphasize the emerging relationship between the narrator and a girl. ", "So in the midst of a description of Paris, I slipped in a bit about her fingers moving like ivymight grow. ", "That way, the intimate touching of fingers to the back of his hand, which is a small thing by any standards, calls attention to the bigger story, which is their budding romance:\n\nShe would tell me about Paris. ", "About the Boulevard Saint Michel that she loved the best, and its sidewalk cafes. ", "And how the tall, curved buttresses of Notre Dame rose up over a steep wall just across the Seine from the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop. ", "Ivy spills out over the wall, she said, and wanders down to the river. ", "And her long fingers would make little journeys along the back of my hand, as ivy might grow.", "\n\nThis device, using something seemingly small to enlarge or call attention to the bigger story, will serve you well time after time. ", "Be on the lookout in your manuscripts for places where you can work in bits of sensory detail that will help establish the setting and the tone. ", "In this paragraph, the girl's description of the ivy is sufficient to let the reader know that there is, indeed, ivy there. ", "But the reinforcement of her fingers moving — like ivy might grow — not only calls more attention to it but points the reader in the direction of the more important part of the story: the romance.", "\n\n **Taste**\n\nNot long ago, a writer for the _Houston Chronicle_ named Jessica Danes did an article about tea. ", "She included a few of its medicinal values, brief allusions to its place in — and sometimes alteration of — history (remember the Boston Tea Party), and, since it ran in the food section, several of its various types that her readers might like to try.", "\n\nShe could have started it out like a term paper:\n\nThe world of tea is wide and varied.", "\n\nOr she could have kicked it up a notch (to use a phrase not uncommon in food lingo these days) and come up with something like this:\n\nOne of the world's oldest foods is also one of the most interesting.", "\n\nWhich is certainly better than that first offering of drab reportage, but not nearly so fine as what she _did_ write:\n\nIt tastes like the earth. ", "Pungent and loamy and more real than anything you've tasted in a while.", "\n\nA sip and the daydreaming starts — of high-peaked mountains and the tender plants the prized leaves were plucked from.", "\n\nTea can do that to you.", "\n\nWhen I thumbed through my morning paper, I hadn't been looking for a piece on tea, which was just about the furthest thing from my mind. ", "In fact, I hadn't intended to read anything in the food section at all. ", "First the illustration that accompanied the article caught my attention. ", "Then that first sentence hooked me and reeled me in. ", "I read every word, learned a few things, and enjoyed it immensely. ", "To paraphrase the author: _Wordsmithing_ can do that to you.", "\n\nNow let's consider the bait that she used to attract me: \"It tastes like the earth.\" ", "It accomplishes two important things very quickly. ", "First, it evokes the sense of taste, which is perhaps the most reliable of all the senses. ", "The others can sometimes be deceptive, but what something _tastes_ like is usually quite simply the pure essence of the thing. ", "Second, this sentence does exactly what a first sentence _must_ do in order to be effective: It makes the reader read the second one. ", "Sensory description is one of the best ways to do just that. ", "In this case, I wanted to know _what_ tastes like the earth.", "\n\nThe word _taste_ has evolved into a universal barometer of our personal likes and dislikes. \"", "I have no taste for country music,\" someone might say, or \"Her tastes run to the abstract.\" ", "And society has long labeled certain types of people by using the sense of taste. ", "A bland, boring person is a milquetoast; a feisty girl is a hot tamale.", "\n\nDon't overlook this sense to describe things and people in your fiction, and not just in telling what something tastes _like_ ; you'll run out of steam pretty quickly if that's all you're after. \"", "It tastes like chicken\" only works once, and not very well then.", "\n\nUse it to help develop a character, as Gore Vidal does in this scene from his novel _Washington, D.C._ set during World War II. ", "Here is a soldier who is much more interested in the food being served at a tea than with anything else, including the war. ", "He's especially infatuated with anything made with butter, which is rationed and very scarce. ", "Notice how Vidal keeps the character's attention on the food, thereby keeping _our_ focus on his priority, which becomes important in the story:\n\nLife was good. ", "He asked for tea, devoured a chicken sandwich, and said that he had not seen much of Enid lately. \"", "They keep me pretty busy down at the Pentagon,\" he invented. ", "The chicken sandwich needed salt, which meant the butter was fresh. ", "He tried a hot rolled cheese sandwich: superb. ", "Butter had been used to glaze the toast; cayenne gave definition.", "\n\nAnd later, after some more offerings (probably butter-free) that don't impress him, this:\n\nBut the main course was splendid: breast of chicken folded to make a cutlet. ", "As his fork speared the browned surface, hot butter spurted from the interior.", "\n\nThis gradual playing out of little details, in the form of what the food tastes like to the character, moves the reader closer and closer to seeing who this guy is and what is really important to him. ", "It's subtle.", "\n\nRemember what I said a few pages back about being loud and being quiet? ", "That goes for taste, also. ", "There will be times when you want to quietly work in how something tastes — like this fellow's appreciation of butter. ", "Not calling great attention to it, but letting it slowly help to define the character.", "\n\nThen there will be times when you will want to be loud. ", "When you'll need to not equivocate, but tell your readers straightforwardly what you want them to know. ", "In _The Agony and the Ecstasy_ , Irving Stone uses the sense of taste to show us the nature of a character:\n\nBertoldo loved only two things as well as sculpture: laughter and cooking. ", "His humor had in it more spice than his chicken _ala cacciattra_.", "\n\nNo beating around the bush there; this guy has a boisterous sense of humor. ", "Period. ", "Remember the balance of showing and telling you've got to maintain; the Vidal example works best as showing, the Stone as telling.", "\n\nJust as you can let how something tastes help to establish your characters, let it do the same thing for your settings. ", "If you have a story set in New Orleans, try something like this:\n\nShe could taste the sugar-sprinkled beignets from the Cafe´ DuMonde before the plane even touched down on the runway.", "\n\nThe reader of that sentence may never have been to New Orleans, and may never have eaten a beignet. ", "But if this lady is imagining eating one before she even gets there, than the reader must know that they taste good. ", "The idea of New Orleans being a good place to be — at least for this character in this story — gets a toehold into the readers' perception before the tale even gets underway.", "\n\nSometimes in your fiction showing what something _doesn't_ taste like is effective. ", "In _Girl With a Pearl Earring_ , Tracy Chevalier's novel, the central character is considering the food in one household as opposed to that in another:\n\nWhen we ate dinner I tried to compare it with that in the house at Papist's Corner, but already I had become accustomed to meat and good rye bread. ", "Although my mother was a better cook than Tanneke, the brown bread was dry, the vegetable stew tasteless with no fat to flavor it.", "\n\nHere, focusing on what things taste like — more specifically, on their _lack_ of taste — serves to empower the much larger story that is running its course in two very dissimilar houses. ", "The families that live in those houses differ in many ways, in religion, politics, and affluence, to name just a few. ", "And those differences are at the heart of the novel. ", "So the author uses a variety of ways to call attention to the disparities.", "\n\nYou can use taste in your fiction just as effectively as these authors have. ", "Remember to let it do more than what it usually does, which is to report what something tastes _like_. ", "Let a character's preference for one taste or another make him clearer in your reader's mind. ", "Let the particular taste of something represent a place (like lobsters in Maine or barbecue in Texas or apples in Washington) or a time (like roasted chestnuts in Victorian England or honey-mead in the middle ages) or a character's mood (like the taste of bile when he thinks of his mother-in-law).", "\n\n **Hearing**\n\nThose of us old enough to remember the _Gomer Pyle_ program on television recall that Gomer's drill sergeant used to get in his face and bellow out \"I can't _hear_ you!\"", "\n\nYou don't want your reader having that same reaction to your fiction.", "\n\nThe reader needs to hear not only your characters speaking to each other, but countless other things as well. ", "Like the cacophony of sounds that usually infuses a setting. ", "Like the absence of sound on occasion. ", "Or like something that only one character hears, like Edgar Allan Poe's murderer in \"The Tell Tale Heart.\"", "\n\nLet the sounds that surround you all the time work their way into your stories and novels. ", "Your readers hear them, too, every waking moment of their lives. ", "And they will feel more comfortable in your settings if the hustle and bustle (and sometimes the quietness) of life are there with them.", "\n\nListen to this short scene from _Guns of the Timberlands_ by Louis L'Amour.", "\n\nA clatter of running hoofs sounded on the loose planks of the bridge at the far end of town, then the rattle of a buckboard. ", "It rounded into the street and a couple of fine blacks brought it down toward the riders at a spanking trot.", "\n\nThere's a lot going on here, and the author uses sound as his primary tool to convey it. ", "Remember, one of the best ways to get your readers into a scene is to let them hear everything that's going on. ", "Not all of these noises are important to the story, but they do help to establish the setting quickly, and not in such elaborate detail that the story has to slow down for it. ", "Look for places in your fiction where you can do this; where you can use a short burst of several sounds — or smells or tastes or feelings — that will more clearly define the setting.", "\n\nWhen applying the clutter rule about anything not serving to move the story along having to go, you might be inclined to delete good passages like Louis L'Amour's. ", "But remember, even though the loose planks of that bridge and that rattling buckboard might not be greatly significant in the story, they do serve the essential function of bringing the reader more fully in. ", "So they pass the test, and need to stay.", "\n\nOnomatopoeia is an excellent way to let the reader hear things. ", "In that last example, L'Amour works plenty of effective auditory details in, and then makes them even stronger with words like _clatter, rattle_ , and _spanking_.", "\n\nIn most cases, as in the last one, you will show what things sound like, but sometimes it will be even more effective to emphasize the absence of sound. ", "Sometimes you'll want to focus attention on something more important than the sound, as Robert Frost does in his classic poem \"Stopping by Woods\":\n\nThe only other sound's the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.", "\n\nFrost hits upon one of the great ironies of nature and weather here: While most meteorological events — like storms and rain and wind — are noisy, snow falling is usually the opposite. ", "It is quiet. ", "Thus the adjectives _easy_ and _downy_ and the noun _sweep_ , rather than _swoosh_ or _boom_.", "\n\nSometimes things in your fiction will sound like almost nothing, like the easy wind and downy flake in Frost's poem. ", "But usually they will sound like _something_ , like being met by a fast-moving automobile in Robert Penn Warren's _All the King's Men_ :\n\nBut if you wake up in time and don't hook your wheel off the slab, you'll go whipping on into the dazzle and now and then a car will come at you steady out of the dazzle and will pass you with a snatching sound like God-a-Mighty has ripped a tin roof loose with his bare hands.", "\n\nWhenever I read that description — about the tin roof and the bare hands of God — I always think: Now that's _exactly_ what being met by a speeding car sounds like. ", "And that's the sort of reaction that you want your reader to have to your descriptions. ", "The way to pull it off is to listen more intently than you probably have before. ", "To anything and everything, but especially to specific sounds and noises that you know will play a part in your story or novel. ", "Then take it a step further: When you pinpoint a sound — like seagulls squawking at each other on the beach — think of what all of that racquet sounds like. ", "Good writers spend much of their time thinking in metaphors. ", "Those seagulls might remind you of a congregation of angry stockholders or of electricity zipping through wires or of Chatty Cathy dolls running amok. ", "One or more of your metaphors regarding the seagulls will more than likely find their way into your writing, making the noise come more fully alive on your pages.", "\n\nWhenever possible, go to a place that is similar to a setting you are using and listen. ", "Just _listen_. ", "Then write down what you heard in your writer's journal. ", "You might be surprised by what you hear, and what you don't hear. ", "Make sure you really know what an airport terminal sounds like before you describe one. ", "Or a busy restaurant. ", "Or a country road. ", "This exercise might help you avoid using cliche´s, too. ", "You might just discover that a beauty shop doesn't \"sound like a hen yard\" at all. ", "But it has a dozen or more other sounds, most of which you probably never paid attention to before.", "\n\nIn your writing, perhaps even in your titles, you might call the reader's attention to what things _don't_ sound like, to vast panoramas that are silent (like _Snow Falling on Cedars_ ) or to people or things that are quiet when they shouldn't be (like _The Silence of the Lambs_ ). ", "Sometimes the absence of something is the most effective description of all. ", "Let's have a word now from Flannery O'Connor, who we have neglected for too many pages. ", "She defended creating her particularly unsavory characters by maintaining that often the best way to show God's grace was to convey the total lack of it. ", "That opposite approach works with sensory details as well.", "\n\nOn now to something that most of us spend a lot of our time listening to: music. ", "Don't overlook showing the effects of hearing certain songs or tunes on your characters. ", "They might mean entirely different things to different people. ", "Take \"As Time Goes By,\" the song in the movie _Casablanca._ ", "The Ingrid Bergman character wants Sam, the piano player, to play it again because hearing it takes her back to happier times. ", "Rick, the character played by Humphrey Bogart, forbids him to play it because it reminds him of his lost love.", "\n\nOne excellent way to help describe your characters is to let the reader know what kind of music they listen to, maybe even what their favorite songs are. ", "The lyrics in many songs, especially ballads, are little stories in themselves. ", "Why not let one or two of them serve to empower your own story, or characters?", "\n\nLook at how a melody serves to define a particular character in James Baldwin's story \"Sonny's Blues\":\n\nOne boy was whistling a tune, at once very complicated and very simple, it seemed to be pouring out of him as though he were a bird, and it sounded very cool and moving through all that harsh, bright air, only just holding its own through all those other sounds.", "\n\nThe author uses this tune to help establish his character _and_ his setting. ", "It is both complicated and simple, most likely like the boy himself. ", "And it comes out of him into the brightness and other noises of the surroundings.", "\n\nUse sound — or one of the other senses — occasionally to make your reader curious. ", "Remember, you've got to keep your story moving all the time. ", "If it starts to sputter or stall out, then your reader might just put you aside and find something better to do. ", "So keep him guessing. ", "Consider how Wallace Stegner begins with a mysterious melody and uses it to solidify his setting in his novel _Crossing to Safety_ :\n\nThen what was I hearing? ", "Holding my breath, I listened. _", "Tick-tick-ticket-tick-tickety-tick-tick,_ not one clock but many, unsynchronized. ", "I brought my watch to my ear: inaudible an inch away. ", "But the faint, hurrying, ratchety, dry ticking went on.", "\n\nFolding back the covers, I went to the French doors, opened one, and stepped out onto the roof terrace. ", "The night was lighter than the room, and the ticking was much louder, hastier, its rhythms more broken — such a sound as several children might make running sticks at different speeds along a picket fence a block away. ", "I went to the balustrade and looked down into the street, and _ecco_ , there it came, a bobbing line of lanterns that curved off the Vittoria Bridge and came on up the Lugarno toward the city. ", "Every lantern swung from a two-wheeled cart, and beside every cart walked a man, and drawing every cart was a donkey whose hasty feet ticked on the pavement.", "\n\nStegner could have just told us what the source of all that ticking was, as he finally does near the end of the passage. ", "But making us wonder about it — maybe even speculate about it — anchors us more firmly in the time and the place, keeps the story moving along, and hopefully keeps the reader reading.", "\n\n **The Sixth Sense**\n\nI'm not talking about seeing dead people here, at least not exclusively. ", "Sometimes sensory description comes down to something more than the five senses can convey. ", "Something not concrete at all. ", "You've had intuitive feelings in your life about something being wrong, or right, and you haven't had a single tangible or logical fact on which to base that feeling. ", "So your characters will have those feelings, too.", "\n\nThis sixth sense becomes important in fiction quite often, especially so in mysteries, like Patricia Moyes's Scotland Yard detective Henry Tippett, who is famous for his \"nose,\" which is another name for his intuition. ", "That intuition will need to come into play whenever one of your characters suspects something or someone, and that will happen in all types of fiction, not just who-done-its. ", "So let's look at a couple of examples.", "\n\nJohn D. MacDonald relates his central character Travis McGee's feeling about a house he steps into for the very first time in _The Deep Blue Good-By_ :\n\nIt was one of those Florida houses I find unsympathetic, all black tile, glass, terrazzo, aluminum. ", "They have a surgical coldness. ", "Each one seems to be merely some complex corridor arrangement, a going-through place, an entrance built to some place of a better warmth and privacy that never was constructed. ", "When you pause in these rooms, you have the feeling you are waiting. ", "You feel that a door will open and you will be summoned, and horrid things will happen to you before they let you go. ", "You cannot mark these houses with any homely flavor of living. ", "When they are emptied after occupancy, they have the look of places where the blood has recently been washed away.", "\n\nThe message that McGee gets from this house is not anything that he can see or hear or touch or smell. ", "It's something he _senses_.", "\n\nThe same is true for this morsel from Mary Higgins Clark's novel _Stillwatch_ :\n\nThe place seemed peaceful enough. ", "Christmas trees and Hanukkah candles stood on card tables covered with felt and make-believe snow. ", "All the doors of the patients' rooms had greeting cards taped to them. ", "Christmas music was playing on the stereo in the recreation room. ", "But something was wrong.", "\n\nThe something that was wrong was the thing that can't be depicted through the use of any of the other senses. ", "It is intuition; it is something akin to magic, or prophesy. ", "It is what causes that little \"pricking of my thumbs\" by which we know — according to Shakespeare — that \"something wicked this way comes.\"", "\n\nThe use of this sixth sense can like everything else be overdone. ", "A character who bases everything on what she _feels_ , and nothing on what she gleans from the other senses, will lose credibility quickly. ", "Use intuition when you need to focus attention on a particular detail that will make the reader wonder what's going on, like the unfriendly house and the nursing home where something was wrong. ", "These premonitions come about rarely in real life, so use them rarely in your fiction.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: LOOKING BACK AT SENSORY DETAIL**\n\nShowing your reader what things look, sound, smell, feel, and taste like represents some of your most crucial tasks as a writer. ", "And the essential word here is _showing_ , because it will almost always be a more effective way to convey one or more of the senses than telling.", "\n\nWhen using sensory description, recall the points covered in this chapter. ", "Determine early on which audience you are primarily aiming for: readers of literary or popular fiction. ", "Use unexpected, unusual ways to convey images to your reader, like Cormac McCarthy's \"bellied\" light wires. ", "Don't rely too heavily on only showing what things _look_ like; make sure you use the other senses, too. ", "Employ the smallest, most intricate details as often as you use the glaring ones, like the almost imperceptible difference between two shades of the same color. ", "Sometimes, emphasize the total absence of one of the senses, like sound. ", "Quiet places are often louder in terms of mood and tone than noisy places. ", "Perhaps most important, use sensory description to do much more in your fiction than to simply report what things look and sound and feel and smell and taste like. ", "Let them help build your settings, characters, and situations.", "\n\nIn closing, let me try to reinforce just how important the five senses are to good writing by offering this anecdote that recently happened in my classroom.", "\n\nA student was having her assignment — a story set in San Francisco — critiqued by the other members in her class. ", "I required, for this piece, that the author/narrator situate herself in one place and show us what is going on in her field of vision. ", "This student had chosen for her specific setting a tour boat making its way under the Golden Gate Bridge. ", "So she had a lot of real estate from which to choose: the Presidio, the bay, the hills and buildings of the city proper, the mammoth bridge rising above her, even Alcatraz off in the distance. ", "We always start with positive comments in our peer critique sessions, so several students mentioned her good descriptions of some of those places. ", "Others pointed out how nicely she worked in a few details about history and local customs. ", "Somebody said her dialogue was right on target. ", "Somebody else said that those seals swimming beside the boat must have been cute.", "\n\nThen the group fell silent, until the author herself identified the problem.", "\n\n\"It's missing something,\" she said. \"", "Isn't it?\"", "\n\nAnother student got to the root of the dilemma. ", "He said that he could see everything clearly enough, but that he couldn't smell or taste or touch or hear anything at all.", "\n\nHe was right.", "\n\nThis very good writer had loaded all of her sensory description into only one of her five options. ", "She conveyed only what things _looked_ like. ", "And someone standing in a boat in San Francisco Bay is privy to a much wider array of sensations: the rocking of the boat itself, the barking of those seals, the squawking of seagulls, the smell and taste and feel of a salty mist, the tolling of bells throughout the city, to name just a few.", "\n\nOnce she did her revisions, she turned in a story that was abundantly rich in details. ", "One that plopped her readers right down in that boat under that bridge. ", "Where they could — via her wordsmithing — experience everything with her.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nMake yourself a chart or a spreadsheet. ", "Create six columns (up and down) and ten rows (across).", "\n\nLabel the columns _Sight, Smell, Taste, Hearing, Touch, Intuition._", "\n\nLabel the rows:\n\n * an approaching cold front\n * pizza\n * the seashore\n * the mountains\n * lunch in a cafeteria\n * a city street\n * a country road\n * a mall\n * the interior of an airliner\n * your kitchen\n\nNow, come up with at least one thing or action or feeling that can be described with the sensory description in each column. ", "Feel free to repeat yourself; you might very well use _leaf_ for sound and sight and touch. ", "But don't hinder yourself by focusing too tightly. ", "Though pizza might not actually make a sound, the pizza box being opened does. ", "Fill in every space on your chart.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nMake another chart just like that one, with the same labels on the columns and rows. ", "This time replace the things and actions and feelings with words or phrases that show how the sense of each one might be conveyed. ", "For example, for that leaf, you might put _rough_ or _raised veins_ under \"Touch,\" or _spiraling down_ (maybe _helicoptering down_ ; remember it's okay to use uncommon images) for \"Sight,\" or _wispy_ or _swoosh_ (practice using onomatopoeia) for \"Sound.\"", "\n\nThe little boxes on your chart might not be big enough for all the wordsmithing you will come up with. ", "Good! ", "Spill over into your writer's journal.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nChoose one of the ten topics and, using the images you came up with and all the tools in your kit, write a page or so in which you take your reader to that place, making them see, hear, touch, taste, and smell what is there, even sensing something that is _not_ there (extra sensory perception). ", "Here's a rule: Try not to use the actual words _see, hear, touch, taste_ , or _smell_ (or any variations of them). ", "In other words (quite literally), no _looks like_..., _smells like_..., and such reporting.", "\n\nShow, don't tell.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 4**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts and a pencil, circle places that would benefit from more description of what things feel, taste, smell, sound, and look like. ", "I'll bet you've packed most of your description into what things or people or places _look_ like. ", "So pay close attention to how you might use one or more of the other senses to provide clearer description.", "\n\n# 6\n\n## [ DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS ]\n\nThe characters who become the inhabitants of your fiction are the actors that will take to the stage in your reader's mind. ", "They are the channels for the fine dialogue you'll write and the players in your conflicts and resolutions. ", "You'll have to conjure up all manner of folks to get the job done, and one of the very first decisions you'll need to make when a story is forming is how you'll go about describing these characters, especially central characters.", "\n\nLet's say your protagonist, a woman of thirty or so, arrives at a party in your first scene. ", "She might gravitate toward the safe harbor of a corner, losing herself there in the dull pattern of the wallpaper. ", "Or she might stride purposefully in and guffaw loudly, planting her feet wide: a force to be reckoned with. ", "More than likely, her conduct will fall somewhere between these two extremes, but however she behaves will call for skillful description. ", "The protagonist carries a significant share of the workload in the whole process of storytelling, and your readers' first impression of her is crucial.", "\n\nThat skillful description can't stop with the first scene; neither is it restricted to major characters. ", "Most of your characters — perhaps even down to the boy who delivers a telegram and is never seen again — will need to be sufficiently described so that your reader can get a good picture of them. ", "I've never _physically_ seen John D. MacDonald's protagonist Travis McGee, other than the various actors who have played him in movies, but based solely on MacDonald's descriptions of him in his many novels — the way he walks and stands; his gangly, suntanned structure; his haircut and choice of clothing — I believe I could pick him out of a police lineup.", "\n\nYour goal should be for your descriptions to work that well for your readers, too.", "\n\n **BREATHING LIFE INTO YOUR CHARACTERS**\n\nHere are three examples of character description from three fine writers. ", "You will notice that they'll get longer as we progress. ", "But you'll hopefully notice something else, too: Each takes a unique approach to the task.", "\n\nWe'll begin with a few sentences from \"A Tree. ", "A Rock. ", "A Cloud.\" ", "by Carson McCullers:\n\nThe boy went toward him. ", "He was an undersized boy of about twelve, with one shoulder drawn higher than the other because of the weight of the paper sack. ", "His face was shallow, freckled, and his eyes were round child eyes.", "\n\nMcCullers gives only physical description and leaves this boy's attitude, motivation, and worldview until later in the story.", "\n\nNow look at these sentences from the beginning of William E. Barrett's _Lilies of the Field_ :\n\nHis name was Homer Smith. ", "He was twenty-four. ", "He stood six foot two and his skin was a deep, warm black. ", "He had large, strong features and widely spaced eyes. ", "A sculptor would have interpreted the features in terms of character, but Homer Smith's mother had once said of him that he was two parts amiable and one part plain devil.", "\n\nHere, the author uses short, to-the-point sentences to give us a few physical traits, then dovetails the image of this man in with something his mother said about him. ", "In a mere sixty-one words, we not only know what Homer looks like; we have our first good peek into who he _is_.", "\n\nNow, let's have a little something from Flannery O'Connor, but none of her philosophy about writing this time, rather a taste of her fiction itself. ", "Here are the first few sentences from her story \"Good Country People\":\n\nBesides the neutral expression that she wore when she was alone, Mrs. Freeman had two others, forward and reverse, that she used for all of her human dealings. ", "Her forward expression was steady and driving like the advance of a heavy truck. ", "Her eyes never swerved to left or right but turned as the story turned as if they followed a yellow line down the center of it. ", "She seldom used the other expression because it was not often necessary for her to retract a statement...\n\nO'Connor employs an extended analogy to describe Mrs. Freeman's various expressions, floating us along on a William Faulknerish current of details. ", "At the end of it, we know as much about this woman's obstinacy as her appearance. ", "In your writing, you'll want to do the same thing: convey as much about personality as looks. ", "Don't limit your descriptions to their most utilitarian function: giving the essential facts regarding what somebody looks or sounds like. ", "Work attitude and philosophy and vulnerability and tons of other things in also. ", "Kill a multitude of birds with one smooth stone.", "\n\nThe extent to which you'll describe your characters will depend on what you will have them doing at any given time in your tale, but whatever the situation, and whatever the level of description, you will do well to remember this: Your reader needs to see the people in your fiction as clearly as you do. ", "So two things are essential at the outset: a complete and detailed image of your cast of characters in your mind and an adept conveyance of them to your reader.", "\n\nLet's look at several ways for you to bring that second part about.", "\n\n **PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS**\n\nProviding an image of what your characters look like can come in very short doses — like saying that someone had butter-colored hair — to much longer ones, like this one by William Faulkner (who couldn't write small doses of _anything_ ) in \"A Rose for Emily\":\n\nThey rose when she entered — a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head. ", "Her skeleton was small and spare; perhaps that was why what would have been merely plumpness in another was obesity in her. ", "She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. ", "Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as they moved from one face to another while the visitors stated their errand.", "\n\nThe essence of the physical description here is that this lady is short, overweight, dressed in black, carrying a cane, and her eyes are quite small in her plump face. ", "Remember what I said earlier about the difference between literary and popular fiction; well, saying that Faulkner wrote literary fiction is like saying the _Titanic_ was a big ship. ", "He carefully works in detail after detail, like a painter using small strokes with a fine-tipped brush. ", "In a story aimed at readers of popular fiction, you would need to stay a bit closer to what exactly you need the reader to know about this woman. ", "If you need them to know _all_ of this — the plumpness versus obesity, the image of a body long submerged in water, the simile with the pieces of coal — then all of it should go in. ", "Just remember that readers of popular fiction aren't as tolerant of long descriptions as readers of literary fiction.", "\n\nKeep in mind what I said a few pages ago about letting your descriptions carry more of the load than just describing. ", "Here's a good example from David Westheimer, from his novel _Von Ryan's Express_ :\n\nThe colonel was tall and conspicuously erect. ", "His dark blond hair was short and bristling, with a scatter of gray at the temples. ", "His face was deeply tanned except for two ovals around the unblinking gray eyes where his skin had been shielded by sunglasses. ", "His eyes were finely wrinkled at the corners and squinted a little from looking into the sun for enemy fighters. ", "His was a tough face, grim almost, with no vestige of softness of any kind. ", "It was, from a distance, a young face, but viewed closely was older than its thirty-six years.", "\n\nIn addition to some detailed description regarding what this man looks like — tall; erect; the color, length, and texture of his hair; the bit about his eyes — we also learn how old he is and get some foreshadowing as to his philosophy: that he's a tough customer rather than a soft one. ", "And that toughness will come into play quite prominently in the story.", "\n\nOne way to go about this multiplicity of purpose in your own story or novel is to list everything that you can think of regarding a particular character in your writer's journal. ", "Get it all down — height, weight, coloring, beliefs, faults, strengths, the way he sits in a chair — anything and everything you can come up with. ", "Don't just put down things that you're pretty sure will end up in your story; your knowledge of this guy will have to be broader than that in order for him to work in your fiction. ", "If he ends up being left in charge of a child in one of your scenes, it's essential for you to know how dependable he is, whether it is important for your reader to know it or not. ", "Good writers know the motivations of each and every character they write: what drives them and what stops them cold. ", "And the only way for you to know a character that well is to immerse yourself in his or her persona. ", "So make the list; you'll be surprised how complex your creations end up being.", "\n\nAnne Lamott provides a good example, in her novel _Crooked Little Heart_ , of something we talked about in chapter four. ", "Sometimes it is quite effective to simply _tell_ what somebody looks like or acts like quickly, and get on with it:\n\nElizabeth studied James, his wild fluffy hair, his beautiful green eyes, and he looked at her and smiled. ", "She loved being with him; it was that simple. ", "She felt happy when he was around.", "\n\nThe author could have dragged this out, giving us more details about James' appearance, elaborating on how much he meant to Elizabeth and just _how_ he made her happy. ", "But she chose to make these things a _given_ in the story, since they are obviously a given in Elizabeth's life.", "\n\nIn your own fiction, don't be guided by how much description you can come up with — let's face it: you're a writer, and you can come up with _tons_ of it — but by how much something or someone in your story _needs_ to be described. ", "Many times, brevity will win out over elaboration, as it clearly does in the Lamott example.", "\n\nKent Haruf in his novel _Plainsong_ needs to describe two old bachelor brothers who live together and are receiving company in their farmhouse:\n\nHarold had removed the greasy pieces of machinery from one of the extra chairs and had dragged it up to the table. ", "He sat down solidly. ", "When they were inside the house the McPherson brothers' faces turned shiny and red as beets and the tops of their heads steamed in the cool room. ", "They looked like something out of an old painting, of peasants, laborers resting after work.", "\n\nThe image itself — of the pair of old men who are so unfamiliar with having guests that they must displace farm machinery in the kitchen to make room for them, and so out of their natural element when indoors that they physically change — surpasses simple description; it tells much of the story. ", "Then the author drives the image even further home with the old painting simile.", "\n\nLoad your own description up with tidbits like these — actions and references that help build your overall story. ", "If your character is a teenaged girl on the way to the prom with a boy, but she continuously looks down into her purse at the screen of her cell phone, then your reader will assume that her interest is elsewhere. ", "And a small action will point your readers in the direction that you want them to go.", "\n\n **CHARACTERS BASED ON REAL PEOPLE**\n\nLet's spend a little time now on how to describe characters based on real people: those that are based on historical figures or famous people and those that are based on more common folk that you actually know or have known. ", "What the two have in common is that they are each patterned after actual people who drew breath and walked around and lived (or live) their lives outside of just your imagination.", "\n\nWe'll start with people that you know. ", "You can vent here, you understand. ", "Putting a real person that you can't stand in your fiction, with all their warts and foibles in tact, can be downright therapeutic. ", "But tread cautiously. ", "That old \"any similarity to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental\" might not prove to be as magically cleansing as most folks think. ", "And if the so-and-so you've woven into your tale is too easily recognizable and still falls into the \"living\" category, he might cause you some grief. ", "That's not to say that you can't just sort of _slip_ him in, or parts of him — the worst parts I suspect.", "\n\nThe other danger of putting in people that you know is to give in to the desire to honor them by making them recognizable in your fiction. ", "This is almost always a mistake, since your characters should be exactly who you need them to be. ", "More precisely, they must be who your _story_ needs them to be. ", "Allowing your decisions regarding characters to be dictated by a grocery list of friends that want to be included will dilute this essential process and weaken your writing. ", "People who don't write fiction don't always understand the precision of the craft. ", "Think back on how many times someone has said to you — regarding something cute their child did or something funny someone said — you'll have to put Aunt Mary in one of your stories. ", "What they don't understand is that good writers don't just put things in; they put things in that _fit_. ", "Give your Aunt Mary a free copy of your book, or even dedicate it to her, but leave her out of its pages.", "\n\nNow, on to real people who are a bit more famous and recognizable than your Aunt Mary. ", "Let's start with the sublime and then move on to someone significantly less than that.", "\n\nAll we know about what Saint Paul looked like comes from two millennia of tradition; there's no good description of him in the Bible and precious little recorded about him by the few historians writing at the time. ", "The two characteristics that wandered down the decades are that he had red hair and that he was not particularly attractive. ", "Taylor Caldwell wrote an entire novel, _Great Lion of God_ , about him, and her Paul was redheaded and ugly. ", "Walter F. Murphy in _Upon This Rock_ gives a description of Saint Paul before he was a saint — even in fact before he was Paul. ", "He was Saul of Tarsus, before he had that jolting encounter on the road to Damascus. ", "Here's how Murphy paints him in his novel:\n\n... Saul was homely. ", "His face looked like its parts had been thrown together at random. ", "None of his features was ugly, but they did not fit together. ", "His ears were as jug-handled as those of a Celtic legionnaire and protruded at right angles from his head. ", "His hair was a bright, brassy mop of tightly curled red, his complexion light olive instead of fair. ", "His beard was thin and scraggly, more that of a teenager than of a man almost thirty. ", "It, too, was red, but several shades paler than his hair. ", "If his Roman nose was too long for his face, his mouth was too wide. ", "His teeth were irregular and there was a space between the upper two in front that sometimes forced a half-whistle to punctuate his sentences.", "\n\nRather than labeling him as ugly, Murphy goes into some detail regarding _why_ he might be considered unattractive. ", "He mentions the Roman nose, wide mouth, gapped teeth, and sparse beard in order to give readers a living, breathing human being — not the image of the ugly redhead they might have brought with them to the reading of the novel.", "\n\nIf you pluck a character out of history and plop him or her down in your fiction, you'll have to make sure you bring the era also. ", "For instance, where Murphy says that Paul's ears were jug-handled, it wouldn't have worked at all to describe them as Bing Crosby ears, since Bing Crosby, though we think of him as a large-eared crooner from the recent past, was, where Paul was concerned, a resident of the distant future. ", "So, while using an allusion regarding his ears will work for you in a story set anytime later than the 1930s, it won't work at all here in the first century.", "\n\nMurphy and Caldwell could have made their Pauls handsome fellows with blond hair. ", "With the scant historical material to work from nobody could have faulted them for that. ", "But since many of their readers had a preconceived notion of what Paul _might_ have looked like, they both chose to conform to the traditional image, each modifying it with their descriptions.", "\n\nWriting more recent historical or famous people into your story or novel doesn't give you that choice. ", "Let's say you have President Kennedy as one of your characters; then you'd better make him look and sound like President Kennedy, since everybody knows exactly what he looked and sounded like.", "\n\nWhen Herman Wouk wrote _The Winds of War_ he described many world leaders at the time of World War II, so he had much more data to draw from than Caldwell and Murphy did when they wrote about Saint Paul. ", "There are libraries of biographies and many thousands of photographs of the movers and shakers from the mid-twentieth century, so Wouk had specific parameters in which to work when describing this fellow:\n\nHitler was no taller than Henry himself; a small man with a prison haircut, leaning forward and bowing as he shook hands, his head to one side, hair falling on his forehead. ", "This was Henry's flash impression, as he caught his first full-length look at the Fuhrer beside the burley much-medallioned Bulgarian, but in another moment it changed. ", "Hitler had a remarkable smile. ", "His down-curved mouth was rigid and tense, his eyes sternly self-confident, but when he smiled this fanatic look vanished; the whole face brightened up, showing a strong hint of humor, and a curious, almost boyish, shyness. ", "Sometimes he held a guest's hand and conversed. ", "When he was particularly amused he laughed and made an odd sudden move with his right knee: he lifted it and jerked it a little inward.", "\n\nWhether describing Saint Paul or Adolph Hitler (and a wider range of human beings would be difficult to come up with) or anyone in between, remember to abide by the clutter rule. ", "Use only those traits and features and actions that serve to move your story along, and avoid teaching a history lesson about the person or their importance.", "\n\nThere's one more category of character that is based on a real person that we need to discuss: the one that you will write about on occasion that is based on _you_. ", "Much is made in some writing books and in creative writing workshops of the importance of keeping yourself out of your fiction. ", "And I agree, up to a point.", "\n\nErnest Hemingway will work nicely here as our textbook example. ", "His protagonists were nearly always him, through and through. ", "Hemingway must have been the sort of fellow that an old woman from my youth used to say wants to be the bridegroom at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral, in other words: the center of attention in every situation. ", "And we're all like that, to varying degrees.", "\n\nWe usually write what we know. ", "And what we know best is ourselves. ", "My only advice here is the same I gave regarding using other real people: Use only descriptions that are called for in a particular story or novel. ", "Even so, much of you will sneak in; you should expect it and accept it. ", "After all, you will relate your tale in your voice, so other parts of you will follow along. ", "If you bounce a tennis ball exactly six times before you serve it, then a character in your story might do that also. ", "It's a nice little detail that shows this person is given to superstition or ritual or habit, and the guy in Sheboygan needn't know that you are too.", "\n\n **LETTING CHARACTERS DESCRIBE THEMSELVES**\n\nYou've heard the old saw \"if you want something done right, do it yourself.", "\"This can apply to your characters, too. ", "You might want to consider having one or more of them take on the job of describing themselves for the reader. ", "There are several ways to do it.", "\n\nIn _The Deep Blue Good-By_ by John D. MacDonald, his narrator Travis McGee tells us about himself:\n\nI tried to look disarming. ", "I am pretty good at that. ", "I have one of those useful faces. ", "Tanned American. ", "Bright eyes and white teeth shining amid a brown reliable bony visage. ", "The proper folk-hero crinkle at the corners of the eyes, and the bashful appealing smile, when needed.", "\n\nNotice that MacDonald has his protagonist tell us as much about who he _is_ as what he looks like. ", "You might think that this little self-portrait can only be done in first-person narration, but it works just as nicely in third person, as in the following examples. ", "Sometimes, letting your characters dabble in a bit of wishful thinking will be the best way to describe them. ", "That way, the reader is actually getting the opposite of how they really appear. ", "In her novel _Mrs. Dalloway_ , Virginia Woolf has her title character consider how she would look if _she_ had anything to do with it:\n\nShe would have been, in the first place, dark like Lady Bexborough, with a skin of crumpled leather and beautiful eyes. ", "She would have been, like Lady Bexborough, slow and stately; rather large; interested in politics like a man; with a country house; very dignified; very sincere. ", "Instead of which she had a narrow pea-stick figure; a ridiculous little face, beaked like a bird's.", "\n\nFrom that litany of what she wished she was — and then what she actually was — comes a clear picture of this woman.", "\n\nIn that example, a character considers herself and doesn't particularly like what she sees, in this one — from _The Seventh Secret_ , a novel by IrvingWallace — another character takes a look at her likeness and is more impressed:\n\nEvelyn Hoffmann paused briefly to study her reflection in the window of the Cafe´ Wolf. ", "What she saw did not displease her. ", "At seventy-three, one could not expect to appear as one had at twenty-three. ", "In the early days she had been a beauty, everyone had agreed. ", "She had been taller than medium height, with ash blonde hair, slender, sophisticated, reserved, with pride in her long, shapely legs.", "\n\nA passage like this could do a couple of things for you in your fiction. ", "First, it could get the point across that this lady is still attractive, even at seventy-three, and, second, it would serve as a fine lead-in to a backstory where she was twenty-three.", "\n\nHaving characters take on the chore of describing themselves, either in first person or third, is often a better technique than letting another character or an omniscient narrator do it. ", "It is more personal and allows you to work in details and imperfections that only the character might recognize. ", "But use caution: If you don't make this a very natural part of the story — more than just a device used to describe somebody — then it will come off as contrived.", "\n\n **USING DIALOGUE TO DESCRIBE CHARACTERS**\n\nYour characters' dialogue should do more than simply report what they are saying to each other. ", "The words and phrases they speak, and the way they deliver them, can be some of the strongest description in your fiction. ", "Listen to these two sentences by Willa Cather from her novel _Death Comes for the Archbishop_ :\n\n\"Clear off them cheers for the strangers. ", "They won't eat ye, if they air priests.\"", "\n\nYou've been given not one smidgen of physical description of the speaker of these lines, yet I'll bet you already know a few things about him or her. ", "First, the character is of the earthy variety, hence the use of exaggerated dialect like _cheers_ for chairs, _ye_ for you, and _air_ for are. ", "Second, he or she is addressing a person or persons who might have had little association with priests. ", "Third, the character is hospitable. ", "Fourth, he or she is in some position of esteem or importance, since in just this short declaration they give an instruction and then a reassurance. ", "We know a heck of a lot about this character after merely fifteen words of dialogue.", "\n\n _Your_ character's words will carry that much weight, also. ", "So choose them wisely, and don't hesitate to infuse them with clue after clue as to the nature and the appearance of the speaker. ", "For example, let's say you have a customer in a general store say this: \"My God, Millie, I've done knocked thangs off the shelf agin; why can't you leave enough room for a man to negotiate?\" ", "From that the reader will assume that the speaker is either (a) not used to being in stores, perhaps not used to being indoors at all, or (b) is a tad wide in the beam. ", "And there are other traits as well: He likes to blame others, is impatient, perhaps just naturally clumsy, and he knows Millie very well.", "\n\nWhen employing colloquial dialect like both Willa Cather's chair-clearing character and the bumbling-shopper use, don't go off the deep end, and write dialogue that readers can't follow. ", "Any puzzles you construct should come in the form of mysteries or unresolved conflicts for readers to ponder, not in dialogue that they'll have difficulty deciphering. _", "Dodedo_ shouldn't be used for door to door; _a nominal egg_ shouldn't mean an arm and a leg. ", "But _dawugg_ might work as the way your Brooklyn character says dog. _", "Dawugg_ is more easily and quickly translated than _dodedo_ or _a nominal egg_ , so it won't slow your reader down. ", "To put this briefly: When reading your dialogue becomes a chore, you've gone overboard with dialect.", "\n\nBe careful, too, when using words in dialogue that have different meanings in different parts of the country or the world. ", "The classic blunder here would be having a little British lady sit down in a teashop in London and order biscuits, only to be served the yeasty lumps of bread that she would receive in America. ", "In England, a biscuit is always what Americans call a cookie, a turtle hull is a boot, and a French-fried potato is a chip. ", "In America, some words either take on or lose certain meanings when they cross the Mason-Dixon Line. ", "For instance, the word _yet_ takes on additional meanings in the North than it has in the South. ", "In both places it means _so far_ , as in \"I haven't eaten yet.\" ", "But in the South it doesn't mean _still_ , as in \"Is your mother living yet?\" ", "To which in the classic radio joke Charley McCarthy replied to Edgar Bergen, \"No, not yet.\" ", "That line drew huge laughs because of the disparity of the meanings of the word. ", "In your story, having a character use _yet_ in one of the two ways will help describe where she is from.", "\n\nIn his novel _Advise and Consent_ , Allen Drury paints a wonderful portrait of an old southern senator named Ceep Cooley, who might or might not have been patterned after Everett Dirksen, a legend in the United States Senate for many years. ", "Much of our perception of Cooley comes from what he says (dialogue), how he pronounces the words (dialect), and the _way_ he says them (inflection). ", "Listen to this exchange between the old senator and a nominee for Secretary of the State who will be appearing before Ceep's Senate committee:\n\n\"I want to ask you about your virus, Mr. Director\" he said, leaning over the nominee and placing a knotted brown hand on his shoulder. \"", "I hope it's cleared up, I surely do.\"", "\n\n\"All gone, thank you, Senator,\" Bob Leffingwell said smiling up at him and looking a little more relaxed. \"", "It went over the weekend and I'm feeling good as new now.\"", "\n\n\"That's good,\" Senator Cooley said softly. \"", "That's good, Mr. Director. ", "Because I suspect — I just suspect now\" — and a slow grin crossed his face and he looked at the listening reporters with a sly twinkle in his eye — \"I just suspect that before these hearings are over you may just need your strength. ", "Yes, sir, I just suspect you may.\"", "\n\nIn chapter three, I talked about being loud and being quiet in your fiction. ", "In this scene, the old senator is speaking very softly — the author tells us this. ", "But, more importantly, his mannerisms and pauses and general composure are just as quiet and soft. ", "And that quiet softness adds an extra punch to that implied threat at the end: that Mr. Leffingwell should expect one hellacious run through the wringer during the upcoming hearings.", "\n\nRemember to use that quiet or loud approach when letting your character's dialogue describe them. ", "Look in your manuscripts for places to let what a character says and how they say it replace more conventional description. ", "Rather than telling your reader that Mrs. Abernathy is a woman who screams at children, show it:\n\n\"Get out of my azaleas!\" ", "Mrs. Abernathy bellowed from the porch. ", "The children looked in her direction and gingerly retreated.", "\n\nOne way to emphasize a character's inflection in dialogue is to italicize all or part of a word, as in \"I could smash you like a _bug_!\"", "\n\nListen to this brief line from John O'Hara's novel _Ourselves to Know_ :\"Well, if I know Mr. _Mill_ houser,...\" The emphasis on just the first syllable of the name is proof that the speaker _does_ know Mr. Millhouser. ", "And that he is unique in some way.", "\n\n **SHOWING A CHARACTER'S MOTIVATION**\n\nYou'll need to know exactly what motivates your character before you can convey him or his situation to a reader. ", "Maybe you've created a guy who is set on embezzling some money from his job. ", "He's pretty sure he'll get away with it — almost all would-be criminals think that — and he's willing to take the risk. ", "Now, your description of this guy will depend at least partly on _why_ he wants the cash. ", "If he intends to blow it all on loose women and hard liquor and gambling in Atlantic City, then your description will be altogether different than if he needs the money to pay for an operation for his ailing wife.", "\n\nConsider how Donald Westlake — writing as Richard Stark — shows the motivation of his central character, Parker, a professional thief who is being solicited to take part in an upcoming heist in _Comeback_ :\n\nLiss said, \"You still there?\"", "\n\n\"Yes.\"", "\n\n\"We could get together someplace, talk it over.\"", "\n\n\"Maybe.\"", "\n\n\"You want to know who else is aboard.\" ", "And again Liss waited for Parker to say something, but again Parker had nothing to say, so finally Liss said \"Ed Mackey.\"", "\n\nThat was different. ", "Ed Mackey was somebody Parker did know and had worked with. ", "Ed Mackey was solid. ", "Parker said, \"Who else?\"", "\n\n\"It only takes three.\"", "\n\nEven better. ", "The fewer the people, the fewer the complications, and the more the profit. ", "Parker said, \"Where and when?\"", "\n\nParker is obviously not interested in the project at the beginning, and just as obviously not too impressed with Liss. ", "Then, when he decides to consider the job, it is because he learns of the participation of someone he _is_ impressed with. ", "More precisely, the author shows us one of Parker's motivations here, some essential thing that he _had_ to know before committing: that he is to work with someone that he can trust and have confidence in.", "\n\nThere are other ways of showing a character's motivation than just dialogue. ", "Backstories and flashbacks are very useful, perhaps where some injustice was dealt out to your character and revenge becomes his impetus or some kindness shown to him in his youth turns him into a philanthropist. ", "Once you've determined what the motivation will be, make sure you find ways throughout the story or novel to remind readers of it, through the character's actions, thoughts, words, and descriptions.", "\n\nKnowing what your characters need, want, and are capable of doing — in other words, what drives them — will determine how well you define them. ", "Once again, I encourage you to make that data sheet (like the one on page 113) for each and every character, and make sure you include their motivations.", "\n\n **SHOWING A CHARACTER'S MOOD**\n\nBy mood, I really mean their overall state of mind in a given scene. ", "And this is a wide range of possibilities indeed, covering everything from happiness and contentment to anger and depression. ", "In real life, everybody's constantly in one predominant mood or another, so the people who populate your fiction should be also.", "\n\nLook at how V.C. Andrews shows a character's fear in _Into the Garden_ :\n\nAll I could do was listen and wait. ", "The floorboards creaked. ", "I thought I heard what sounded like a skirt rubbing against a leg as someone crossed from the door toward my bed. ", "Shadows darkened. ", "I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and then with all my might sat up.", "\n\n\"Who's there?\" ", "I cried.", "\n\n **Making a Character Profile Sheet**\n\nIf you expect your reader to know _some_ things about your character, then you'd better know _many_ things about him or her.", "\n\nProfile sheets like this one will help you define who you'll be using in your story. ", "Just look at it as your character filling out an application to be in your fiction. ", "When you're done, put it in your writer's journal for quick and easy reference.", "\n\n ** _PROFILE_**\n\nFull name__________________________________________________\n\nNickname__________________________________________________\n\nMarried/children__________________________________________________\n\nAge__________________________________________________\n\nOccupation__________________________________________________\n\nColor hair/eyes__________________________________________________\n\nBuild/weight/height__________________________________________________\n\nReligious beliefs__________________________________________________\n\nFears__________________________________________________\n\nStrongest belief__________________________________________________\n\nBiggest secret__________________________________________________\n\nBiggest regret__________________________________________________\n\nPolitical persuasion__________________________________________________\n\nFavorite color__________________________________________________\n\nFavorite type of movie__________________________________________________\n\nFavorite food__________________________________________________\n\nStrongest personal relationship__________________________________________________\n\nWeakest personal relationship__________________________________________________\n\nUnique mannerisms__________________________________________________\n\nDependability__________________________________________________\n\nPeculiarities__________________________________________________\n\nWho would he/she have voted for in the last presidential election?", "\n\n__________________________________________________\n\nThe author uses several of the standard \"things that go bump in the night\" devices that we all have sensed more than once and not just in reading. ", "The use of them here — the creaking floorboards, the darkening shadows, deep breathing and closed eyes — paints a more vivid picture than simply telling the reader that this character is afraid.", "\n\nAlways look for ways to show rather than tell in your description of a character's mood, as David Guterson does when describing his lonely protagonist in _East of the Mountains_ :\n\nHe found a fire ring full of charred fence posts, a rusted coffee can holding dry, leached stones, and a plastic bucket turned upside down, tattered and torn along its flanks where shotgun pellets had passed through it. ", "Two beer bottles were set against a strand of rusting, low barbed wire, and then no further sign of people. ", "Ben felt right in his loneliness. ", "It was just as he had wanted it.", "\n\nNotice all the remnants that the character sees, leftovers from people who are no longer there — things that are used up and discarded, no longer of any use to anyone. ", "These things reinforce the solitude that this man wants at this point in the story, and this bit of description does a much better job of showing it to the reader than just reporting that he wants to be by himself.", "\n\nIn the Andrews example, the character's mood is implied; in the next one it is identified toward the end as loneliness. ", "There's no rule of thumb for me to give you to help you decide which approach to take other than this one: Avoid starting out with a declaration like _He was lonely_. ", "It's much more effective to show this to the reader than tell it.", "\n\nThat's not to say it is easier. ", "It would be infinitely easier for a writer to simply tell the reader what kind of mood a character is in. ", "But if you haven't noticed by now that the easier path is hardly ever the best one for a writer, then the odds are that you won't end up being a very good one.", "\n\n **SHOWING A CHARACTER'S FLAWS**\n\nOdysseus was full of himself, brimming with the excessive pride of self that the Greeks called _hubris_ ; Achilles had that vulnerable heel; Don Quixote was a dreamer (and arguably a nut); Hamlet could not for the life of him make a decision; and your Uncle Chester can't hold his liquor. ", "Everybody has a flaw.", "\n\nAnd your characters better have at least one, too. ", "Perfection is a trait that just doesn't pop up in real people, neither should it in the ones you create.", "\n\nIn _The Great Santini_ , Pat Conroy includes this scene where some children are watching their military father prepare to begin a family outing:\n\nHe arranged the things on the dashboard very carefully. ", "On his far left, he stacked three road maps. ", "Beside the maps was a box of Tampa Nuggets cigars, blunt. ", "On top of the cigars was a pair of aviator's sunglasses. ", "Then, putting his hand into the pocket of his flight jacket, he pulled out a .22 pistol from it and laid the gun gingerly beside the cigar box.", "\n\nThe precise description of this man's actions shows us primarily two things:(a) he is quite the perfectionist when arranging things, and (b) there is something definitely wrong with him. ", "Fathers don't as a rule place a pistol on the dashboard when taking their family on an excursion. ", "Despotism and obstinacy prove to be the flaws of Santini — who turns out to be not so great after all — and Conroy, rather than telling us this up front, slowly establishes the image with descriptions of little scenes like this one. ", "Think back to this example when _you_ write. ", "The careful building up of details, like choosing just the right cobblestones and then laying them precisely in a walkway, is far more effective than reporting the situation all at once.", "\n\nLet's take a look at one of the classic flawed parents in American literature. ", "This time, however, the child worships the character and wants more than anything for him to be as estimable in other people's opinions as he is in hers. ", "This is from Betty Smith's _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_ :\n\nYes, everyone loved Johnny Nolan. ", "He was a sweet singer of sweet songs. ", "Since the beginning of time, everyone, especially the Irish, had loved and cared for the singer in their midst. ", "His brother waiters really loved him. ", "The men he worked for loved him. ", "His wife and children loved him. ", "He was still gay and young and handsome. ", "His wife had not turned bitter against him and his children did not know that they were supposed to be ashamed of him.", "\n\nNotice that the author begins with a little catalog of people who loved Johnny and ends with a reference to the fact that all of that adoration might be unwarranted, that there was something about him that should cause his family to be ashamed of him. ", "In your story or novel, look for ways to make irony work for you in your description of characters. ", "People not really being as happy as they seem to be — or as rich, or as clever, or as good — make for fine irony. ", "And one of the best ways to pull this off is to build up one image and then deflate or alter it with a hint at another one, as Smith does in that paragraph.", "\n\nNot all flaws in people — or in fictional characters — are emotional or behavioral; sometimes they are physical. ", "Ahab's missing leg and Captain Hook's missing hand provide motivations for their obsessions, and Flannery O'Connor's one-legged philosopher, Hulga — in \"Good Country People\" — is bitter and incomplete, just as her body is incomplete.", "\n\nLook at how Robert Phillips, in his story \"Night Flowers,\" uses a physical flaw to determine a character's career choice:\n\nBecause he had no nose, Thetford Collins took the job as night stationmaster at the Public Landing train station. ", "It was the only job he could find where people didn't look at you.", "\n\nThe flaw gives the reader a vivid description of Thetford, not just the absent nose — though that is graphic enough — but, more than that, his reaction to the condition: taking a job where he will not be gawked at. ", "Look for places in your fiction where physical flaws might provide motivation for a character — or cause them to be unmotivated. ", "Deformities and imperfections are useful ways for you to let characters overcome things, to become more complete in spite of something fate has thrown in their way, like Helen Keller. ", "They can also be a crutch for your character, keeping him from overcoming anything, like Thetford.", "\n\n **STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERS**\n\nSo, have you heard this one?", "\n\nThe Texan and his wife are driving through New England to see the fall foliage, and they stop to visit with a New Hampshire man who is raking his lawn. ", "The Texan swaggers out of his Cadillac and hitches his thumbs in his wide belt. \"", "How many acres yah'll got here?\" ", "he wants to know. ", "The New Hampshire man tells him he has one and a half. ", "The Texan breaks into a wide grin, slaps his Cadillac, and says that, back home on his place, he can get in this here car and start driving and, two hours later, he won't be off his own property. ", "The New Englander listens, nods, and finally says \"Ayah, I used to have a car like that.\"", "\n\nIf that joke works for you, it's because you brought some stereotypical baggage in when you read it. ", "You assumed the New Englander would be stoic and practical, and you knew the Texan would be pompous and blustery. ", "In the joke, both characters are stereotypes. ", "In your fiction, they probably shouldn't be.", "\n\nIn reality, not all New Englanders behave as their stereotypical image suggests, and not all Texans bloviate loudly about the biggest and the best (I am a Texan, and refrain from bloviating on most occasions). ", "There are exceptions to every rule, especially when it comes to stereotypes. ", "So beware making most of your characters exactly what your reader is expecting.", "\n\nThat's not to say, however, that you won't draw on that reader's preconceived notions from time to time. ", "You should, and you'd be foolish not to. ", "Let those notions help to make your fiction work, just like your stereotypes of New Englanders and Texans might have made that joke work.", "\n\nHere's how F. Scott Fitzgerald taps into his readers' expectation of how an old-money, East Coast society matron might see things in his story \"The Rich Boy\":\n\nJust before Christmas Mrs. Hunter retired to a select Episcopal heaven, and Aaron became the responsible head of the family.", "\n\nFitzgerald could have said Mrs. Hunter died. ", "But he had more intentions for that sentence than to report her demise; he wanted to convey a stereotype of a very wealthy society dame who wouldn't condescend to do anything as common as dying. _", "Retiring to an elect Episcopal heaven_ is an altogether grander accomplishment.", "\n\nUsing stereotypical, expected images of your characters will work in some places in your writing (as it did in that one from Fitzgerald), but it won't in many others; it will depend entirely on the uniqueness of the particular story. ", "Loading up your fiction with stereotypes will provide your reader with nothing more than a cast of those cardboard, one-dimensional people that we've talked about. ", "Much better to give them folks who surprise them, characters who break out of their stereotypes.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: THE OCCUPANTS OF YOUR FICTION**\n\nThe characters that people your fiction must come through clearly in order for your story or novel to work. ", "Your reader should see something of themselves in some of them and, via your writer's voice, even something of you. ", "The key to how that reader perceives your characters is how well you breathe life into them. ", "In this chapter, we've looked at a few ways to do it effectively.", "\n\nPay close attention to the physical description of all of your characters. ", "Believe me, one of the most stinging and damning criticisms that you can get is that someone didn't \"see\" your characters. ", "So, _make_ the reader see them; give the reader plenty of things _to_ see. ", "Go beyond the obvious traits like weight and hair color and clothing and work in small details like the way they hold a cup of coffee or wave for a taxi. ", "Be careful when patterning your description on real people, making sure that you walk the fine line between straying too far from reality and making the character a mere stereotype of himself. ", "Consider letting some of your characters describe themselves, and let much of the work of your description be done in their dialogue.", "\n\nThe brush you use to paint these people for your reader should be a fine one, capable of infusing small details, but the canvas should be broad enough to work in more than just what they look like. ", "Your descriptions should also include people's motivations, moods, and flaws.", "\n\nAll of these approaches will overlap in your writing, and you should make sure that they do. ", "Many times the best way to show a character's mood is in her dialogue. ", "That lady that we visited earlier who started her day lamenting that it's not even worth getting out of bed is a far cry from another one who wakes up, reaches for the phone, and starts blabbering sweet things to her boyfriend. ", "One is sad; the other is happy. ", "And we know that without having been told that it is so. ", "Just like we know in some stories that a man is in a particular mood because of something that motivates him or that another is influenced by his flaws or his stereotypical heritage.", "\n\nThe people who do and say the things and words that you put in your fiction are, in large part, what makes your story work for your reader. ", "So treat them well. ", "And describe them well.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nStand in front of your bathroom mirror — or sit yourself down with one of the handheld variety — and take a good, hard, long look at yourself. ", "Now write down what you see in such a way that somebody that has never laid eyes on you might _see_ you through your description. ", "Don't limit yourself to simply physical description: Work in hints of character, flaws, a spiritual awareness, or that evil gleam in your eye that an elementary teacher saw long ago.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts choose one character, major or minor, and look for ways to use your description of him for more than just to report what he looks and sounds like. ", "Consider ways that you can work other elements — foreshadowing, prejudice, fear, a deep, dark secret — into your overall delivery of this fellow to your reader.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nNow dig through one of those manuscripts one more time, this time looking for any characters that might benefit from some stereotypical description (attributes and characteristics that the reader expects) but, more so, at how you might \"destereotype\" some of them. ", "Maybe, in your story set in 1958 in Mississippi, let that rural white southern sheriff say a kind word to a black sharecropper rather than snub him. ", "A bit of irony will have taken place, your reader will be surprised, and at least one of your characters will emerge as something more than a one dimensional cardboard figure.", "\n\n# 7\n\n## [ TIME AND PLACE ]\n\nIn chapter four I pointed out that it is essential when writing fiction to tell a story rather than write a report. ", "The reason is simple: Stories are more enjoyable than reports and easier to digest. ", "You want proof of that? ", "Dust off your Old Testament and start reading, not for any spiritual enlightenment but just for comprehension. ", "You'll probably like Genesis, what with Adam and Eve misbehaving and Noah getting his odd instructions regarding a particular boat and Abraham's test and many other things. ", "Then read on through Exodus, with God continually asking Moses \"What's _with_ these people? ", "I promise them all these neat things, give them food that falls out of the sky, and all they do is _whine_.\" ", "That's good stuff, best-seller material if ever I saw it.", "\n\nNow take a stab at Leviticus, which is a long catalog of specific dietary and ritualistic rules. ", "Leviticus has undoubtedly brought legions of people intent on reading straight through the Bible from start to finish to a screeching halt.", "\n\nIn Genesis and Exodus there is drama; there are murders, betrayals, and interesting characters with various motivations in various dilemmas. ", "In short, there are stories. ", "In Leviticus there is just that seemingly unending list of decrees.", "\n\nAnd there is one more difference — perhaps the single most important one — between the Old Testament's first two books and its third. ", "All of those stories are grounded in specific times and places. ", "They each have a definite setting; Abraham looks out across the vast unknown territory that he has been told to traverse, Noah watches the waters cover up the world and gets bumped around by all those animals in the close quarters of the ark, and Moses actually _sees_ the promised land, rather than just hears about it. ", "Readers see it too, since they are right there with him. ", "There's none of that in Leviticus, since the reader is never given any particular place to _be_.", "\n\nNothing so solidly anchors a work of fiction in readers' minds as knowing when and where something is taking place. ", "Settings provide bases of operations for everything that happens in your story or novel, and, as importantly, they — along with the characters that will do things in there — provide you with a means to actually tell a _story_ , rather than simply report information.", "\n\nIn this chapter, we'll look at a few ways for you to put your readers in the times and places where those stories can emerge.", "\n\n **THE CREDIBILITY OF YOUR SETTING**\n\nOne night my wife was watching television while I tried to read student manuscripts. ", "Bits and pieces of whatever she was watching began to mingle with the words I was reading, and soon I began to realize that I was paying as much attention to the movie as I was to what I was supposed to be doing.", "\n\nThe plot involved a middle-aged woman who had fallen into a romance with her young renter, who had taken to cavorting with the woman's teenaged daughter. ", "The whole mess ended tragically for the mother and daughter — a hatchet was involved — with the amorous renter languishing away in an insane asylum. ", "When I commented on the absurdity of the situation, my wife looked at me and said these words: \"It's based on a true story.\" ", "Then she leaned forward and secured the story's credibility with this surefire endorsement:\"It really _happened_.\"", "\n\nThose words come close to carrying magic, don't they? ", "We seem to be constantly on the lookout for some level of reality — of credibility — in real life that we seem to think fiction denies us. ", "That's why the phrase \"stranger than fiction\" packs such a punch. ", "That's why when someone says that a particular movie or book is \"based on a true story\" they are implying that that fact somehow elevates it from events and characters that have been fabricated by a storyteller.", "\n\nNow here's the deal. ", "For you as a writer, every one of your stories should really happen in the mind and eyes and ears of the reader. ", "They should happen as surely in fiction as they would if actually transpiring in fact.", "\n\nWe're really talking about two things here: (1) establishing your characters and their situations and the details of the setting so completely that it all _could_ possibly take place (the overall credibility) and (2) the effective conveyance of those characters and situations and details so that the story _does_ take place. ", "One of the very best ways to ensure that both of these things happen is to pay close attention to the description of your setting.", "\n\nLet's look to Hemingway for our example. ", "In this opening paragraph from his story \"In Another Country,\" he takes us to a time before most of us were born and to a place where most of us have never been. ", "And yet, through his description and the use of small details, the reader is actually there, seeing the things that the narrator is seeing, feeling the biting cold of a long-ago evening:\n\nIn the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it anymore. ", "It was cold in the fall in Milan and the dark came very early. ", "Then the electric lights came on, and it was pleasant along the streets looking in the windows. ", "There was much game hanging outside the shops, and the snow powdered in the fur of the foxes and the wind blew their tails. ", "The deer hung stiff and heavy and empty, and small birds blew in the wind and the wind turned their feathers. ", "It was a cold fall and the wind came down from the mountains.", "\n\nFor the reader, this event really happens as surely as the events that inspired that movie my wife told me was \"based on a true story.\" ", "More than eighty years separates Hemingway's writing of the words in that paragraph and my writing of these, and yet when I read his, that little scene comes through as clear and crisp as if I were standing on the sidewalk on that cold night, looking at the game outside the shops.", "\n\nYour fiction should seem that real to your readers. ", "The only way to make it happen is to pay close attention to the details that you want, and _need_ , to convey in a scene and then to choose the very best words that you can come up with in order to describe the details. ", "A list — kept close by when you are writing — of all of the images that you feel need to be included will be quite helpful to you; that way you can check off the things that you include, cross out the ones that you've reconsidered, and make little notes — like \"do later\" — beside others. ", "Also helpful will be other lists, perhaps of adjective possibilities or metaphor or simile candidates.", "\n\nThe end result of all of this thinking and scribbling will be — you can only hope — a work of fiction that will bring your readers in and give them a realistic sense of where things will be taking place.", "\n\n **THE BIG PICTURE AND THE SMALL**\n\nOne of the first decisions you'll have to make when conveying your time and place will be how to provide your reader with that always-important first impression of your setting. ", "There are numerous ways for you to bring the location to life and then keep providing a strong sense of the setting throughout the entire story or novel, but before you can do any of them, you'll need to decide if you're going to start with a wide frame and tighten your focus or begin with that narrower viewpoint and work within it.", "\n\n **Making a Plot Graph**\n\nCompleting one of these for each and every scene in your short story or novel chapter will help you to locate, and then remember, all of the details that you need to establish your setting. ", "Then place each one side by side to provide you with a linear representation of your overall plan. ", "It also lets you see at a glance if some of your minor characters are popping up too frequently or not often enough. ", "Prominently placed on the wall in the room where you do most of your writing, this graph will let you pinpoint problems and make modifications. ", "It might also provide you with the assurance that progress is actually being made, something that all writers need to feel when working in the trenches of a project.", "\n\n ** _PLOT GRAPH_**\n\nScene Number__________________________________________________\n\nTime__________________________________________________\n\nMonth/Year__________________________________________________\n\nClock Time__________________________________________________\n\nPlace__________________________________________________\n\nWeather Conditions__________________________________________________\n\nGeography____________________________________________________________________________________________________\n\nArchitecture (Layout of Room or Place)\n\n______________________________________\n\n______________________________________________________________\n\nFood__________________________________________________\n\nCharacters in This Scene__________________________________________________\n\n(Very) Brief Summary of Action\n\n_________________________________________\n\n___________________________________________________________\n\nThings, Actions Needing Description\n\n_________________________________________________________\n\n___________________________________________\n\nYou will probably employ the latter most of the time, but there will be many opportunities for you use the wider vision. ", "Let's take a look at both approaches.", "\n\n **The Macrocosm**\n\nThe word _macrocosm_ actually means the totality of everything, as in a universe, but for our purpose it indicates a large setting as opposed to a specific one. ", "In fiction, a macrocosm can be a more far-reaching series of events than one little action by a character or two, as in a single soldier going about the business of staying alive inside the gigantic thing swirling all around him that is a world war or two kids who fall in love within the ancient feud in _Romeo and Juliet_. ", "In chapter ten we'll look at how the larger view can help to move your fiction along, but here let's consider it in a much more specific way: at how you can give just a _glimpse_ of this totality to your readers then move them into a smaller, more detailed place.", "\n\nThis bird's eye view can be done rapidly — sort of slipped in — with a mere mention of the distant viewpoint, as John Steinbeck does in the last sentence of this offering from _The Moon is Down_ :\n\nNear the mine entrance the guards watched the sky and trained their instruments on the sky and turned their listening-instruments against the sky, for it was a clear night for bombing. ", "On nights like this the feathered steel spindles came whistling down and roared to splinters. ", "The land would be visible from the sky tonight, even though the moon seemed to throw little light.", "\n\nOr you can go into more detail, taking advantage of this lofty perspective to establish your setting, as I did in _The Windows of Heaven_ , when describing Galveston Island:\n\nFrom the air she would resemble an awkward creature trying to take flight, her head, wider and heavier than the rest of her, making an effort to lift all of her up and away, the long, slender body lagging behind. ", "The side of her short wings, straining to pull her up, was the pointed jut of land above Offats Bayou, and most of the rest of her was sand and salt grass, the curving beach separated from the flats and marshes by sand dunes, odd shaped structures born of wind and tide. ", "Only toward the head of the creature had much civilization taken hold, as if the town had grown out of the thing's brain, and been blown back over its body by the wind accompanying its ascent.", "\n\nYou might notice that I transform the island into a living thing so that my readers might see it more clearly. ", "On a map, Galveston does indeed look like a bird taking off, so I played that to the hilt. ", "If you decide to use this approach, spend some time looking at either aerial photographs or maps of your large setting, trying to come up with things that they look like (I've always thought the continental United States resembles a hefty side of beef, with Maine as the thick neck, Florida as the stubby front leg, and Baja California as the tail).", "\n\nOnce you've come up with a visual image that works, try different ways to work it into your description. ", "A metaphor might be the way to go: _Don't underestimate Italy, the slender boot poised to kick a field goal with Sicily_ , or maybe a simile will be your best bet: _Cape Cod stretched itself into the Atlantic like an arm flexing its muscles, its fist clenched tight against whatever the ocean might bring_.", "\n\nWhether you choose to take the stealthy, brief approach — like Steinbeck's — or the longer, more elaborate one — like mine — will depend on what you want a reference to do for your reader. ", "If you just need a different perspective, then brevity will work just fine, but if you want to help establish what will be an important place, where important things will happen, then you'll need to dwell on it somewhat longer and in more detail.", "\n\nAnother way to convey the big picture is to let your reader's mind's eye move _across_ the setting, rather than down into it, like the slow panning of the camera across a landscape in a widescreen movie. ", "Look at how Stephen Harrigan does this in his novel _The Gates of the Alamo_ :\n\nThe light crept down the hills, then swam across the shallow river valley until it reached the field where the Alamo stood, and then moved on to the river and the village beyond. ", "In a cypress tree along the banks, a hawk sat ruffling its feathers, shaking off the cold that had seeped into its bones during the night and beginning to rouse its mind from the sleep that held it fast.", "\n\nThis use of visual description is considerably more effective than simply saying the sun rose. ", "Harrigan also makes nice use of personification, not by comparing the entire scene to a living thing, as I did in the preceding example about Galveston, but by having just one thing, the light, creep and swim. ", "Notice, too, that he moves that light _gradually_ , first over the Alamo and then into the village and past it, as if illuminating the set where important things are about to commence. ", "Then, when he's got his wide stage lit, he focuses on the smallest of things: a single, sleepy hawk in a tree. ", "By the time he gets around to some action — and plenty of it in the form of one of the most famous battles in history — readers are well aware of the setting. ", "They have front row seats.", "\n\nThe use of dialogue offers yet another opportunity to establish a tiny setting within the enormity of a larger one. ", "A classic example is in _Our Town_ by Thornton Wilder, when one character tells another one about some recent mail:\n\n\"I never told you about that letter Jane Crofit got from her minister when she was sick. ", "He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: It said: Jane Crofit; the Crofit Farm; Grover's Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America... Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; The Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God — that's what it said on the envelope.\"", "\n\nYou will more than likely not make your macrocosm as all-inclusive as Wilder's, but search for opportunities to occasionally give your readers the big picture — the panorama or bird's eye view — before you focus in on a much smaller place and situation. ", "If your setting is a brownstone near Central Park in Manhattan, it might be a good idea to drop in slowly, showing the entire island at first and then coming down to where your story will take place, like the opening scene in the movie _West Side Story_. ", "This overall view won't be something that you'll want to use more than once in a short story, and probably not any more than that in a novel, but it does serve to remind your readers that your specific setting is only one piece in a much larger puzzle.", "\n\nDescription of or reference to a macrocosm will work nicely for you occasionally, but its opposite, the _micro_ cosm, is where you will be setting most of your fiction.", "\n\n **The Microcosm**\n\nWe're talking here about a _little world_ — a world in small. ", "The home you grew up in might have been exactly that for you, populated by people who sometimes went out into the bigger world but always came back to that more important one. ", "It might have offered safety and stability; it almost certainly provided nourishment and shelter and, hopefully, love and support. ", "It was probably — at least in your youthful, nai¨ve perspective — a self-sufficient, independent place. ", "To borrow a phrase from Robert Frost (which I've already stolen outright as a title for a novel) it was \"a place apart.\"", "\n\nTo your way of thinking, that home — and perhaps your entire hometown — was incredibly clearer and more distinct than the wider world beyond it. ", "And that clarity and distinction is what you should aim for in your fiction. ", "If a particular room in your story or novel is going to be important — or if important things are going to happen there — then it should not just be a _generic_ room, essentially no different than countless other rooms. ", "It should be _the_ room that you envision in which something in your story will be played out.", "\n\nIn this bit from _The Ghost Writer_ by Philip Roth, a young narrator is shown into a room by a famous writer.", "\n\nThe living room he took me into was neat, cozy, and plain: a large circular hooked rug, some slipcovered easy chairs, a worn sofa, a long wall of books, a piano, a phonograph, an oak library table systematically stacked with journals and magazines... Beyond the cushioned window seats and the colorless cotton curtains tied primly back I could see the bare limbs of big dark maple trees and fields of driven snow. ", "Purity. ", "Serenity. ", "Simplicity. ", "Seclusion. ", "All one's concentration and flamboyance and originality reserved for the grueling, exalted, transcendent calling. ", "I looked around and I thought, This is how I will live.", "\n\nThat room makes quite the impression on the narrator, so it should make equally as much of one on the reader. ", "Look back at the fine details Roth puts in to make this just the right room: the comfortable, worn furniture, that table stacked with books and journals, the nice scenery through the window, even the author's succinct, one-word assessments. ", "Then look at that declaration at the end, leaving no doubt that this is a room the narrator won't soon forget.", "\n\nIt's not unlike the vivid, detailed description of that room in _The Shipping News_ we looked at in chapter one. ", "And you will need to use details just like that in your fiction in order to bring rooms and streets and parks and many, many other places to life for your readers. ", "Let's say you've got a character being interviewed for a job; she's sitting in someone's office and answering the questions as he asks them. ", "This sort of scene would seem to lend itself to a dialogue-driven treatment, but don't overlook making the setting work for you also. ", "What sort of room is it? ", "Is it a corner office with a breathtaking view of the city, which would indicate the person conducting the interview is a big cheese? ", "Are there photographs of his family on the wall? ", "Is it a dark place, lots of oak paneling and leather chairs, or a bright one, with huge windows and rows of track lighting? ", "What is there about this room that might help the reader see more clearly the personality of the man who inhabits it or the nature of the position that this woman is seeking? ", "Maybe there are documents scattered around on the desk that are obviously confidential, alerting her to a possibility of impropriety or unprofessional laxity.", "\n\nOr maybe the setting you are describing is someone's backyard. ", "If the shrubs and trees are all neatly trimmed, a pair of Adirondack chairs in precise alignment, the lawn perfectly manicured and raked, the birdfeeders topped off, and a vase of fresh flowers on the patio table, then your readers will assume that a particular type of person lives there. ", "If the grass is overgrown, the flowerbeds full of weeds, and cheap plastic folding chairs sit upended on the unswept patio, then they will assume someone quite different.", "\n\nIn short, make the settings of your fiction more than just places to be. ", "Make them repositories of numerous details that help to tell your story and define your characters. ", "A very good way to do this is to look for microcosms — little worlds — in your settings, scene by scene and in the work as a whole. ", "When you do this, you'll come closer to being able to convey the settings — and the treasure trove of details they contain — to your reader.", "\n\n **A PAIR OF ESSENTIALS**\n\nWhen using those details, don't overlook two areas that are vital to a full representation of a particular time and place: weather and geography. ", "If your readers don't get some idea of what the climate and the landscape are like, then there will be some awfully big holes in their overall perception of the time and place. ", "These are two constants in everyone's daily lives, so it would be a mistake to ignore them when describing your settings.", "\n\n **Weather**\n\nI'm a big believer in plot graphs (as seen on page 123), linear representations of where things are taking place in a story and where things are generally heading. ", "For each scene of a story or a chapter in a novel, I make sure I put down things that will help me focus on details that will be essential in my writing. ", "One of these is weather. ", "Even if the scene takes place inside a room that has no windows, _I_ still need to know what the climate and conditions are outside, especially since scenes usually come wedged in between other scenes, which _might_ take place outdoors. ", "And because characters are more than likely affected by the weather. ", "If you're at a place in your war novel where a group of commanders are at a staff meeting deep inside a bunker, you won't be expected to describe what the weather is doing outside (since there are no windows). ", "But you _do_ need to convey these men's crankiness due to the fact that it's been raining for a week and showing no signs of stopping in spite of the fact that a major landing is on for tonight.", "\n\nBright, sun-washed skies, driving rain, howling winds, a Winnie the Pooh blustery day — all of nature's various moods and conditions are some of the best tools in your kit. ", "So don't forget to use them.", "\n\nLook at how Belva Plain, in her novel _Her Father's House_ , came up with a better way of telling the reader that the weather outside is frightful:\n\nStill frazzled, he boarded the train. ", "Red-faced passengers, people with wet coats and windblown hair came in stamping their feet and rubbing their cold hands...\n\nThat's a classic example of showing rather than telling. ", "We've all seen cold, wet, red-faced people step inside and stomp their feet and rub their hands. ", "So we know _exactly_ what the weather is like without having it reported to us. ", "Now think about how much stronger the image is in readers' minds than if they had been told that it was a cold, wet day. ", "As I said in chapter four, it's always a good idea to go on a hunting expedition in your manuscripts, looking for places where showing will work much better than telling.", "\n\nAnd, as I also said in chapter four, there will be places where telling might work just fine, as it does in this sentence from _Harvard Yard_ by William Martin:\n\nIt was one of those March evenings when the lingering light promised spring, but the air was as cold as February, and January still whistled in.", "\n\nThis is still better than simply telling that it's cold out. ", "The author calls upon the reader's preconceived notions of weather conditions of three months in this example. ", "So, rather than spend too much time describing that lingering light and cold, whistling air, he chooses to convey the image in one fell swoop. ", "The plot, at this point in his novel, is not dependent on what the weather is up to, but this brief description makes the setting more realistic. ", "It's a small detail that adds to the overall image that a good writer is constantly striving for.", "\n\nWhen writing about the weather, or anything else, it's not always a bad idea to bluntly state the obvious. ", "Remember, showing is usually better than telling, but that's not _always_ the case. ", "The first sentence in the first chapter of the first book I ever wrote is _It is snowing._ ", "You can't get much more straightforward than that. ", "It just so happened that I wanted my readers to know this from the get-go. ", "So I chose for it to be the initial image.", "\n\nWhen planning your story or novel, know — for every scene — exactly what the weather is up to. ", "And make sure you let the reader know it, too.", "\n\n **Geography**\n\nMost of us are impacted — positively or negatively or probably bits of both — by the physical landscapes that we live in. ", "Let's face it: A person who lives in the big sky, wide-open vista of Wyoming is apt to have a different worldview than someone who lives in a congested, noisy city. ", "And that worldview will undoubtedly spill over into his or her life in many ways.", "\n\nHere's an example. ", "It might be true, as John Donne maintained, that no man is an island. ", "But more than a few live or have lived on one, and island folk are usually quick to tell you how hearty and independent they are. ", "And — guess what? — ", "more often than not they are. ", "Maybe they've convinced themselves of it, or perhaps being an island dweller actually _does_ set people apart from mainland inhabitants. ", "I don't know. ", "But I do know this: When I wrote my novel about Galveston Island, I met many, many of its citizens. ", "Those who had actually been born there always told me quickly they were a BOI (born on the island), a distinction they wear as proudly as if it were a Medal of Honor.", "\n\nI would have been foolish, when writing that novel, to have not described that pride and grit and independence in those Galveston people. ", "Because those qualities determined entirely by geography were essential components of who they were and are.", "\n\nIn your own fiction, look for places to instill those qualities and quirks and mannerisms that derive from the land itself. ", "But be careful not to end up with a cliche´. ", "The stereotypical western loner, out there on the sweeping western range, looking for no more companionship than his trusty horse, will be all too predictable if he wanders into your story. ", "Using elements of that independence and standoffishness in a character might work just fine, but to transplant the Marlboro Man into your fiction whole cloth will be a mistake. ", "Remember, stereotypical characters are usually much too unsurprising and one-dimensional. ", "The same applies to settings; Texas is not all cactus and prairies any more than England is all heather and hedgerows.", "\n\nYour more common use of geography will be the actual description of it. ", "In most cases the lay of the land won't be any more pivotal to your plot than the weather is, but, like your occasional references to the weather, the reader needs, and wants, to know what the landscape looks like. ", "Here are Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in a railway car on their way to the country in \"The Adventure of the Speckled Band\" by A. Conan Doyle:\n\nIt was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens. ", "The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. ", "To me at least there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged.", "\n\nNotice the carefully laid on springtime images both meteorological and geographical at the start: _perfect day, bright sun, fleecy clouds, the first green shoots, the pleasant smell of the moist earth_. ", "Then all of these niceties give way to something not so nice, to this _sinister quest_ that will be the business of the remainder of the tale.", "\n\nDoyle calls upon both the weather and the landscape to help him introduce that quest. ", "In your fiction, do the same thing: Use whatever is going on around your characters and their actions to give the reader a clearer view. ", "If you've got something happening on a seashore, make sure you describe what kind of beach it is. ", "A beach in Maine with rocky cliffs and tall evergreens is likely to be altogether different than one on the gulf coast, where the land is as flat as the sea. ", "The very colors of the sand and water are different in those two places, so you'll need to get it right.", "\n\nWhich brings us to this word of caution: Do your research. ", "Make sure when you mention mountains or hills on the horizon that you are placing them where mountains and hills would actually _be_. ", "Having a character stumble over kudzu in Colorado would be as silly as having someone pick edelweiss in Mississippi. ", "My novel set in northern Ohio has a photograph on the cover with a crepe myrtle tree in a front yard. ", "The problem here, as more than one northern Ohioan informed me, is that there are no crepe myrtle trees in that part of the world.", "\n\n **CREATING BELIEVABLE SETTINGS IN IMPOSSIBLE PLACES**\n\nIn Mark Helprin's novel _Winter's Tale_ , the setting is New York City early in the twentieth century, but with a few modifications. ", "For instance, there is a constant fog bank so thick that it scrapes and sometimes dents the tops of trains that rumble through it. ", "And the novel starts one early morning with a bored horse that strolls across the Brooklyn Bridge and eventually learns to fly.", "\n\nBoth things sound impossible, don't they? ", "And of course they are. ", "But, owing to the fine storytelling from this talented writer, they aren't _unbelievable_ , anymore so than the existence of evil Nazi-like rabbits in Richard Adams's _Watership Down_ or the dogged persistence of an unassuming hobbit in saving Middle Earth in _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy.", "\n\nWhether or not your setting works for a reader is not dependent on whether or not it is physically _possible_ , but on how well you establish its credibility within the context of the story. ", "I'm fairly certain there isn't _really_ a land somewhere over the rainbow, with wicked witches and grumpy apple trees and Munchkins, but that doesn't keep _The Wizard of Oz_ from working on every level at which a good story must work. ", "The Lion doesn't evolve as a believable character because he's a lion, or even because he's cowardly, but because he finally locates the compassion and courage that he didn't think he had, and because we've sometimes surprised ourselves also and can relate to him. ", "The expedition on the Yellow Brick Road doesn't work because of all the odd adventures and strange places along the way, but because we've all made difficult journeys.", "\n\nIf you choose to place your story or novel in an impossible setting, you'll need to remember that the setting is only a stage for the more important business that you'll be about: the interaction of your characters and the situations in which you place them. ", "If you have a colony of people living on a planet in a galaxy far, far away — having been transported there by a technology that hasn't yet been developed — you'll need your story to depend on how these characters behave in _that given setting_. ", "In other words, you'll need to place them in situations that we earthbound readers in the here and now can identify with. ", "Let's face it: stealing a canister of hyrocaspicular mertatron on the third moon of Salantgris isn't all that different from robbing a bank in Grand Rapids. ", "They're both stealing, and they both involve the inevitable planning and nervousness and suspense that are part and parcel of all theft. ", "Most certainly, you will have chosen your setting for a reason; it will have some significance in the story and sometimes the setting itself will _be_ a character.", "\n\nWhen writing about impossible — maybe we'd better say _improbable_ — places, it's essential that you create a system of rules for that world and that you stick to them. ", "Your rules might not be anything more complex than a group of space travelers not being able to breathe the atmosphere of a given planet without wearing helmets or they might include various levels of things, as J.K. Rowling employs in her Harry Potter series, where the physical laws of nature are altered considerably. ", "When you build such a system of rules, you'll have to apply them consistently in your work, for an oversight here will lose readers quickly.", "\n\nRemember, let your characters and their motivations and actions drive your story, not the setting. ", "If you do that, then go ahead and make the time and place as impossible as you want to. ", "Your solid story will render it entirely possible within the context that you have established.", "\n\n **BEWARE THE COMFORT ZONE**\n\nWhen I pick up one of the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald and plop myself down in my hammock to reread it, I get a sense of coming home. ", "Here again is Travis tinkering around on his houseboat, _The Busted Flush_ , in a St. Petersburg marina. ", "And here is his friend and sidekick Meyer, the old economist whose home floats in the next slip. ", "The Florida sun shines down, the early 1960s creep slowly along, and all is well. ", "I'm so contented with the setting and the characters that I haven't yet been able to forgive MacDonald for dying and depriving me of more novels.", "\n\nThat comfort zone — that relaxed, good feeling you might get when you delve into a new book or story — is a good thing. ", "You should only hope that your readers feel that secure and comfortable when reading your fiction; it means you satisfy them as a writer and that they will continue to buy your books. ", "But here's a warning regarding the comfort zone: As a writer, you should avoid falling into it yourself.", "\n\nJohn D. MacDonald never got so cozy with his setting and his characters that he had page after page of that Florida sunshine and tinkering on the boat and chatting with Meyer over scotch on the rocks. ", "MacDonald understood that one of the unbreakable tenets of good fiction is that it has to _move_ , and at a pretty steady clip. ", "This is especially true when writing for a popular fiction audience, as opposed to one with more literary tastes. ", "He infused his stories constantly with all of the elements that make me feel so at home with McGee and his sun-kissed, laid-back lifestyle, but he kept the plots churning along, often times putting his characters and that lifestyle in harm's way.", "\n\nLet's say you've got a character who grew up in the city and buys herself a nice little house in the country. ", "Here's a fine opportunity for you as a writer to have her fix the place up, plant some petunias, paint the mailbox, meet the neighbors, join the church, and do countless other things. ", "Here's the opportunity, also, for you to have her do _only_ — or mostly — these things, rather than pushing a story forward that will hold your readers' attention. ", "All of those things that she does should be a subplot, each woven carefully into the bigger plot that will center on the box of old love letters she discovers in the basement or the body in the flower bed or the strange man who lives next door who just might know something about the checkered — or downright criminal — past that she moved to the boondocks to escape.", "\n\nRemember, Holmes and Watson don't always sit cozy by the fire in their Baker Street rooms on foggy London nights, they get up and _do_ things. ", "And Miss Marple, Agatha Christie's sleuth, doesn't just putter around the garden of her cottage in St. Mary Mead, she spends much, much more of the story's time snooping around to see who poisoned the vicar.", "\n\nThere's nothing wrong with your reader feeling a comfort zone in your fiction, at least occasionally. ", "But make sure you make them feel it in little doses, not in long descriptions. ", "As importantly, you should avoid getting so caught up in it that it impedes your more important goal: to relate a compelling, active series of events.", "\n\n **FRAMEWORK SETTINGS**\n\nFrameworking — the inclusion of several things into a larger context or frame — is one of the world's oldest literary devices. ", "Odysseus's adventures were all played out in the bigger story of the return to Ithaca after the Trojan War, and _The Canterbury Tales_ , perhaps the most famous framework piece, is comprised of stories told by pilgrims on their way to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket. ", "So all of these individual stories of Cyclopes and killer whirlpools and talking roosters and the Wife of Bath are little pieces of something bigger, in these cases two journeys: from Troy to Ithaca and from London to Canterbury and back again.", "\n\nThe physical settings of fiction can also be frameworked, not by actions or events this time, but by the places themselves. ", "For instance, James Michener's novel _The Source_ covers several thousand years by focusing on one small place throughout all of that time. ", "And the framework that he chooses to employ is an archeological dig in which several artifacts are discovered at different depths. ", "Each jar and spearhead and buckle that is excavated has its own story to tell as it turns out, and those stories become the many chapters of the novel.", "\n\nEven if you don't undertake such vast time travels in your writing, a bit of frameworking in your own setting might make your story or novel more interesting. ", "Maybe you've got two old siblings reunited at the house they grew up in, and the crumbling house becomes, in a flashback or a back story, a newly built, handsome structure. ", "This way, the disintegration of the house itself serves to highlight similar changes in the old men. ", "Or maybe you've got a couple on their honeymoon in France, ending up at the very same little hotel where one of their grandparents had their own honeymoon many decades before. ", "Perhaps you'll have one of your characters come across a dilapidated old building that becomes the setting of the backstory that will be the major plotline, as Fannie Flagg does in her novel _Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe´_.", "\n\nUsing a framework can be a very effective and creative way to tell a story. ", "If you choose to do it, make sure that your major emphasis is on that _story_ and not the framework. ", "Remember, the Canterbury _tales_ are the important things, not the fact that their tellers are on a common journey.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: BEING THERE**\n\nThere is a wonderful place in _The Martian Chronicles_ by Ray Bradbury where two characters have a chance meeting on a Martian plain on a nice night. ", "One is from Mars and one is from Earth and at first they can't communicate. ", "Then the Martian makes a technical adjustment and begins speaking English, and in not too many minutes they each begin to notice that the other one is not really _there_. ", "In fact, what each of them sees off in the distance — a group of ruins for one and a vibrant, active town for the other — isn't really there either. ", "We finally see what is going on: that the two characters are at the same place, but the _times_ at which they are there are actually separated by tens of thousands of years. ", "After a while, these two decide that, rather than try to figure out how this oddity came about or what they might do to fix it, they should each accept the settings they are in and enjoy them.", "\n\nI've come to believe that that is exactly what good fiction does; it allows us to be immersed in a particular time and place for awhile. ", "Your job as a writer is to deliver those settings.", "\n\nWe'll look in the next chapter at ways to establish settings in particular types of fiction. ", "Here we've considered several ways to do it in general. ", "The times and places in our fiction must be sufficiently credible to make your readers believe they _can_ exist (even in impossible places), and they must be sufficiently delivered to make readers believe they _do_ exist in the context of your plot. ", "Look for ways to incorporate the larger view (by offering a bird's eye view or a framework) and such things as the weather and the landscape. ", "Good settings are comprised of many details, and good fiction is comprised of nicely crafted settings.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nUsing one of your manuscripts, find places where you can go into more detail regarding weather conditions and geography. ", "You'll be surprised how much more clearly your setting will emerge when your reader is aware of these things.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nTake down your world atlas and start flipping through its pages. ", "Look specifically at the shapes of states, nations, and continents. ", "Now, determine how you might go about describing a few of those shapes for your reader. ", "Every place can look like _something_ , and your comparison might be a good way to establish your setting. ", "Pick a couple of places, and write a paragraph or two in which you bring those places more clearly into your readers' minds.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nUsing that manuscript again, or another one, search for places where you can let your characters' dialogue help establish your setting. ", "You might use inflection or dialect that is unique to a particular place, or your might have your character refer to a city or region.", "\n\n# 8\n\n## [ DESCRIPTION AND SETTING IN SPECIALIZED FICTION ]\n\nNow that we've spent some time considering a few ways to establish your settings and better use of description, let's focus on how to put them to work within several specific types of fiction that are sometimes considered to be outside the general, or mainstream, offerings.", "\n\nMany talented authors write in more than one of these genres. ", "Just look at several titles of novels by the late Dan Parkinson: _The Guns of No Man's Land, Gunpowder Wind, Blood Arrow_ (westerns), _The Fox and the Flag_ (a buccaneer swashbuckler), the Dragonlance Dwarven Nations series (fantasy), _Timecop: Viper's Spawn_ , and the Gates of Time series (science fiction).", "\n\nHe was able to successfully publish in these (and even other) genres because he never forgot something that we've talked about more than once already: Good fiction is not finally dependent on the time and place of the story, but on the story itself.", "\n\nLet's consider an often used device — the journey motif — that always involves some character or several characters attempting to _get_ somewhere. ", "It's a literary vehicle as old as literature itself, and it works as effectively in modern novels like _Cold Mountain_ as it does in ancient epics like the _Odyssey_. ", "Sometimes the journey is a geographical one — like Huck and Jim floating down the Mississippi in _Huckleberry Finn_ — and sometimes it's a completely internal voyage, like Helen Keller groping to find her way out of her blind, deaf world in _The Miracle Worker_. ", "Whatever the particular circumstances, the journey always elicits a change in the central character and usually in others as well. ", "It is this change, and the character's reactions to the journey and its consequences, that allow the journey motif to work effectively in _any_ genre.", "\n\nHere's how. ", "The settings are worlds apart in _Cold Mountain_ , the _Odyssey, Huckleberry Finn_ , and _The Miracle Worker_ , as different in fact as in _The Lord of the Rings_ and _The Wizard of Oz_. ", "But what these works all have in common are not their times and places, but the journey that has to be made.", "\n\nAnd what ties Dan Parkinson's many novels together is not the fact that some of them take place in the distant future on planets countless light years away, others on high seas fraught with pirates over two centuries ago, and still others on the plains of the American West in the late 1800s. ", "What makes Parkinson's work accessible and enjoyable is that none of his novels are _about_ those places or times. ", "They are about the characters and the dilemmas and struggles and obstacles they face and sometimes overcome. ", "In other words, they're about the _story_.", "\n\nBelieve me, there really isn't much new under the sun, at least when it comes to basic story lines. ", "What _will_ be new is the unique spin you put on it in the context of the genre you choose, the setting you create, and the description and fine wordsmithing you employ.", "\n\nYou might end up overlapping or you might find a genre that you enjoy writing and stay within it for several books. ", "Some authors of certain genres publish dozens of novels, or sometimes hundreds of stories, over the course of their careers and never choose to try anything different. ", "That's not a crime. ", "Frankly, I'm delighted that a number of my favorite writers have stayed within what they consider to be _their_ genres, since they are such exceptional practitioners of that distinctive type.", "\n\nWhatever you decide to do — to write within one genre or move around among several — remember two things: (1) the story that you are going to tell will more than likely work within several of the types of fiction and (2) because of that, you'll need to read some good examples of each and keep an open mind when making your decision. ", "Those three characters that you've decided to push into a love triangle in your fiction can go about that dubious enterprise in the suburbs of Spokane or in Dodge City in 1874 or on the eighth planet of Zennotutha or in London during the Nazi blitz. ", "What you have to decide is which setting will let you best highlight the actions of those characters and their situations.", "\n\nWhen you get to the place, in a few pages, where I discuss several of the genres each in their turn, don't skip over those that you think are of no interest to you. ", "Consider each one. ", "You just might surprise yourself. ", "Maybe there's a darn fine fantasy story in that imagination of yours, one that you never intended to write.", "\n\n **DOING YOUR HOMEWORK**\n\nIf you have received many rejection slips from publishers (let's face it, we all have if we've sent off very many queries or samples), you've no doubt come across some version of this phrase: \"We suggest that you read some of the books (or stories) that we have published.\"", "\n\nThat's good advice, indeed.", "\n\nPublishers are looking for specific types of stories and novels — and require that they be written in specific ways — because the people who buy their offerings expect certain things. ", "Someone who purchases a Western novel expects to _get_ one, with all of the requisite gunplay and slapping of leather against horsehide and dust clouds billowing up out of canyons and corrals. ", "And that reader will be mighty put out if something called _The Maverick of Broken Axle Canyon_ , with an illustration of a lone cowboy on horseback galloping under a crimson sky, turns out to be a romance involving a tax attorney and a housewife seeking meaning in her life.", "\n\nReaders generally know what they want. ", "So when you decide to write a particular type of fiction, you need to know what they want, too. ", "Make sure that one of the very first things that you do is read several novels or stories that are representative of that genre. ", "And don't let the fact that you _have_ read some of them keep you from this essential step in the writing process. ", "Okay, so you're about to tackle writing a spy thriller and you read William F. Buckley's _Saving the Queen_ not too many years ago. ", "Read it again, or one of his other Blackford Oakes novels or some other espionage yarn. ", "But this time read it from the perspective of a _writer_ , not just a reader. ", "Look closely at how he crafts his plot. ", "Pay attention to the unique wordsmithing that another author might not use in that particular way in a book in another genre. ", "Take the time to acquaint yourself with how successful writers have written in the genre that you intend to be successful at also. ", "It will be time very well spent.", "\n\nLet's look now at some special attention that you need to pay to settings and description in a few specialized genres. ", "Remember, scout's honor, you're going to read them all.", "\n\n **HISTORICAL FICTION**\n\nHistorical fiction is a hybrid of both of those things: history and fiction. ", "Being so it carries with it some requirements that you need to be aware of. ", "The most important of these is that the history part — those things in your story or novel that actually _happened_ — need to be essentially correct and verifiable. ", "By essentially, I mean that even though you can tinker slightly with facts and figures and timeframes, you'd better be careful; artistic license only goes so far. ", "Having General Grant knocking back bourbon in a New York bar in a month and year when he was actually in Mississippi conducting the siege of Vicksburg just won't play. ", "You'll be discovered, I assure you. ", "If not by an editor (the best-case scenario, since it can be fixed), or by a critic (the worst-case scenario, hands down), then by some member of the Daughters of the Confederacy or a Civil War reenactment society or just some reader who is sharp as a tack. ", "Inventing dialogue for historical figures is something that all writers of historical fiction do, but putting those figures in places where they could not have possibly been or giving descriptions of those settings or people that are obviously wrong will deal your credibility more than merely a glancing blow.", "\n\nJust as you can't play too loose and easy with historical facts, neither can you give too much away about what you and your reader know very well will happen later in the story.", "\n\nThe historical novelist is afforded the luxury of hindsight. ", "But that doesn't give her the right to know of future events in the context of her setting and plot. ", "The officers and their wives at the Saturday night Christmas dance at the Pearl Harbor Officers' Club on December 6, 1941, can't know, in your story, that all hell will break loose in the morning. ", "So your descriptions shouldn't be filled with little clues or premonitions. ", "In a scene set on that evening, we'll need plenty of ice clinking in plenty of cocktail glasses, and navy dress uniforms particularly white against skin tanned dark by the tropical sun. ", "We'll need a dance band playing Benny Goodman tunes and everybody smoking Lucky Strikes and Chesterfields. ", "But what we can't have — unless the story involves a clairvoyant or we see things from a different perspective than that of these revelers — is any forewarning of the Japanese planes that are already flying toward them.", "\n\nRemember, in most historical novels or stories, both the writer and the reader already _know_ that the ship will hit the iceberg, the stock market will crash, or the zeppelin will explode when it finally gets to New Jersey. ", "But in order for the stories to work at all, the characters can't know these things. ", "So your job is to make your descriptions of them and of the setting completely realistic for _that moment_ , and not serve as precursors for what will happen later. ", "Other parts of the story — the fictional parts that you skillfully weave in among the historical facts — involve things that neither the characters _nor_ the readers can predict. ", "And these will be the core of your tale.", "\n\nWhen writing in this genre, pay special attention to the tone of your narrative voice, which is the most constant and sometimes the strongest description that you provide. ", "If you write that novel that starts with the Pearl Harbor dance, and your plot winds its way through the several years of war that followed, then you should continuously make sure that your tone doesn't assume the absolute certainty of an allied victory. ", "As anyone who remembers those years can tell you, there was no such guarantee. ", "I've read more than a few American and British novels and stories set during that war that were written and published before its conclusion. ", "Though the voices and tones were usually confident and patriotic, there was something else there, too, almost hidden between the lines. ", "There was a tone of uncertainty.", "\n\nIn order for your depiction of the time and place to ring true, that uncertainty needs to come through just as clearly in your fiction as it does in those books written when it was happening. ", "So when you have two characters talking about the outcome of the war, don't let them be too cocky about it, unless you make it all bluff and bluster to hike up the other's spirits. ", "And when describing a setting that will change when the war is won, be careful not to mention that, since your characters don't know that it will be the case.", "\n\nNow that we've gotten those two admonitions (regarding the need for accuracy and the limitation on characters' knowledge of the future) out of the way, let's move on to the business of actual description in historical fiction and to your description of settings in particular.", "\n\nOne way to describe a particular location is to provide details about the place itself. ", "Look at how Irving Stone brings Florence of the Renaissance era to life in this paragraph from _The Agony and the Ecstasy_ :\n\nThey went with unmatched strides along the narrow streets, past the Street of the Old Irons with its stone palaces and exterior flights of carved stone stairs leading to jutting penthouses. ", "They made their way along the Via del Corso and saw on their right through the narrow slit of the Via dei Tedaldini a segment of the red-tiled Duomo, and after another block, on their left, the Palazzo della Signoria with it arches, windows and crownings of its tan stone tower penetrating the faint sunrise blue of the Florentine sky.", "\n\nIt is certainly evident that the author did his research, with all the streets and churches where they should be. ", "He works in details even down to the color of the masonry. ", "And this infusion of particulars is a good way to convey the era and the locale to your reader. ", "If your story is set in 1906 San Francisco, you might have your young lovers stroll down one of those steep hills, giving the names of side streets and businesses as they pass them. ", "Some research will be necessary, since those same businesses probably aren't there any longer and some of the street names themselves might have changed in the past century. ", "You'd best not put the Golden Gate Bridge out there in the bay, since it wasn't there in 1906. ", "And your happy couple can't have even a hint of the devastating earthquake that will turn their little world on end, literally and figuratively, the next day.", "\n\nAnother way to establish your setting is to describe small actions or events that are indicative of that time and place, as Colleen McCullough does in the following paragraph from her novel _Caesar_. ", "Instead of describing some of the landmarks of ancient Rome, which she does, by the way, throughout the book, and to great effect, here she focuses on an event, on one man standing up to make a speech. ", "But notice how she works in the point-in-time just as effectively as Irving Stone does in his little walking tour of Florence.", "\n\nThe jury leaned forward on its folding stools when Cicero walked forward to begin, his scroll in his hand; it was there merely for effect, he never referred to it. ", "When Cicero gave an oration it seemed as if he were composing it as he went along, seamlessly, vividly, magically. ", "Who could ever forget his speech against Gais Verres, his defenses of Caelius, of Cluentius, of Roscius of Ameria?", "\n\nTo answer the narrator's question in that last sentence: _I_ could forget them, if I ever even heard of them. ", "But it's not at all important that I know the texts of those speeches. ", "From the context of the paragraph, I can determine that they were real doozies — fine orations, most certainly. ", "Many, many little scenes like this one, along with elaborate descriptions of places and people, finally come together in _Caesar_ to give us a crystal clear perception of Rome in the century before Christ.", "\n\nNow how could you use this approach in your San Francisco saga? ", "You might have one of your young lovers pick up the paper and notice that Enrico Caruso is singing in _Carmen_ at the opera house that night (he _was_ on the night before the earthquake; I looked it up) or make some reference to President Teddy Roosevelt (he _was_ the president in 1906; I didn't have to look that one up).", "\n\nBoth of these approaches — physical description of places and focusing on singular events or circumstances — will work well in historical fiction, and in all of the genres.", "\n\nRemember that overlapping that we talked about a few pages ago? ", "You'll find more of it in this genre than anywhere else. ", "There are historical romances, historical suspense stories, and time travel yarns that most often involve historical settings. ", "There are also historical murder mysteries like those by Ellis Peters whose sleuth is Brother Cadfael, a twelfth-century English monk. ", "And every Western is essentially a work of historical fiction. ", "All of these will require a clearly defined setting and an abundance of good description if they are to capture the time and place.", "\n\n **MYSTERY**\n\nSetting and description take on some additional responsibilities when it comes to the writing of a mystery. ", "Here they have to help establish the mood or tone of suspense as well as provide foreshadowing (clues).", "\n\nLook at how Janwillem van de Wetering uses his setting to establish the mood in his novel _The Maine Massacre_ :\n\nThey could see the rowboat left out on the island's shore. ", "The commissaries waited while de Gier went into the shed and came back with a pistol that had a short gaping tube instead of a barrel. ", "The silence of the bay was so vast that the boat's putter seemed like a line of small dark specks on an immense sheet of white paper. ", "A large black bird came gliding from the island and its croak startled the two men, leaning on the jetty's railing.", "\n\nThese two men are investigating a place where a murder was committed, and the author lets the surroundings in which they find themselves paint the backdrop of the scene. ", "The reader is given a number of bleak images all at once: the abandoned rowboat; that ominous gun with the gaping tube instead of a barrel; the vast, silent bay; and even a croaking black bird sweeping in like something out of one of Poe's tales.", "\n\nThis mood, established at the scene of the murder, will be reestablished over and over again throughout the investigation and the final solution of it. ", "In your fiction, do the same thing. ", "Let _things_ — like small rowboats in big bays and even croaking birds — highlight the overall tone that you want to set.", "\n\nThere are basically two types of mysteries: those that are particularly realistic in their portrayals of criminal acts and police procedures and those that are more concerned with the nature and lifestyle of a sleuth (who is often not an official investigator at all, like Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple) and his or her process of detection. ", "In the first sort, your descriptions will tend to be more brutal and to the point than in the second, with much emphasis on the actual inciting event (almost always a murder) and things like forensic reports and the political pecking order in police departments. ", "In the second, which are sometimes called cozies — alluding I suppose to how we're supposed to feel when reading them — you'll probably have an important scene early on where someone finds a dead body, but you won't spend much if any time describing how it got to be that way. ", "At least not until the very end, when the clever sleuth explains what he has figured out involving the particulars of the murder and, most importantly, the identity of the murderer.", "\n\nYour emphasis in _both_ types should bemuchmore on the person or persons trying to sort out the crime than on the crime itself. ", "Perhaps the best model for this is practically any movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ", "Very rarely in a Hitchcock film do we see the actual deed being done, the most obvious exception being that shower scene in _Psycho_. ", "What we almost always see are characters' reactions to a crime that they were not an actual witness to, like the James Stewart character in _Rear Window_ , whose dubious hobby is looking into other people's windows only to detect a horrible crime that he has difficulty convincing anyone actually occurred. ", "He doesn't see it happen, and neither do we. ", "What we see is him putting the pieces together, slowly and carefully.", "\n\nAnd that is what the reader of your mystery should see.", "\n\n **SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY**\n\nWhile all of the other genres are usually set in places that either currently exist or did at some specific time, these two usually require complete fabrication on the writer's part. ", "But this is not always the case; a fantastic setting could very well be a real place with a few differences.", "\n\nIn the opening pages of _Foundation_ , the first novel in Isaac Asimov's trilogy of that name, a character has arrived at the planet of Trantor, the capital of an immense galactic empire. ", "He makes his way up to the zenith of the tallest building he can find and surveys a sweeping panorama:\n\nHe could not see the ground. ", "It was lost in the ever-increasing complexities of man-made structures. ", "He could see no horizon other than that of metal against sky, stretching out to almost uniform grayness, and he knew it was so over all the land-surface of the planet. ", "There was scarcely any motion to be seen — a few pleasure-craft lazed against the sky — but all the busy traffic of billions of men were going on, he knew, beneath the metal skin of the world.", "\n\nThis relatively short paragraph contains immense detail about a _place_. ", "We see at once — through the eyes of this young man who is taking it in for the first time — the extent of this planet that is completely covered with manmade structures, all its billions of inhabitants hidden beneath its metal \"skin.\"", "\n\nIn your fiction, let your description of futuristic, fantastic places be as fanciful as you want them to be, but remember this: They must be, first and foremost, a stage upon which your characters do something that your earthbound reader can relate to. ", "Consider that Asimov paragraph; what reader hasn't looked out or down or up at something spectacular and felt a surge of adrenaline? ", "Maybe it was the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower or, in my case, looking up at the enormity of the ceiling of the brand new Astrodome splayed out above me when I was a young teenager. ", "So when I read about the young man in _Foundation_ looking out at Trantor, I knew exactly what he was feeling. ", "Not because I had been _there_ , but because I had been there.", "\n\nAs I said in the last chapter, you must make sure you maintain a consistency in your description when it comes to the rules you've created or those that are already in place, like the actual makeup of the Martian atmosphere. ", "You may have to use more description than usual when creating a futuristic, fantastic place, and you'll have to use earthly terms to do it.", "\n\nOne thing more, the possibility (in all likelihood, probability) of getting proven wrong is something that you shouldn't even consider when writing science fiction, or any fiction that is set in the future. ", "Nobody expects you to be an oracle, just a storyteller. ", "George Orwell missed the mark in his novel _1984_ , so did Clive Cussler in _Raise the Titanic_. ", "So what? ", "Neither of them set out to write prophecies; they intended to write fiction. ", "And that should always be your one and only goal.", "\n\n **WESTERNS**\n\nReaders of this type are usually quite loyal to the genre, and they have certain requirements. ", "First and foremost, they expect lots of action — gunfights and fistfights and stampedes — and, secondly, they expect these things to be happening, for the most part, _outside_. ", "You'll be allowed descriptions of the interiors of saloons and sheriff's offices and maybe a blacksmith shop or a cabin out on the prairie. ", "But the lion's share of your description should be of the prairie itself. ", "Use the weather conditions and those wide-open Western landscapes to full advantage. ", "Remember, that old Western song goes \"home, home on the _range_.\" ", "It's the range that the reader of your Western is primarily interested in. ", "So give it to them.", "\n\nYou might do that by describing grasslands spread out under a bright sky, the wind rolling along its golden surface like waves on an ocean. ", "Or maybe you'll depict deep, narrow canyons with high, rocky walls, a trickle of a river winding along the bottom. ", "Or you might focus on one of the towns that dotted the landscape of the American West over a century ago. ", "Maybe it will be a mining camp, a boom town high in the Rockies, its streets nothing more than mud after heavy rains, the smoke from its many fires lifting up through pines and aspens on a foggy, cold morning. ", "Or maybe it will be one of the wide-open towns on the prairies that were railheads for cattle drives. ", "Perhaps it will be the cramped interior of a jolting stagecoach, the countryside sliding by outside its windows.", "\n\nOr maybe you'll invoke the rough, wide-open spirit of the West in your description of a character, making it even stronger by using frontier dialect in your narration. ", "Elmer Kelton does this in his novel _Joe Pepper_ when his narrator, an old cowpoke, remembers a girl he once knew:\n\nI didn't tell you yet about Arlee's sister. ", "Millie was her name. ", "Arlee wasn't much to look at, tall and thin and bent over a little, and had a short scar over one cheek where a Yankee bullet kind of winked at him as it went by. ", "But Millie, she must have took after her mother's side of the family... She wasn't much bigger than a minute, and had light-colored hair that reminded me a little of corn silk. ", "And eyes? ", "The bluest eyes that ever melted a miser's heart.", "\n\nNow, this voice — complete with winking bullets and \"must have took\" and \"wasn't much bigger than a minute\" — probably wouldn't carry your story very successfully, or very far, in other genres. ", "But here, where the characters are extensions of the landscape itself, it fits like a hand in a glove, a buckskin one.", "\n\nWhatever settings you choose for your Western, wilderness or towns, make sure you provide them in detail. ", "The West — at least our perception of the West — is big, so you should make it big in your reader's mind. ", "It was no coincidence that so many Western movies were filmed in splashy-colored, wide-screen formats. ", "Directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks knew exactly what their audience wanted. ", "And so should you. ", "You don't have Cinema Scope and VistaVision to work with, but you do have all the tools in your kit, your imagination and the ability to wordsmith. ", "So give the guy in Sheboygan the West in all its magnificent glory.", "\n\n **ROMANCE**\n\nThe major emphasis of romance stories and novels must be _romance_. ", "But for that love story to work, emphasis must be placed elsewhere as well. ", "Readers of this particular type of fiction are especially interested in elaborate descriptions of clothing and de´cor, of jewelry and limousines, and elegant mansions and penthouse apartments. ", "In other words, they expect descriptions they aren't likely to get much of in other genres. ", "Many romances are played out in these opulent arenas among these shiny baubles, but not all are. ", "Whatever the circumstances or the surroundings, all of those sweet nothings being whispered and schemes and intrigues and infatuations that drive this sort of story will come to nothing if you don't describe them well.", "\n\nIn _Affair,_ a historical romance novel set in Victorian London, the author, Amanda Quick, helps to establish the time of the story by mentioning the advent of street lights, the place by adding a patch of London fog, and the mysterious situation by making a character wonder about the \"risky activities\" of another.", "\n\nThe weak gas lights that had recently been installed in this part of town could not penetrate far into the fog. ", "So long as he and Charlotte stayed out of the short range of the lamplight, they could be reasonably safe from detection. ", "Nevertheless, Baxter thought it best to make one more stab at discouraging his new employer from her risky activities.", "\n\nElsewhere in the novel, we're given this description of a character's gown, which was...\n\n... fashioned of yellow muslin, high-waisted and trimmed with long sleeves and a white ruff. ", "A pair of yellow kid slippers peeked out from beneath the severely restrained flounce that decorated the hem.", "\n\nAlmost certainly, we would never see this much description of how someone is dressed in any of the other genres. ", "But such attention to fashion is one of the hallmarks of romantic fiction. ", "And it serves a function other than giving the reader something pretty to read about; it adds significantly to the overall description of the era in historical romances and the level of society in stories set in modern times.", "\n\nSo does the considerable attention that is paid, in this genre, to the physical description of characters, with an emphasis on pleasing traits and qualities in order to make them more desirable.", "\n\nThis is a good time to reiterate what I said a few pages ago about conforming to genre specifications and giving the reader what they want. ", "In the case of readers of romances, they want tons of description about interiors, decorations, clothing, and characters' physical traits. ", "So you'd do well to provide it, in spades.", "\n\n **HORROR, SUSPENSE, THRILLERS**\n\nHere you won't need to pay as much attention to what people are wearing and their handsome houses and furniture as to what they are up to, or quite often what they are afraid of. ", "Consider this single sentence from Stephen King's _Salem's Lot_ :\n\nMatt stood on his stoop for almost a full minute after the sound of the car had died away, his hands poked into his jacket pockets, his eyes turned toward the house on the hill.", "\n\nThat house on the hill will, most certainly, prove to be of some importance in the story. ", "And you can bet, before we know what its importance is, we'll have other characters looking up at it or thinking about it, because Stephen King — considered by many to be the master of this genre — uses foreshadowing exceptionally well throughout his stories and novels.", "\n\nAnd so should you. ", "If one of your characters has told another one to never, under any circumstances, go up to the attic, then you'd better mention that attic pretty often, or have that character wonder what the heck is up there. ", "Your readers will most likely not _know_ what's there until late in your story, perhaps not until the very end. ", "But it should be on their minds. ", "And you the writer are the only one who can put it there. ", "Make references to it, have other things remind the character of it. ", "Maybe have a few strange sounds drift down from up there in the middle of the night.", "\n\nIf that mysterious attic is a major part of your story, then its constant presence in that story might be the most important piece of your setting, even though your major character and your readers won't actually _see_ it for a while yet.", "\n\nMaking something frightening when your only tools are words on paper is a tough assignment. ", "But it is exactly what you're signing up to do when you write this sort of fiction. ", "Sometimes the best way to go about it will be with the \"less is more\" approach, with strong foreshadowing or showing a character's reaction to a scary thing. ", "Other times graphic description of the thing itself will be the most effective way to do it. ", "Think of exactly what you want your readers to see and how you want them to feel and let that guide you in your decision.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: THE SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE BOOKSHOP**\n\nIn this chapter we've looked at specific ways to establish and describe settings and to use description in general in several of the different genres of fiction. ", "There are many other types — like humor, satire, action, and war stories, to name just a few. ", "And the techniques we've talked about here will work in those as well. ", "The various writing tools are not restricted to specific genres, not to be used in others. ", "The use of suspense is not limited to a genre that we've chosen to label _mystery_ ; it will also be called for in Westerns and romances. ", "The infusion of historical facts will be needed in all of the genres from time to time.", "\n\nRemember, it's a darned good idea for you, as a writer, to spend some of your reading time in more than just a few of the sections of your favorite bookstore or library. ", "You should recall from the first chapter that I'm convinced that good writing evolves from a trinity of approaches: (1) making good use of the underlying craft of composition, (2) a variety of models (examples) to learn from, and (3) careful and deliberate wordsmithing. ", "And those models needn't, and shouldn't, come only from one or two specific types of fiction that you happen to enjoy reading. ", "Excellent authors are represented throughout the genres, and you can learn a thing or two (or many) from any of them. ", "So broaden your horizon.", "\n\nPersonally, I shunned science fiction for too many years, suspecting that it was just too _out there_ , much unlike the historical novels and whodunits that I preferred. ", "Then a friend insisted that I read _Childhood's End_ , by Arthur C. Clarke, and I was fairly blown away by the strong images that stayed with me long after I finished it. ", "Then came Bradbury's _The Martian Chronicles,_ which not only impressed and entertained me, but has had as much influence on my own writing as any other single work. ", "Then I branched off into Westerns and fantasies and romances and any number of things that I would have never thought I would read. ", "I'm a better writer because of my metamorphosis. ", "And to say that I have enjoyed partaking at this much wider table would be an understatement of epic magnitude. ", "I have been a glutton there, and continue to be one. ", "Give yourself over to gluttony, too.", "\n\n **A Short (and _Very_ Incomplete) Reading List for Those Who Want to Broaden Their Reading Horizons Among the Genres**\n\nNote: this is a list of personal favorites and shouldn't be considered as anything other than that. ", "I encourage you to read the blurbs on many more books than these before making your selections.", "\n\n ** _HISTORICAL FICTION_**\n\nJames A. Michener _Chesapeake_\n\nMargaret George _The Autobiography of Henry VIII_\n\nIrving Stone _The Agony and the Ecstasy_\n\n ** _MYSTERY_**\n\nPatricia Moyes _Down Among the Dead Men_\n\nEllis Peters _The Rose Rent_\n\nAgatha Christie _A Murder is Announced_\n\n ** _SCIENCE FICTION_**\n\nArthur C. Clarke _Childhood's End_\n\nRay Bradbury _The Martian Chronicles_\n\nIsaac Asimov The _Foundation_ Trilogy\n\n ** _ROMANCE_**\n\nJoy Fielding _Whispers and Lies_\n\nAmanda Quick _Affair_ (historical romance)\n\nSandra Brown _The Witness_\n\n ** _WESTERNS_**\n\nLouis L'Amour _Hondo_\n\nZane Grey _Riders of the Purple Sage_\n\nLarry McMurtry _Lonesome Dove_\n\n ** _HORROR_**\n\nStephen King _Salem's Lot_\n\nPeter Straub _Ghost Story_\n\nAnne Rice _Interview With the Vampire_\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nLook at some story ideas that you've jotted down in your journal or notebook or at some of your manuscripts. ", "Now, consider how those stories would work in another genre. ", "How would your plot play as a Western? ", "Or as science fiction? ", "Fantasy? ", "Romance? ", "Would it work as a murder mystery? ", "You might determine that it works best in the type of fiction you've chosen, or, on the other hand, you might decide that it will work _better_ in another. ", "Quite possibly, you'll have to change your setting — and, of course, your description of it — to make it fit into this new genre.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nThink of several historical events that interest you and make a list of ways that you might use one or two of them in a work of historical fiction. ", "For instance, the riots at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago might make a fine backdrop for a love story between a liberal and a conservative. ", "True love always wins out, right? ", "Well, this scenario will put that to the test.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nGo to the library and locate at least three novels (if you've got lots of reading time to spare) or three short stories (if you don't), each of which is representative of a type of fiction that you have never read. ", "If you're a big fan of mysteries and spy thrillers, then find, say, a Western, a science fiction, and a swashbuckler. ", "Now, when reading them, look for ways the authors went about using craft and wordsmithing and specifically at their settings and descriptions. ", "Make good notes. ", "Learn. ", "Then put your new knowledge to work in your fiction.", "\n\n# 9\n\n## [ USING DESCRIPTION AND SETTING TO DRIVE THE STORY ]\n\nI once sat in a parked car on a broiling summer afternoon in Jackson, Mississippi for no other reason than to gaze at a house that was not very much unlike the ones on either side of it. ", "It was an old house situated nicely among old trees across the street from an old college. ", "The reason I was looking at it — along with two or three other people who had stopped to do the same thing — was the old lady who was, we assumed, inside. ", "For this was the home of Eudora Welty.", "\n\nI was in Mississippi to teach at a writer's conference and the unlucky fellow who had been designated to drive me around sat there with me, both of us watching the house and its pretty lawn as if something was actually going to _happen_. ", "Nothing did, and I didn't expect anything to. ", "But I figured I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to pay some homage, however slight, to one of the giants of my line of work.", "\n\nWelty, who died not too long after my vigil, shares the upper echelon of luminous southern literati with the likes of Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner and a few others, all of whom were, obviously, absolute masters of the art and craft of writing fiction. ", "And one of the specific skills that elevated them to that rarified air was their use of setting and description to make their stories and novels _work_ , to drive everything forward. ", "Welty was particularly good at that, and it occurred to me, as I watched her house on that summer afternoon, so pleasant amid its sprawling trees, that it would make a perfect setting for a southern yarn, with a Blanche Dubois or a Colonel Snopes standing on the wide porch, mint julep in hand, everything described in an assured, leisurely voice full of the softness and fragrance of magnolia blossoms tempered with a pragmatic tinge of grit and gristle. ", "And a good writer would use that setting for more than just a place for things to happen, she'd make it emphasize other aspects of the story.", "\n\nSo, how can you use a place and time — and description in general — to do such a large part of the work that you have to do in your writing? ", "Look at how Welty did it in her description of an aged black woman talking to herself while walking to town to get medicine for her sick grandson in \"A Worn Path,\" which is arguably her masterpiece:\n\n\"Walk pretty,\" she said. \"", "This the easy place. ", "This the easy going.\"", "\n\nShe followed the track, swaying through the quiet bare fields, through the little strings of trees silver in their dead leaves, past cabins silver from weather, with the doors and windows boarded shut, all like old women under a spell sitting there. \"", "I walking through their sleep,\" she said, nodding her head vigorously.", "\n\nThe place itself is as much a tangible reality as the old woman. ", "Its stark reality is highlighted by adjectives — _easy, quiet, bare, dead_ — and by the use of an unexpected color — silver leaves and silver cabins, both that peculiar color because they've been there too long. ", "Notice that Welty uses the word _silver_ twice, when she could have easily used it just once. ", "She wants to make sure that we see it; she wants us to not miss the similarity between the old, used-up land and buildings and the old, used-up woman. ", "Now look at how she employs personification to drive that imagery home even further; the cabins are \"like old women under a spell,\" and the old woman feels like she is \"walking through their sleep.", "\"Finally, look at the sparse dialect; she uses the fewest words possible, as if every syllable is an effort, which would actually be the case for an elderly person walking a long distance. ", "All of these elements — the fine wordsmithing, the evocation of the land and the dialect, even the mood of exhaustion — make this character's journey come completely alive for the reader.", "\n\nWhen writing your story or novel, look for ways to use your setting and description to do exactly what Welty does here. ", "Whatever your time and place, you can find plenty of details to enlarge and amplify your entire story. ", "Three of the best ways to do this are to let your setting and your description magnify some overall theme, convey the general mood, and enlarge one or more conflicts.", "\n\n **MAGNIFYING A THEME**\n\nWhen dealing with themes in fiction, keep this in mind: Don't constantly pound your reader over the head with whatever social, religious, or political message you might be trying to convey. ", "In fact, I'd advise against trying to convey any such messages at all, or at least to a large extent. ", "Sure, Upton Sinclair might have set out to bring about improvements in the meat-packing industry when he wrote _The Jungle_ and Harriet Beecher Stowe might have wanted to abolish slavery with _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ , but modern readers aren't looking to be reformed. ", "They want to be entertained. ", "So your fiction shouldn't be a crusade; it should be a story. ", "And if you expect to get it published, and then read, it better be a darn good one.", "\n\nOne way to make it that good is to let the setting and your description emphasize a theme. ", "First off, the term theme, or at least my perception of it, needs some clarification. ", "Many people come away from their English classes thinking that literary themes are a precious few haughty ideals — like _pride, truth_ , or _equality_ — that are chiseled deep into granite. ", "Teachers who advance such a notion do a great disservice to the literature itself and to their students, because very few things in either reality or fiction can be so conveniently fit under such all-inclusive umbrellas. ", "My idea of a theme is anything that the writer is attempting to convey in a particular scene. ", "So, instead of _everlasting love_ , your theme in the sixth scene of your story might be _trying to get a date_. ", "Instead of having one lofty theme, your story will have several, probably many.", "\n\nOne of the strongest themes in Greg Tobin's novel _Conclave_ is the excessive manipulation and intrigue that sometimes occurs in powerful places, in this case during a papal election in the College of Cardinals. ", "Look at how he uses delicate description and the ominous presence of the surroundings — an assemblage of cardinals, ecclesiastical movers and shakers of the highest order — to get that point across:\n\nThe camerlengo turned to Mulrennan. \"", "You may address the assembly.\"", "\n\nAgain Vennholme started to protest, but Portillo directed him to his seat with a firm shake of the head. ", "Vennholme stood in place a moment, looking at the faces of his brethren, then complied.", "\n\nTimothy Mulrennan walked to the head of the room and turned to face the senate of holy elders whom fate, or perhaps Divine Will, had made his judges.", "\n\nThe tension is high in that room, and between those characters and the author's deft description of it — the aborted protest, the study of somber faces, the slow approach to the front — serves not only to show that tension but to magnify that theme. ", "Allen Drury utilizes the same theme in _Advise and Consent_ , relocating the setting to confirmation hearings in the United States Senate, and you might use it in a setting not anywhere so imposing or powerful as the Vatican or the Senate chamber. ", "After all, manipulation and intrigue occur in any number of places. ", "Maybe your story is set in a break room in a factory, where one of your characters is about to undercut a union election that will send thousands of workers out on strike. ", "Use the room itself — the slow ticking of a clock, the raspy gurgling of a coffeemaker, the drab, completely utilitarian carpet and walls — to highlight the dreariness and tension. ", "Or introduce a morsel of intrigue at a breakfast table, when a sly teenager who intends to finesse a scheme gets his comeuppance from his father, who is wise to the scam. ", "In that case, maybe a toaster should loudly launch two slices of bread at exactly the moment that the teenager realizes the jig is up. ", "Or maybe you could describe him as catlike, since cats are as stealthy as he thinks _he_ is.", "\n\nLet's turn now to a classic work of nonfiction, to see how a good writer can use description of a physical setting to emphasize a theme, something that is not physical or tangible at all. ", "In C.S. Lewis's _Surprised by Joy_ , a chronicle of his early life, he carefully paints a word picture of his surroundings on the afternoon of his purchase of a book that will ultimately nudge him from atheism to Christianity. ", "It is, as you might imagine, an enormously important moment in his life, and he wants his readers to see, hear, and feel the place itself, to get a real sense of the prospect of change, of new possibilities that are not only within him but manifested in the everyday, commonplace bit of the world that surrounds him. ", "Here's how Lewis describes the long ago October afternoon when he reached into a bookstall and lifted out a secondhand copy of George MacDonald's _Phantastes_ , a book that would quite literally change his life:\n\nI and one porter had the long, timbered platform of Leatherhead station to ourselves. ", "It was getting just dark enough for the smoke of an engine to glow red on the underside with the reflection of the furnace. ", "The hills beyond the Dorking Valley were of a blue so intense as to be nearly violet and the sky was green with frost. ", "My ears tingled with the cold. ", "The glorious weekend of reading was before me.", "\n\nHe, the young man on that platform, is about to undergo a change, even though he is quite unaware of it. ", "Notice that the setting is changing also; darkness is falling, the colors of the distant hills and the sky itself are changing. ", "He uses things that are there — the train station, the last light of the day, the chill, those hills — to call attention to something that is not there, the great alteration that is about to occur inside him. ", "And he ends with a statement about the promise of a good weekend of reading that lies ahead of him, not realizing the fulfillment of greater promise that is in his future, which will be initiated by the small used book that he will begin reading on the train.", "\n\nYour fiction should contain an abundance of places like that station, where your description of the setting calls your reader's attention to whatever theme you are striving to convey. ", "If one of your characters suffers from low self-esteem or an unflattering self-image, then you might do well to plop her down in an ice cream shop, shoveling down Rocky Road and watching large people wedge themselves into small booths. ", "The fact that the inhabitants of those large bodies aren't doing anything about their problem points your reader to the conclusion that your character isn't either. ", "So, you've utilized a setting and its description to magnify a theme that will make the character's situation clearer for your reader and will drive the story toward some sort of resolution or lack thereof. ", "She'll either do something about her problem or she'll get another scoop of Rocky Road.", "\n\n **CONVEYING MOOD AND TONE**\n\nWhatever mood you find yourself in will pretty much determine how your day goes. ", "The same holds true for the characters in your fiction and for the stories themselves.", "\n\nIn the _Iliad_ , Achilles spends most of those long years on the wide plains of Troy pouting in his tent, trying to decide if he should fight for Greece or take his men and go home. ", "Since the _Iliad_ is about those years leading up to the business of that giant wooden horse and the climatic battle itself, and since Achilles is, perhaps, the major player among the Greeks, his mood pretty much determines the brooding, ominous tone of the entire saga.", "\n\nWhen, at long last, he bursts out of his tent — and out of his snit — and flies into action, making short work of Prince Hector and any other Trojans who make the mistake of getting in his way, things perk up considerably. ", "The overall mood changes from one of quiet contemplation, plotting, and endless waiting to one of loud, sword-clanging, bugle-blowing action. ", "The mood of the entire story changes because the mood of one character changes.", "\n\nThis will happen in your fiction, also. ", "Or, at least, it should. ", "The mood of a place or a character should _drive_ your story, as Achilles' moods drive the _Iliad_.", "\n\nOften, the prevailing mood doesn't come from a character at all, but from the setting itself. ", "And your description will have to establish it. _", "It was a dark and stormy night_ is one way to do it. ", "But it's not your only option, nor usually the best. ", "Both setting and description — and description _of_ a setting — can be mighty useful here. ", "Consider this sampling from Nicholas Meyer's _The Seven-Per-Cent Solution_ , one of his Sherlock Holmes novels:\n\nIt was impenetrable. ", "All about me was a wall of sulphurous smoke, stinging to the eye and noxious to the lungs. ", "London, in a matter of hours, had been transformed into a creepy dream-world where sound replaced light.", "\n\nFrom different quarters my ears were assailed by horses' hoofs striking upon the cobbled street and by street vendors' cries as they hawked their wares before invisible buildings. ", "Somewhere in the gloom an organ grinder creaked out a sinister arrangement of \"Poor Little Buttercup\"...\n\nIn those two paragraphs, the overall mood is established entirely by the description of the place. ", "Look back at how it is done: the fog (notice that the word itself is never used) is many things at once; it is impenetrable, a wall of sumptuous smoke, stinging, and noxious. ", "Then, when we've seen and felt the setting, we shift sensory gears and _hear_ it. ", "We listen to horses' hoofs on cobbled streets, vendor's cries, and finally an unseen organ grinder playing a tune. ", "Notice the strong use of a verb, _creaked_ , and an adjective, _sinister_ , to secure the gloomy, baleful mood for the reader. ", "Think back to all that we talked about in chapter five regarding the use of sensory description. ", "When establishing a mood or tone, making the reader see, hear, feel, taste, or smell the physical surroundings might be the best way to do it.", "\n\nSo, now that the reader is fully immersed in all this fog and gloom, how does the immersion serve to push the story along? ", "Here's how: No reader, after having been given a description like that one, is going to expect a happy-go-lucky love affair or a syrupy sweet plot involving a boy and his faithful dog. ", "They expect murder most foul, crafty criminals and clever sleuths, and suspense and plenty of it. ", "Once you've established a prevailing mood, you've pretty much set the course of your story. ", "So careful attention to the establishment of that mood is some of the most important work you'll do in your writing.", "\n\nThere are many ways to do it. ", "Often it is best brought about by describing simple actions, as Dashiell Hammett does in _The Maltese Falcon_ :\n\nSpade mashed the end of his cigarette in his plate and made one draught of the coffee and brandy in his cup. ", "His scowl had gone away. ", "He wiped his lips with his napkin, dropped it crumpled on the table, and spoke casually: \"You _are_ a liar.\"", "\n\nShe got up and stood at the end of the table, looking down at him with dark abashed eyes in the pinkening face. \"", "I am a liar,\" she said. \"", "I have always been a liar.\"", "\n\nWe don't have to be told that these are two tough cookies. ", "Because we have been _shown_ that they are. ", "And that tough, edgy tone is evident in more than just the characters. ", "Look back at the specific wordsmithing that brings this image to life for the reader: the slow mashing of the cigarette butt and the one gulp of coffee and brandy, then the quick use of the napkin and dropping it crumpled on the table. ", "And all of these important — yet very common and simple — little actions _before_ the important words that are spoken about being a liar. ", "Then, a tiny action of the female character's own — standing up and then looking down (with those \"dark, unabashed eyes\"). ", "Finally, notice that Hammett gives us no instructions as to how she delivers those lines. ", "He used italics to indicate how the man's words should be heard, but nothing here. ", "This is a good example of that; we can hear this gal deliver those few words in several ways. ", "But each of them is chockfull of an attitude. ", "Each of them leaves no doubt that she is what Hammett might call a cool and collected dame, which fits perfectly into the mood that he wants the reader to perceive.", "\n\nNow, you might be thinking that I've made entirely too much of those two short paragraphs; after all, my dissection and explanation of them is longer than the paragraphs themselves. ", "That alone should prove my point: that every word and phrase that you decide to use should work toward the effect that you are trying to achieve, and every syllable beyond that is clutter. ", "This extra work on your part is essential to keeping that desired effect front and center in your reader's mind.", "\n\nIn your story or novel, if you want to convey a festive, carefree mood, then you might choose a festive, carefree setting, like a carnival or a sunny day in the park. ", "Or you might rely on the description of a character's actions or mannerisms. ", "Maybe a normally subdued fellow is suddenly overcome by giddiness and flicks water from his glass on a lunch companion.", "\n\nRemember, never resort to the easy, obvious approach of simply telling readers that \"the mood that day was festive and carefree.\" _", "Show_ them, by either the surroundings or some action, or a combination of both.", "\n\nWhen Shakespeare put King Lear up on that cliff howling at the storm, he couldn't very well have him screaming out how much he _loved_ his daughters. ", "The mood of the character and the mood of the day had to coincide in order to be effective; the tempest within Lear — his sense of betrayal by his children and his anger because of it — had to be equal to the lightning, thunder, and wind that surrounded him. ", "In the same way, allow mood to drive _your_ story.", "\n\n **ENLARGING CONFLICT**\n\nWhen it comes to writing fiction, there are very few absolutes. ", "Here is one: If there is no evidence of any degree of conflict, then you don't have a story. ", "And a good way to ensure that you do is to use your description and setting to enlarge conflicts.", "\n\nIn _Ethan Frome_ , Edith Wharton gives us the following exchange between the title character and Mattie, the young woman who works for Zeena, Ethan's wife, who has gone on an errand to another town. ", "Ethan and Mattie have begun to realize the mutual attraction they feel and — given the social and religious boundaries that would have been rigidly in place in a small New England village in the first years of the twentieth century — a fine, festering conflict grows up around that little farmhouse. ", "Ethan has just mentioned that he hoped Zeena made it to her destination before bad weather set in:\n\nThe name set a chill between them, and they stood a moment looking sideways at each other before Mattie said with a shy laugh, \"I guess it's time for supper.\"", "\n\nThey drew their seats up to the table, and the cat, unbidden, jumped between them into Zeena's empty chair. \"", "Oh, Puss,\" said Mattie, and they laughed again.", "\n\nEthan, a moment earlier, had felt himself on the brink of eloquence; but the mention of Zeena had paralysed him. ", "Mattie seemed to feel the contagion of his embarrassment, and sat with downcast lids, sipping her tea, while he feigned an insatiable appetite for dough-nuts and sweet pickles. ", "At last, after casting about for an effective opening, he took a long gulp of tea, cleared his throat, and said:\"Looks as if there'd be more snow.\"", "\n\nShe feigned great interest. \"", "Is that so? ", "Do you suppose it'll interfere with Zeena's getting back?\" ", "She flushed red as the question escaped her, and hastily set down the cup she was lifting.", "\n\nLook at how dexterously this awkward predicament is played out. ", "A much lesser writer would have reported that these two were nervous around each other and gone onto something else. ", "But that doesn't even come close to what Wharton wants to convey. ", "Here is something between flirting and trepidation; both speakers tiptoeing around a gorilla of a dilemma, both knowing what they want, and knowing they can't have it. ", "Now there's a conflict worthy of the designation.", "\n\nWharton tells us about the chill that exists between them, then proceeds to prove it, with all that _feigned_ interest in unimportant things, like the cat and the meager supper. ", "Then, notice, things perk up when the possibility of more snow is mentioned, for that means that Zeena won't be coming home tonight and that presents undreamed-of possibilities. ", "Instead of telling us this, Wharton _shows_ it in that perfect last sentence. ", "Mattie's actions and mannerisms enlarge the overriding conflict as surely as those two in _The Maltese Falcon_ amplify the mood of that scene.", "\n\n **Using Home for Something More Than a Place to be**\n\nWhen choosing a setting, don't limit yourself to what you know. ", "Many of my students feel that they can only write about places they've been, that they can only adequately describe places they have personally seen, touched, tasted, smelled, and heard. ", "There are, I agree, obvious advantages to writing about a place with which you are familiar. ", "But remember all those science fiction and historical authors who had no firsthand experience at all regarding their settings. ", "Remember, too, that Shakespeare, whose greatest works were set in Denmark and Italy, never left the British Isles. ", "They pulled it off, and so can you.", "\n\nOn the other hand, many fine authors have chosen to locate their fiction in places where they grew up and have chosen to live. ", "Faulkner created Jefferson, Mississippi, and pretty much stayed there for all of his fiction, as did John O'Hara with Gibbsville, Pennsylvania. ", "Anne Tyler never strays very far from Baltimore in her novels. ", "And though Mark Twain wandered as far away as Arthurian Britain, any high school student even half awake knows that his best work is played out on the Mississippi River.", "\n\nWhile it's certainly true that these writers stayed in their own backyards, so to speak, the much more important thing is that they used those times and places to be considerably more than stages for the action; they put them to work driving the entire story or novel along.", "\n\nWhen using your setting and your descriptions to enlarge a conflict, think of things or actions that will help bring this about. ", "Let's say you have a woman who hasn't spoken to her son in over a quarter of a century, and now a situation has arisen where she will have to. ", "The perfect way to call the reader's attention to the conflict might be to set the reunion in the house where she raised her son, among things that he hasn't seen in all that time, maybe working in bits of backstory that tie in a sofa, a picture on the wall, the fireplace. ", "Or you might want to highlight the conflict by describing their mannerisms when they have to acknowledge each other at the door.", "\n\nEither approach, or both, will be tremendously more effective than telling your reader that these two are laying eyes on each other for the first time since the Carter administration.", "\n\nSUMMARY: DESCRIPTION, SETTING, AND THE WRITER'S VOICE\n\nIn this chapter, we've looked at three ways to use setting and description to help drive your entire story. ", "By emphasizing themes, moods, and conflicts, you can better deliver a work of fiction that your reader can connect with.", "\n\nDescription is a matter of wordsmithing, of selecting precisely the right words to create certain images. ", "So you need to make every description count; make every adjective or phrase serve to bring things into clearer focus in your reader's mind. ", "The setting is another thing entirely and depends on more than just the careful selection of words. ", "The setting is securely anchored in geography and time. ", "It is a fact; either your story takes place in Seattle in the 1860s or it doesn't. ", "So one of a writer's most important jobs is to choose a place that will be more than _just_ a place and a time that is more than _just_ a time. ", "It should be a time and a place that serves other, bigger functions in the story, like theme, mood, and conflict.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nRemember all that nervous tea sipping that Ethan Frome and Mattie did? ", "That's because Edith Wharton wanted the reader to feel and see the tension brought about by that particular conflict. ", "Look through one of your manuscripts and find places where specific details might add to the reader's perception of a conflict, theme, or mood.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nCome up with at least one _thing_ that might represent each of these common broad themes:(an example, aggravation: a prescription bottle that won't open.)", "\n\n * infatuation\n * anger\n * deception\n * joy\n * hope\n * indecision\n * manipulation\n * superficiality\n * credibility\n * lack of credibility\n * capriciousness\n * vulnerability\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nIn that manuscript you already have out, find places where you used setting or description to accomplish one or another of the three things — magnify a theme, convey a mood or tone, enlarge conflict — we've discussed in this chapter. ", "Then look to see if that same setting or description doesn't work for one or both of the other two, also. ", "For instance, look back at those paragraphs from _Ethan Frome_. ", "We saw how the description enlarged a conflict, but doesn't it also convey a mood (nervousness, awkwardness) and amplify a theme (sidestepping an issue)? ", "And if it doesn't, maybe it wouldn't take too much tinkering to make it serve more than one function. ", "After all, the clearer the image you present to your reader, the better.", "\n\n# 10\n\n## [ WORKING THE MAGIC ]\n\nWhen attempting to teach the fundamental components of a story — interesting characters, a well-established setting, one or more conflicts, and some degree of resolution — I often use _The Wizard of Oz_ as a model. ", "One reason I use that particular film is that most people have seen it, and, even if they haven't, it has woven its way so completely into the fabric of contemporary culture that they usually have a general idea of the plot. ", "But my primary purpose in using it is that it does everything that a story should.", "\n\nBecause I mention it so frequently — and sometimes even resort to playing a cassette recording of its rousing overture when my charges need recharging — more than a few students over the years recommended that I read a novel called _Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West_ by Gregory Maguire. ", "To put it mildly, I didn't leap at the prospect. ", "I've read some novels based on existing characters created by other writers and, with the exception of John Gardner's _Grendel_ and a few of the Sherlock Holmes resurrections, I haven't been that impressed.", "\n\nBut _Wicked_ is indeed a horse of a different color. ", "It is, in fact, one of the best-crafted and most enjoyable novels that I've read in a while. ", "Here's why: The author, Gregory Maguire, infuses his story with excellent description page by page, actually line by line. ", "As importantly, he sustains suspense and drama throughout, in a time and place that was already sufficiently fantastic, in my mind, and is enormously more so here. ", "Add to that a cast of characters that I really came to _care_ about, including the witch, who I certainly never cared about before, beyond trying to hide my quivering, six-year-old body under the seat in the old downtown movie theater in Palestine, Texas, the first time I made her acquaintance. ", "Maguire gives her and the other characters doubts and inclinations and motivations that are not all that much unlike mine and creates a setting — complete with Munchkins and yellow brick roads — that is entirely believable in its context. ", "In short, he works considerable magic.", "\n\nThere are many ways to bring this magic about, and in this chapter we'll focus on a few of them. ", "But first, let's take a look at the opening paragraph of _Wicked_ and see what Maguire used to set his story in motion:\n\nA mile above Oz, the Witch balanced on the wind's forward edge, as if she were a green fleck of the land itself, flung up and sent wheeling away by the turbulent air. ", "White and purple thunderheads mounded around her. ", "Below, the Yellow Brick Road looped back on itself, like a relaxed noose. ", "Though winter storms and the crowbars of agitators had torn up the road, still it led, relentlessly, to the Emerald City.", "\n\nNotice the perspective we are given in the first sentence. ", "We aren't actually in the setting but far _above_ it, looking down at something specific: the curving road. ", "Remember the macrocosm that we talked about in chapter seven? ", "That bird's, or in this case witch's, eye view gives us a glimpse at where the story is going to take place before we swoop down into it, _it_ being both Oz and the story itself. ", "We immediately have a witch, which is in most cases unbelievable, in some turbulent weather and dark thunderheads, which are commonplace occurrences. ", "Then we have the yellow brick road, which we already know something about; but it is in bad repair due to winter storms — that makes sense — and crowbar wielding agitators, foreshadowing of a conflict that we hadn't expected. ", "It's no coincidence that the simile regarding that road involves a noose, which is hardly ever a harbinger of anything cheerful. ", "The end result of all of it, at least for this reader, is that it is a mix of things I expected and things I didn't. ", "And that's a perfect formula for making me want to read on.", "\n\nFirst impressions are — as your parents and your high school speech teacher used to tell you — quite important. ", "And this paragraph certainly makes a dandy one. ", "But one thing that sets excellent authors apart from simply good ones is how they maintain the level of wordsmithing used at the first all the way through till the end, as this writer does.", "\n\nSo how should you go about it?", "\n\nThe complete answer to that would fill up a shelf full of books. ", "But let's have a look, paying special attention to setting and description, at five things — alteration of reality, selection of the title, crafting of the first sentence, placing a specific setting within a much larger one, and blending your story and your voice — that will help you accomplish this artful manipulation that is at once difficult to pull off and absolutely essential to the success of your fiction.", "\n\n **MODIFYING REALITY**\n\nOften, in order to end up with fiction that comes off as realistic, the author has to do a good bit of tinkering with what is _really_ real.", "\n\nTo find proof of this, you might not have to look any further than your kitchen on a typical weekday morning. ", "Let's say you're about to write a scene that involves a husband and wife having their last cups of coffee before they each leave for work. ", "So you figure you'll record your and your significant other's dialogue one early morning, word for word, so as to infuse your novel with authenticity. ", "When you play the tape back, here's what you might have to work with:\n\n\"Almost out of coffee.\"", "\n\n\"Get the dark roast this time. ", "This is too weak.\"", "\n\n\"Don't put in so much water. ", "You put in too much water.\"", "\n\n(Shuffling of papers)\n\n(Pause)\n\n\"Get the dark roast.\"", "\n\n\"We need milk. ", "Two percent.\"", "\n\n\"Can't go today. ", "Gotta meeting.\"", "\n\n\"I'll go.\"", "\n\n(Shuffling of papers)\n\n(Pause)\n\n\"This stuff is worthless. ", "Get the dark roast.\"", "\n\nNow, our subject in this chapter is working magic in your writing. ", "Well, I've got news for you; if you use _that_ little conversation verbatim the only magic that will ensue will be your reader making your book disappear.", "\n\nI stated in chapter two to be on the lookout for details everywhere. ", "And I haven't changed my mind now that we are in chapter ten. ", "But _finding_ all of those particulars doesn't mean you have to use all of them, and it also doesn't mean that you, as a writer, shouldn't manipulate them in order to make them fit into your story. ", "Sure, you shouldn't change the date or the location of the _Titanic_ 's demise, but you can — and you'd _better_ — modify that business about the coffee that we just read.", "\n\nIn your scene that takes place in the kitchen, you'll want little details to show the reader where things are taking place. ", "You can have these two finishing off the coffee, and maybe even have one of them suggesting that they try a darker roast. ", "But to have this pop up for absolutely no purpose is clutter. ", "In real life, things like this pop up all day long, but in fiction everything should be there for a reason. ", "For instance, maybe one of the characters in your novel wants to make some big changes in his life, and this little thing — wanting a different kind of coffee — will call the reader's attention to those bigger alterations. ", "Remember, seemingly insignificant details are often the best ways to amplify a theme, mood, or conflict.", "\n\nIn the first act of _Death of a Salesman_ , Willie Loman comes home late from a business trip. ", "He's tired, argumentative, and worried about the fact that he's pretty much washed up as a traveling salesman. ", "To cheer him up, his wife suggests that he eat a little something; she tells him she bought some new kind of cheese. \"", "It's whipped,\" she tells him. ", "Willie goes on with his tirade about his current dilemma and then stops, thinks, and asks \"How can they whip cheese?\" ", "It's a great line. ", "Not because Arthur Miller might have heard it somewhere and decided to use it in his play, but because it enlarges what Willie is feeling. ", "The world is changing too quickly around him, leaving him behind, and something as inconsequential as whipped cheese calls attention to it.", "\n\nLook back at the transcript of that morning conversation. ", "Words are left out; sentences are incomplete; there's no connective theme. ", "It's a mess.", "\n\nSo how could you use it? ", "Answer: You _change_ it. ", "You lift out exactly what you need — that bit about wanting stronger coffee to spotlight your character's desire for bigger changes — and you rework the dialogue:\n\nTed glanced at the headlines, then flipped over to the sports section to see if the Dodgers won. ", "He sipped his coffee.", "\n\n\"This stuff is horrible,\" he said. ", "He put the mug down on the counter. ", "Pushed it away from him. \"", "It's like colored water.\"", "\n\nAlice looked up from the metropolitan section. ", "She looked at him over the tops of her half-frames.", "\n\n\"It's the brand we've used for years,\" she said. \"", "I make it the same way every day.\" ", "She put the paper down; took off the glasses. ", "Thought. \"", "You've never complained before.\"", "\n\nNow we've got something that comes a heck of a lot closer to working in a story or novel. ", "The dialogue is smoother and makes more sense. ", "The little conflict is obviously there for a reason, and the wife just might be picking up on the reason there at the end.", "\n\nWhen writing fiction, you'll have to modify reality constantly in order to work your magic. ", "That oddly decorated pawn shop you pass on the way to work every day will work much better in your story in a different location. ", "The mutt in your neighbor's back yard becomes a Great Dane. ", "The cute newscaster on Channel 11 becomes in your novel the weather girl with whom your protagonist is infatuated.", "\n\nThe many, many tidbits of reality that you gather will ultimately need to be adjusted, enlarged, narrowed, or modified in some other way to finally fit nicely into the story that you want to tell.", "\n\n **YOUR TITLE**\n\nThe single most important first impression your fiction will make on your potential reader — other than the cover of your novel or the illustration of your story, neither of which you are likely to have any control over — is your title. ", "So you'd better spend some time coming up with a perfect one.", "\n\nSometimes titles will emerge from your own manuscript, bubbling up out of your wordsmithing like _The Catcher in the Rye_ must have for J.D. Salinger. ", "Other authors have used the title to magnify a significant theme, as Robert Harling did when calling his play about a group of scrappy southern women _Steel Magnolias_. ", "I am among the legions of writers who have stolen their titles outright from the Bible, _The Windows of Heaven_ (Genesis 7:11), and from poets, _Into That Good Night_ (Dylan Thomas), _A Place Apart_ (Robert Frost). ", "I haven't pilfered from Shakespeare, who has provided more titles than any other single author, but I'm not done yet.", "\n\nWhen it comes to setting and description, your title can work wonders for both. ", "Many titles evoke the primary setting in the reader's mind before they have read one word of the text. ", "Just a few examples are _Chesapeake, London, Across the Great Divide, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Dubliners_ , and _Winesburg, Ohio_. ", "Other titles aren't so bold, but only hint at the _type_ of place or the geographical location, like _The Big Sky, Snow Falling on Cedars, The Cider House Rules, Islands in the Stream, Tobacco Road_ , and _Where the Red Fern Grows_. ", "And many authors use the title to help define a character, conflict, or situation; some examples are _The Ugly American, Rich Man, Poor Man, A Time to Stand, Bound for Glory, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Our Man in Havana, In Dubious Battle_ , and _The Once and Future King_.", "\n\nChoosing a title might be one of the last things you do in the writing process. ", "In fact, I'm inclined to suggest that it _should_ be; as your plot and characters constantly change in your thinking, the perfect title might emerge. ", "When writing a novel that begins with a little boy waiting for the first cold front of the season on his grandfather's farm and ends with that little boy having become an old man, I had a short list of several titles that I had lifted from several sources. ", "Finally, I settled on _Touching Winter_ , which hadn't been on my original list at all, and which I didn't have to steal from anyone, because of the double meaning of the boy waiting for the season to change and the old man in the winter of his life.", "\n\nFace it, your title is an extremely important bit of business. ", "It is the moniker by which everyone will refer to this thing that you sweated and strained over for so long; it is the flag that will fly over your book or story for as long as people read it and refer to it. ", "So choose wisely.", "\n\nHere's one last thing regarding titles. ", "More than a few have firmly rooted themselves in the public mind, so leave those alone. ", "Whatever the legal or ethical implications, if any, you'll look mighty foolish sending your novel set in Dallas and Fort Worth in to a publisher with _A Tale of Two Cities_ on the cover sheet.", "\n\n **FIRST SENTENCES**\n\nI once heard about an acquisitions editor in New York who takes three manuscripts to work with him every morning on the subway, because there are three subway stops between his apartment and his office building. ", "He gives each of the manuscripts exactly the time it takes the subway to make its way from one stop to the next, and if the author hasn't grabbed his attention by then, that project is down the drain, at least as far as that editor and that publishing house is concerned. ", "This may or may not be a true story; I can't vouch for it. ", "But, fact or fiction, it's a good reminder for writers who want to be published to provide their reader with the very best first sentence, and paragraph, and page they can concoct.", "\n\nThe primary function of that initial sentence is to make the reader want to read the second one, so it has to be a real grabber. \"", "Once upon a time\" won't cut it, and \"There lived, once, in the city of Paris a...\" isn't likely to, either. ", "It needs to be engaging, maybe a little quirky, and it wouldn't hurt if it had a smidgen of mystery or foreshadowing.", "\n\nWhen brand new fiction writers in my classes and workshops bring in their first stories to the critique table, we have to sometimes wade through a great pile of clutter before we get to what might serve as an effective first sentence. ", "Often it is buried in the second paragraph, or the second or third page, hiding there like a gold nugget waiting to be dug out. ", "That's because human beings usually have an innate propensity to take a long time getting to the point. ", "Either that or they've been so thoroughly trained to write thesis statements that their first sentence might be something like \"The murder of Erica Bennington was committed by Wallace Weeks, her spurned lover.", "\"Which, provided this story was supposed to have been a whodunit, would hardly be the best way to begin.", "\n\nJust keep this in mind: This first arrangement of words is your reader's initial taste of both your story and your voice. ", "So work substantial magic here. ", "And it sometimes offers an excellent opportunity to get a toehold into your setting and description.", "\n\nLet's look at several first sentences and consider _why_ they work. ", "We'll forego the very famous ones — like \"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...\" and \"Call me Ishmael\" — and concentrate on some that are equally as effective but are probably less well known. ", "Here's how J.R.R. Tolkien begins the first chapter of _The Fellowship of the Ring_ , the first volume of the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy:\n\nWhen Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.", "\n\nFirst, there is the pleasing alliteration of the name, followed closely by that unexpected number — _eleventy-first_ — and finally the promise of something exciting that is going to happen: a party. ", "Then there is the first use of two of Tolkien's magical place names — Bag End and Hobbiton — which begins to establish the setting. ", "Much is accomplished here, in not very many words. ", "It's a fine little attention-getter of a sentence that pulls the reader quietly into a riveting, oftentimes horrifying saga that will wind its way through the next thousand plus pages.", "\n\nIn her novel _Summer_ , Edith Wharton starts with this:\n\nA girl came out of lawyer Royall's house, at the end of the one street of North Dormer, and stood on the doorstep.", "\n\nAt first glance, it seems simple enough, almost as if it had been dashed off quickly in order to get a start. ", "But I suspect Edith Wharton never dashed off a line in her life. ", "Closer examination shows the thought and craft that went into this beginning. ", "We have, in this first little taste of the novel, a girl for whom we are not given a name or an age; Wharton knew that sometimes the best description is no description. ", "The owner of the house is identified as a lawyer, which throws open several possibilities; the girl might be his daughter, or then again she might be a client. ", "Then we're given the name of the town or city, North Dormer, which might make some readers wonder if there is a South Dormer, followed quickly by proof that it is most certainly a town, and a small one, since there is only one street. ", "These twenty-three words provide a good bit of information, and one important question: Who is this girl and what is she up to?", "\n\nNow here's Jeffrey Archer's opener for his novel _First Among Equals_ :\n\nIf Charles Gurney Seymour had been born nine minutes earlier he would have become an earl, inherited a castle in Scotland, 22,000 acres in Somerset, and a thriving merchant bank in the city of London.", "\n\nThis one foreshadows a character's actual situation — whatever it might turn out to be — with what it _would_ have been, had fate been a bit more prompt. ", "Archer chooses to start with irony, and one that most if not all of his readers have had some experience with: the old _woulda, shoulda, coulda_ slings and arrows that destiny sometimes hurls. ", "Beginning with something that the reader can identify with is a very good way to launch a story or novel. ", "In your own writing, look for situations that might make the reader connect with the story, and you might have found a fine place to begin.", "\n\nAnother good way is to start with a relationship, more than likely one that involves a conflict. ", "Frederick Busch begins his novella _A Handbook for Spies_ with this:\n\nWillie thought of his parents' life together as an inverted pyramid, a vast funnel, a tornado that stood still.", "\n\nThere's any number of ways this author can go from here. ", "But you can safely bet the narrator's parents — and their odd relationship — will be a large part of it. ", "So he anchors it in the reader's perception at the outset. ", "Sometimes it's best to provide readers with a strong image like this one right up front, one that will stick with them throughout the story.", "\n\nWhatever your leadoff sentence ends up being, it had better be interesting and promising enough to keep your readers on board. ", "And the best way to do that is to give them just enough to make them wonder what's up, and to make them want to stick around to find out.", "\n\n **YOUR SPECIFIC SETTING WITHIN A LARGER ONE**\n\nIn my creative writing classes and workshops I call this \"the thing and the bigger thing.\"", "\n\nThe \"thing\" is the specific storyline or, more often, an individual scene. ", "And the \"bigger thing\" is something that impacts more people than the few characters in the scene. ", "For example, here are Huckleberry Finn and Jim, the runaway slave, drifting along on their raft on the wide Mississippi, the countless stars spread out above them in the night sky. ", "That scene is the \"thing,\" but it is just one small component of several bigger \"things,\" like the Fugitive Slave Act and the prejudicial societal norms of that era.", "\n\nIn regards to setting, this disparity between the two things — the small setting and the much larger one (which includes not only places but other things, like philosophy and customs, as well) — provides an excellent opportunity for you to firmly establish the time and place where your story takes place.", "\n\nGo back to chapter one and look over those paragraphs from _Underworld_. ", "The specific setting is a baseball game at the Polo Grounds in Brooklyn in 1951. ", "But notice that the setting is significantly more than that. ", "It is other places in greater New York where people are listening to the game on the radio, it is four famous people who we recognize, it is the love affair of a city and a nation with baseball, and it is the advent of the age of nuclear weapons, to name just a few.", "\n\nNow, how can you use this enlarged, wider macrocosm to enrich your own setting and description?", "\n\nLet's revisit that husband and wife that we left with their weak coffee. ", "We'll say that the coffee is being drunk in a kitchen in an old neighborhood of Oxnard, California, with tree-lined streets and lots of picket fences. ", "That neighborhood — along with the husband who wants to make some changes in his life that don't include Oxnard or, perhaps, that wife who is staring at him — is the \"thing\" of your story or at least of this one scene. ", "The \"bigger thing\" might be the entire state of California, or of the western seaboard, that is undergoing energy cutbacks that affect our characters and their situations. ", "Or maybe the divorce laws in California are stricter than they are in other places — I don't know that. ", "Look it up; it's your story, and that impacts this fellow's decisions. ", "Or maybe something going on on the other side of the planet affects these two and the changes the man wants to make; maybe their son is in the front lines of a war.", "\n\nHere's the point. ", "When writing fiction, look beyond the obvious setting and situation that you establish. ", "One reason to do it is to keep yourself out of trouble with your editor. ", "If you have a lawyer in your novel flirting with a pretty woman in the front row of the jury box during a trial in 1903, you'd better think again. ", "Because there would, almost certainly, have been no women in jury boxes in this county in that year. ", "But a better reason to set your sights higher and wider is to take advantage of the many societal, historical, and geographical implications that you can use to make your story stronger and better.", "\n\n **LEAVING YOUR READER WITH A TASTE OF YOUR STORY AND YOUR VOICE**\n\nSome of the strongest magic you'll have to work will be after the fact. ", "You'll need to leave your reader with a lingering flavor of both your story and the voice in which you told it.", "\n\nSo how do you do that?", "\n\nHere's the one and only answer: _constantly_. ", "This fusion of these two effects on the reader isn't something that you can go back in and fix after you're done. ", "You've either built a fine story line by line or you haven't. ", "And you've either conveyed it in a dependable, consistent, unique voice or you haven't. ", "If you haven't done these things, you have a real problem on your hands. ", "If you _have_ done them, then you might just be home free.", "\n\nA good way to check to see if you are balancing story and voice is to print out chapters or scenes as you finish their first drafts and read them back over carefully. ", "I have two suggestions here that might or might not work as well for you as they do for me. ", "First, make sure you actually print the text out on paper and read it with pencil in hand. ", "I maintain that we bring a slightly different mindset to reading something on a page than we do to seeing it on a screen. ", "Unless you end up publishing your work as an e-book, your reader will see it on paper, so it's a good idea to read it back to yourself in the same medium to see if your story and your voice are emerging. ", "Second, put the printed pages away for a day or so before reading them. ", "Go on and start working on the next part, and come back to this section later. ", "That way, the words won't still be ringing in your head as you look at them again. ", "That fresh viewpoint, even if it is only a day removed from the first one, will make a great difference. ", "And you'll see things, good and bad, that you are likely to overlook when reading what you have just written.", "\n\n **Waving the Magic Wand**\n\nHere's a checklist to help you make sure you did the best job possible on that manuscript that you're ready to start sending out to prospective publishers:\n\n * Is the title representative of your story and will it elicit a reader's interest?", "\n * Is your opening sentence a \"grabber\"?", "\n * Is your narrative voice consistent and user-friendly?", "\n * Are the characters and the setting credible?", "\n * Is there a recognizable overall mood or tone?", "\n * Is there some evidence of settings and situations that are _larger_ than your specific settings and situations?", "\n * Are there enough resolutions to tie up all loose ends that need to be tied up?", "\n * Have you wordsmithed thoroughly? ", "Have you chosen the best word and phrase in _every_ case?", "\n * Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences and paragraphs?", "\n * Have you shown more than you've told?", "\n * Have you provided sufficient description?", "\n * Have you provided too _much_ description?", "\n\nWill the finished product be something you'll be proud of?", "\n\nThere's no one model that I can share with you here, because these things have to work throughout entire stories and novels, not in just a paragraph or two. ", "But think of a piece of fiction that you particularly enjoyed and that stayed with you, then look back over it and determine _why_ it worked so well for you. ", "There will be many, many little things that the author did to warrant your overall satisfaction. ", "But I'll bet the main reason you were impressed and entertained was this combination of story and voice.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: THE LITTLE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN**\n\nIn this chapter, we looked at several places where you can work some of the magic required to tell a story effectively. ", "Modifying realistic things and actions so that they will fit smoothly into your fiction is essential, as is choosing a good title and first sentence. ", "You might use a specific setting within the larger context of a more inclusive one, and you will definitely need to balance the story you are telling and the unique voice in which you are telling it.", "\n\nSince we opened this chapter with references to _The Wizard of Oz_ , it seems only right that we close it with one.", "\n\nDo you remember when Toto runs forward and pulls the curtain away to reveal that the horrific, fire-breathing Wizard is nothing more than a not very impressive little man pulling at levers? ", "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but that's you back there. ", "And it is me.", "\n\nThe writer is that little man behind the curtain, working constant magic and manipulating and tinkering and wordsmithing to such an extent that, if he or she is any good at it at all, readers won't see any of the seams or the inner workings. ", "What readers should see is a smooth telling of a good story that appears to have been no trouble at all to dash off.", "\n\nWe know better, don't we? ", "We who sit down in quiet, lonely places and put ourselves through the rigors of writing know that, however proud and contented we might feel when the work is done, the writing itself is often a staggeringly painful and aggravating enterprise.", "\n\nBut that can be our little secret.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nGo on a shopping trip for a title for that manuscript you've been writing. ", "Look in all of these places and come up with one from each:\n\n * the Bible ( _East of Eden_ has been taken; choose another)\n * Shakespeare (ditto for _The Winter of our Discontent_ ; darn that Steinbeck)\n * Some of your favorite poems (you can't have _For Whom the Bell Tolls)_\n * Nursery rhymes (sorry, _All The King's Men_ is spoken for)\n * A single word that encapsulates an overall theme or mood (forget _Misery_ )\n * A common creed or phrase unique to a character's profession (nix on _Protect and Defend_ )\n * Your characters' dialogue or a situation in your own story (this be fertile ground; go for it)\n\nNow choose the best one, close your eyes, and imagine it in bold print above your name on the cover of a bestseller.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nUsing the same manuscript, circle any sentences in the first several pages — or maybe even further along — that might work as the very first sentence of the story or the chapter. ", "You might just come up with one or two that will be better than the one that currently occupies that place of honor.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nJot down five adjectives that you believe describe your creative voice, the unique style that you employ to tell a story. ", "Just a few possibilities are _friendly, laid back, serious, humorous, ominous, dynamic, ironic, formal_ , and _informal_. ", "Then, when you're confident that you've chosen the five best words, look for examples of each in your writing. ", "You will probably confirm your self-appraisal, but, who knows, you might discover that your voice is actually different than you thought.", "\n\n# 11\n\n## [ TOO LITTLE, TOO MUCH ]\n\nWe've spent ten chapters now looking at ways to make your descriptions better and your settings stronger and more realistic. ", "So now let's take some time to consider some things that you should _not_ do.", "\n\nI thought about calling this one _Minimalism versus Excess_. ", "But, in addition to its sounding entirely too technical, it implies that all we're about to discuss is short sentences like some of Hemingway's as opposed to page-long ramblers like many of Faulkner's. ", "That perception would be misleading, since there is nothing at all wrong with using very short or very long sentences, as long as you use them correctly and well. ", "And this chapter will be about things in your writing that _are_ wrong and need to be made right.", "\n\nBy _too little, too much_ I mean the wide pendulum swings of not giving the readers nearly enough to bring them into the story or understand it and giving them considerably more than they need, or want, to know. ", "Your job as a writer is to stay in the middle ground, and sometimes that proves to be a delicate bit of maneuvering.", "\n\n **DEALING WITH CLUTTER**\n\nIn Stephen King's _On Writing_ , he tells about a sort of epiphany he experienced in high school when he got back a page of copy from the old newspaper editor who had just hired him. ", "Much — perhaps half — of the text was crossed through, and what was left was exactly what he (King) had intended to say in the first place. ", "The editor then imparted this gem of wisdom:\n\n\"When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story,\" he said. \"", "When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are _not_ the story.\"", "\n\nIf that precept could be somehow injected into everyone who intends to write, then we'd have better writing, writing teachers would have fewer headaches, and editors would either have considerably less to do or be out of a job altogether.", "\n\nLet's look now at some elements of writing that are rich loam for \"all the things that are _not_ the story,\" and at some ways to avoid letting that clutter creep into your fiction, especially into your settings and description.", "\n\n **Dialogue Tags**\n\nThese little fellows —... _said Mary,... he answered,... she replied_ — are often necessary, but not nearly as often as many writers seem to think. ", "They carry enormous clutter potential.", "\n\nI have two rules regarding dialogue tags that I try to pound in tomy students:(1) if there is any way not to use them, _don't_ , and (2) keep adverbs out of them.", "\n\nRegarding the first one: If you have two characters in a scene — even in a scene that is dialogue driven — you shouldn't need more than a grand total of _two_ dialogue tags. ", "It's necessary to distinguish who's talking at the start of a conversation, but then the reader should be able to keep up. ", "It gets trickier if more than two speakers are involved, and more tags will be required. ", "Even with several characters babbling, if you've done a good job of describing them, giving them unique personalities and voices, then readers will know who is speaking by what they are saying, and they won't need tags very often.", "\n\nNow, about those adverbs. ", "Not much that a writer can do will put me off faster than constantly using them in tag lines to describe something or someone. ", "Listen:\n\n\"My goodness,\" Eloise said, hopefully, \"that _is_ good news. ", "Don't you think?\"", "\n\n\"Not really,\" John responded, sadly. \"", "It all might come to nothing.\"", "\n\nThis conversation is quickly coming to nothing, as far as I'm concerned. ", "If the writer wants Eloise to be hopeful and John to be sad, then she should have them do hopeful and sad things. ", "Or describe them as hopeful and sad. ", "Better yet, let their words stand for themselves; Eloise's dialogue _is_ hopeful and John's response to it _is_ sad. ", "The reader can discern both moods without being told what they are.", "\n\nWhen writing, you should be as watchful for things to leave _out_ as you are for things to put in. ", "Things that don't have to be there — like useless tags — do nothing more than slow readers down and divert their attention away from the story you're telling.", "\n\n **Cliche´s**\n\nAs we discussed in earlier chapters, where cliche´s are concerned, fewer isn't good enough; you should aim for _none_. ", "To say in your fiction that a landscape is _pretty as a picture_ or a character is _as quiet as a church mouse_ or _running around like a chicken with its head cut off_ is just bad writing, top to bottom.", "\n\nUsing cliche´s in dialogue sometimes works. ", "A character who spews them out might add a little needed comic relief in your story, but having more than one do it is a bad idea. ", "And for _you_ to use them outside of dialogue will lose you many a reader.", "\n\nIf the image conveyed by a cliche´ is one that will be useful for your description, then come up with other ways to say the same thing. ", "There are plenty of alternate — and better — ways to say or show that someone is inebriated than resorting to saying they are _tight as a tick_ or _three sheets to the wind_.", "\n\nCreative writing should be _creative_ , and there is nothing creative about using cliche´s. ", "They're nothing more than crutches that keep you from having to conjure up your own descriptions. ", "So, unless you're going for the _film noir_ voice of Mickey Spillane — \"She leaned against the file cabinet, her face like a mile of bad road\" — you'll need to avoid cliche´s.", "\n\n **Repetition**\n\nWe talked about cadence in chapter three; now let's spend a minute or so on how to avoid its evil nemesis: repetition.", "\n\nIt works its way into our writing quite naturally, since most people tend to repeat themselves in conversation, and if something is weighing heavily on our mind, we rerun things over and over in our thinking. ", "In writing, repetition stands out (if I hadn't just delivered that little diatribe regarding cliche´s I'd say _like a sore thumb_ ).", "\n\nPerhaps the most common culprit is the adverb, which seems to be drawing considerable fire in this chapter. ", "Please understand that some of my best friends are adverbs; I use them all the time in my writing. ", "But the problem is that they are _so_ useful. ", "They are just too handy and sometimes keep us from giving a better description. ", "Most often, since they are very _telling_ modifiers, they keep us from _showing_ a trait in a character or place or situation. ", "For instance, if you say that a character quickly ate her dinner, that might be all you want to say about it and it will certainly suffice. ", "But if the fact that she is shoveling it down at breakneck speed is important to your plot, then you should show her doing just that, in as much or as little detail as you feel is needed for the scene.", "\n\nOne adverb in particular — _very_ — is quite possibly the most common single-word violator of the clutter rule. ", "We are in love with this word in our language and tend to use it when other words or phrases, or the absence of them, would work much better. ", "If we want a house in our novel to be larger than most houses, we say that it is _very_ large. ", "For a writer purporting to write well, that is _very_ bad. ", "There are so many ways to show the enormity of a house other than resorting to using a description that is too generic to carry much useful imagery. ", "Needless to say (I hope), the way to make that house even bigger is _not_ to add yet another _very_ , making it a _very, very_ big house. ", "Following that formula, you could tack on six or seven more _verys_ and have yourself a house of gargantuan proportions, and a bit of description that is abysmal.", "\n\nThe most common repetition that lifts its ugly head in manuscripts — it's regularly ferreted out in critique sessions (peer workshops) — is when a writer uses a word or phrase that has just been used. ", "For instance, if you say that a character ordered the smoked salmon for lunch and, in the same paragraph, that he smoked a cigarette while waiting for his check, that's using the same word too often too closely together. ", "Granted, the first _smoked_ is an adjective and the second is a verb, but the reader hears the same thing both times, and that repetition keeps your story from flowing as smoothly as it could if you changed the second _smoked_ to _had_.", "\n\nEven words that sound alike, or almost alike, can be repetitious. ", "Donald Westlake once said that if he had known that his character Parker would work himself into an entire series of crime novels, he might have chosen another name for him. ", "Because over the years, Westlake has had to grabble many times with how better to say _Parker parked_ his car.", "\n\nIn addition to being always on the lookout for common words and phrases that you've repeated, be just as diligent when looking for the uncommon ones — like _scatterbrained_ — which will work only once in a great while, probably only once in an entire novel. _", "Smoked_ popping up here and there is fine, but _scatterbrained_ is too unique to be effective more than once. ", "And be careful to not let phrases reemerge in your dialogue. \"", "Oh, my God!\" ", "has been uttered, screamed, or barely whispered in more novels and stories and movies than perhaps any other. ", "When your character says it, if it fits in your story, then join the parade, and it will probably work just fine. ", "But if that character says it again, or others use it, then your reader will stop seeing those words and start seeing a cliche´.", "\n\n **Didacticism**\n\nMore than a few professional writers are also teachers, and sometimes it's hard to keep teaching out of our fiction. ", "If it does creep in and becomes too apparent (that is, if the object becomes instruction rather than storytelling) then it's given a name: didacticism. ", "Which is, you should note, not a commendable trait in fiction; it's certainly not a word that you want mentioned in your reviews.", "\n\nLet's say your historical romance is churning along nicely and you need your reader to know that right about here is when Thomas Becket is slain in Canterbury Cathedral. ", "Now, first of all, unless it's important for your readers to know this in regards to your story, then it's not your job to tell them. ", "Let her go to T.S. Eliot's _Murder in the Cathedral_ or a history of England for that. ", "But if that event _is_ essential to what's going on in your fiction, then you'll need to find another way of imparting it than stopping the flow of the story and giving a lecture about it. ", "Maybe one of your characters can learn about it from another one — in dialogue or perhaps in a letter. ", "Or you can make references to it in your narrative. ", "Another option is to set one of your scenes right there in the cathedral on that blustery December night and have the martyrdom become part of your plot. ", "Ken Follett does this very thing, with this very event, in _Pillars of the Earth_.", "\n\nRemember, readers of historical fiction expect to be given bits and pieces of history. ", "But they don't want, and probably won't tolerate, history _lessons_.", "\n\nAnother thing readers aren't likely to abide is being preached to, which is a form of didacticism. ", "Unless you're aiming for a particularly specific audience, like readers of Christian fiction, then you'd do well to leave out anything that might come across as a sermon.", "\n\nEthical teachings or implications are like symbols when it comes to writing. ", "If they need to be there, or if the reader wants them, they will emerge naturally from the story. ", "It's not your job to point them out. ", "Summing up your story or novel with either some character or the narrator cataloging the virtues of a person or the rightness of an action or situation is much too over the top; you might as well conclude with \"and the moral of this story is...\"\n\nThe moral of _this_ story is don't tell the moral of the story. ", "If there really is one, _show_ it — in the story itself.", "\n\n **Verbosity**\n\n _Verbose_ , along with _didactic_ , is another of those words that you'd rather not find in a review of your fiction. ", "A few of the many synonyms for verbose are _wordy, longwinded_ , and _rambling_ ; none of which are good references for an author.", "\n\nWhether your writing is clear or verbose depends on your individual writer's voice. ", "And yours should lean toward the former. ", "We're not talking about using a lot of words here, which is the common misconception of what verbose means. ", "Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning _Lonesome Dove_ is a huge novel that consists of one heck of a lot of words, but the story is told in a crystal clear voice. ", "So it is not verbose. ", "Another writer might write a short, short story in which he is much more intrigued with the beauty of his own language than with the story he is telling, and that brief offering would indeed be verbose.", "\n\nBecoming enamored with grandiose descriptions and language is a pitfall that modern writers should avoid. ", "Many first time poets and writers of fiction think back to those things by the romantic poets and Charles Dickens that they read in high school and they try to squeeze their poems and stories into antiquated structures and phrasings. ", "Then they'll flop around in them long enough to finally realize (I hope) that their fiction just looks silly dressed up like that.", "\n\nTwo centuries ago, a writer might have said that a character \"may have taken the exaggerated view\" but, today, you'd better just say that he is lying. ", "Unless you're writing historical fiction in the narrative voice of that era, your readers will not likely tolerate having to swim through your wordiness. ", "Your readers want a story nicely told in language and description that is, at least sometimes, beautiful and moving. ", "But what they mostly want is clarity.", "\n\nAnother type of verbosity that should be avoided at all costs is the use of the passive voice. ", "I don't know who is responsible for perpetuating the myth that intelligent sounding things get delivered in this odd vehicle, but they should be punished harshly for it. ", "Nobody in their right mind is going to wander up to the gathering at the office water cooler on Monday morning and seriously say \"a fine football game was watched by me yesterday afternoon.\" ", "Neither should you use passive voice in the telling of your story or in your dialogue.", "\n\nSo, leave out _alas, lo, suited the action to the word, a fine time was had at the ball_ , and rambling sentences that are obviously meant to impress the reader with your vocabulary. ", "The reader knows that if you are a writer you are in possession of a thesaurus, so using big words is not going to be nearly as impressive as you might think.", "\n\n **Wandering Offtrack**\n\nI believe that it is essential for you to know, in every scene of a story or chapter, what it is you should be up to. ", "When writing scene three of chapter six, you should have no doubt that _this_ is what you want to happen, _this_ is who you want it to happen to, and _this_ is the result. ", "In terms of setting and description, this means that you are always aware — at every stage of your story and your writing of it — of the specific time and place and of what needs to be carefully described and how you intend to do it.", "\n\nThen, when you've determined that you've strayed off your course, which you almost certainly will, you can avoid wandering off in the wrong direction. ", "But bear this in mind: It might not _be_ the wrong direction. ", "It's quite possible that the straying will turn out to be a _good_ thing. ", "I've had interesting characters and places pop up that I hadn't planned on at all. ", "If this isn't the case, then you'll have some clutter to deal with. ", "It might be well-written, clever clutter — \"a rose by any other name,\" etc. — ", "but it still has to go.", "\n\nI suggest that you become something of a packrat when it comes to things that you discard. ", "There's an interesting story regarding Rogers and Hammer-stein, the collaborative authors of some of the finest works in the American musical theater. ", "I can't vouch for its accuracy, since I heard it from another writer at a conference, and writers, given the nature of our profession, sometimes fabricate at will. ", "True or not, this one is instructive. ", "When writing _South Pacific_ , either Rodgers or Hammerstein wrote a peppy little song called \"Getting to Know You\" for a young Navy lieutenant to sing to his Polynesian lover. ", "The other member of the writing team thought it was a ridiculous thing for a naval officer to be singing so they scrapped the song and wrote another one. ", "But they saved the first one, which ended up working perfectly in a later musical _The King and I_.", "\n\nSo don't be too quick to throw things away. ", "That long description of a child waiting for a school bus in the rain might not fit at all in the story you removed it from, but it may be just what you need in another one.", "\n\n **Useless Information**\n\nThe light blue phone in your story or novel shouldn't be light blue unless it _matters_ what color it is.", "\n\nDescription simply for the sake of description is clutter. ", "Any details that you provide should be ones that will help your reader better see a character, place, or situation. ", "That ornate china cabinet that you inherited from your grandmother might be an absolute joy to describe, and you might do it extremely well, but unless it serves to move the story along, it has no place there.", "\n\nRemember, elaborate description of a person, place, or thing — especially in work intended for readers of popular fiction as opposed to literary — can stop a story dead in its tracks. ", "And good stories and novels never stop; they keep _moving_.", "\n\nFlannery O'Connor maintained that even though details are essential to the writing of fiction, piling them up, one on top of another, is counterproductive to what you should be about: telling a story.", "\n\nWhen writing your story or novel, always consider what the reader _needs_ to know. ", "What you'll almost always end up with, if you give them more than is needed to make the story work, is loose ends at the conclusion. ", "Remember, when you describe something or someone, you are intentionally calling readers' attention to that thing or person. ", "So they have the right to assume that the thing or person is of some importance and that they will reemerge in the story. ", "We'll let the great dramatist Anton Chekhov have the last word on this subject of making sure that everything in your fiction is there for a purpose. ", "He said that if there is a gun on the wall in act one, by act three it should fire.", "\n\n **WHEN THE BEST DESCRIPTION IS NO DESCRIPTION**\n\nSometimes the best way to tell or show something is not to tell or show it at all. ", "It's always a good idea to make the reader do some of the work in your fiction, and this is particularly true when it comes to description.", "\n\nHere's one of the best examples I can think of. ", "There is a fine short story by Saki, the pseudonym of H.H. Munro, titled \"The Interlopers\" in which two old enemies find themselves trapped under a fallen tree deep in the forest on a cold winter night. ", "While waiting for one of their groups of men to show up to rescue them, they manage to resolve their differences and to bring a generations-old feud between their two families to an end. ", "When they finally hear some commotion on the ridge above them, one of the men asks the other, who has a better view of the ridge, which group of men it is:\n\n\"Who are they?\" ", "asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to see what the other would gladly not have seen.", "\n\n\" _Wolves_.\"", "\n\nChilling, isn't it? ", "And the main reason that it _is_ so chilling is something that the author _doesn't_ do. ", "He doesn't describe the horrors that we know are coming. ", "After all, the men are trapped and the wolves are wild and no doubt hungry; you get the idea. ", "And it's that _idea_ that he wants to emphasize, not the gnarling, bloody business that he could have described in great detail. ", "He isolates that final, terrifying word with no instructions or suggestions about even how it is delivered by the speaker. ", "It might be a shout, or a pleading. ", "But I've always heard it as more of a whisper. ", "I've always imagined a very soft, emotionless, statement of an unfortunate yet unalterable fact. ", "And the impact of that last, single word has stayed with me for many a year since I first read it.", "\n\n **A Checklist for Clutter**\n\nIf you have to put a checkmark beside any of these when reading through your manuscript, then you've got some clutter to either modify or dispose of.", "\n\n * repetition of words or phrases\n * useless tag lines\n * too many adverbs\n * too many adjectives\n * modifiers that mean the same thing\n * useless information\n * useless characters\n * too much description\n * too verbose\n * too didactic\n * resorted to a cliche´\n\nLook for places where you can leave much, or all, of something to the reader's imagination. ", "Obviously, when you're writing a mystery or suspense tale, there's plenty that you'll need to leave out, since much of that overall suspense will depend on how you write your descriptions. ", "But carefully chosen omissions will serve you well in any genre.", "\n\nThis intentional lack of description can work for settings also, but to a lesser degree. ", "My first two books had been particularly dependant on their settings — one was about the town I grew up in and the other was about an island that was hit by a horrendous storm — so I wanted my third offering, _A Place Apart_ , to be a story that could take place practically anywhere. ", "So I set it in Ohio, a place for which I didn't have a fixed idea. ", "But I found early on that I still had to describe many things about that time and place in order for the novel to function at all.", "\n\nHaving your story play itself out in a time and place that is completely generic — with absolutely no description of interiors or landscapes or what the weather is doing and no clue regarding past, present, or future — will take away much of what makes good fiction work. ", "But there will be places where it's just not important for the reader to know if the story is in Vermont or California or the Ukraine. ", "Backstories often fall into this category. ", "If a character's grandfather once taught her an essential life lesson, then it might not matter _where_ he taught it. ", "But be careful. ", "Remember, readers like to know where and when things are taking place.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: KEEPING THE WHEAT, TOSSING THE CHAFF**\n\nSeveral times in this book I've referred to what I call the clutter rule, the principal that anything that you include that doesn't serve to move your story along has to go. ", "It's exactly the same thing, of course, as when Stephen King's old boss told him to take out everything that was _not_ the story. ", "However you conceptualize it, this really should be one of the golden rules when it comes to the writing of your fiction. ", "Nothing short of just plain bad writing will slow your reader down or stop him altogether faster than having to wade through an overabundance of clutter. ", "That and not giving him enough information or detail to bring him on board in the first place.", "\n\nI told you at the start of this chapter that it is sometimes difficult to stay between these two extremes. ", "But you'd best do that reckoning constantly when writing. ", "Drifting too far in one direction or the other will weaken, or destroy, what you want to be a fine bit of storytelling.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nPull out one of your manuscripts and start looking for places where you have used description. ", "Now, consider for each place how your story or novel might benefit by having less description there, or none at all. ", "Let the impact on your reader be your guide. ", "You might omit some fine writing, but your story will be the better for it.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nRelying on your writer's craft and your fine wordsmithing, write a short phrase that will work _better_ than each of these that contain cliche´s. ", "Remember, the object here is to remove the cliche´ and retain the image or description that it created.", "\n\n * Don't let her pull the wool over your eyes.", "\n * He's as drunk as a skunk.", "\n * His eyes are like a deer's caught in a headlight.", "\n * Suddenly, the girl felt as light as a feather.", "\n * Toby, as mad as a hornet, slammed down his fist.", "\n * When it comes to handiwork, he doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground.", "\n * Elliott knew that, when it came to this boss, he was behind the eight ball.", "\n * What goes around comes around.", "\n * You can't teach an old dog new tricks.", "\n * _Que sera, sera_.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nOpen a novel or a story by a good writer — be forewarned: this exercise won't work if you choose a bad writer — and start looking in the text for places that he or she obviously chose another word to keep from repeating one that they had recently used. ", "You'll be surprised at how lucrative your search will be, and seeing how they did it will influence how _you_ will do it.", "\n\n# 12\n\n## [ DESCRIPTION AND SETTING IN THE WRITING PROCESS ]\n\nOnce you've made the decision to write a short story or a novel, or anything else of a creative nature, you place yourself in the company of countless storytellers that reaches back through several millennia to the first oracle who stood up, cleared his throat, and told the first tale. ", "Most of them followed pretty much the same process from the genesis of an idea to the delivery of the final product, and so will you.", "\n\nIn this last chapter, let's briefly consider how setting and description, specifically, should fit into the _process_ of writing fiction.", "\n\n **THE IDEA**\n\nThe sources of story ideas differ from writer to writer. ", "Many authors draw heavily on personal experience and childhood memories; others let their imaginations run wild and dream everything up out of thin air. ", "Something as seemingly unimpressive as an old man walking beside a busy highway might be enough of a spark in one writer's mind to end up as a 500-page novel, but a downright harrowing personal experience might not be sufficient for another one to translate into what he or she feels would be a worthwhile project.", "\n\nIn short, wherever you come up with your idea is your business, and I'll leave you to it. ", "But our two major concerns — setting and description — should factor into your selection.", "\n\nI often encourage my students to locate their piece in a setting that interests them, in a time and place that they would like to know more about. ", "Anyone intending to write something that happens in Chicago in the 1920s will need to do some considerable research. ", "And the eventual description of all those flappers and mobsters and G-men and speakeasies and Model Ts will undoubtedly affect the entire story.", "\n\nShould the choice of a primary setting and the anticipation of some impressive description be the ultimate determiner of the story itself? ", "Probably not. ", "But it can — and in all likelihood _should_ — have a great impact on your decision.", "\n\nMaybe you've been toying with the possibility of penning a murder-for-hire saga. ", "You know it's going to involve a love triangle and some sailboats (you like sailboats), but that's about as far as you've thought through it. ", "Love triangles and murders-for-hire can occur just about anywhere, but those sailboats require a large body of water. ", "So, the setting is already one of your first concerns.", "\n\nNow, where you finally _do_ locate this steamy bit of business will greatly determine many other things in your fiction. ", "A yacht club deep in the heart of Dixie will be completely different — geographically, philosophically, architecturally, etc. — ", "than one in the northeast. ", "The locals will have a different mindset; the customs and even some of the laws will differ. ", "Then there's the landscape; if you intend your hired murderer to toss someone off a cliff, then you'd best not set your story anywhere on the Texas gulf coast, since you won't find a cliff there capable of inflicting any more damage than a sprained ankle. ", "Those sailboats you're so interested in might themselves even differ from place to place; maybe an altogether heartier sort of wood and design are called for in the icy waters of the far north than is needed in the balmy currents of the tropics.", "\n\nWhere and when your story or novel takes place, and the descriptions you employ to tell it, is an essential element in your fiction. ", "So make it an important component in your initial idea.", "\n\n **PLANNING**\n\nNow that you've made your decision — your sordid, three-way love fest/bloody betrayal is going to play out on Lake Ouachita, Arkansas — you've got some real planning to do.", "\n\nRemember, it is not only important but _essential_ for you to know where you're going. ", "I've had students and workshop participants tell me that they don't believe in planning, that they just _write_. ", "They just give their muse free reign and follow where she leads. ", "When I've read their stories, I believe them. ", "Because what you'll almost certainly end up with if absolutely no planning goes into the process will be a rambling collection of clutter. ", "There must be method to your madness, and the _method_ is a plan.", "\n\nWhen making your plans, setting and description should be constantly on your mind. ", "However you go about it — many writers use detailed outlines; I'm a big believer in plot graphs — you should pencil in loads of details regarding the time, the place, and things and people that will need describing in each scene. ", "If you actually _go_ to Lake Ouachita, take along a camera, your writer's journal and/or a fat notebook, and a sharp pencil. ", "But if your budget forbids such an excursion, then get on the Internet or write to the chamber of commerce and find out about the topography, trees, customs, and anything else that you might need in order to take your reader there.", "\n\nWhen your reader settles down in their hammock on a nice summer afternoon or in a comfortable chair beside a roaring fire on a blustery winter night, they should, when they begin reading your story or novel, _be_ at Lake Ouachita. ", "They should smell the pine trees and see the small, rocky peninsulas that jut out into the water. ", "The Ozarks should lift up there in the distance. ", "And here are some of those sailboats that you've envisioned, their white sails puffed full of afternoon breeze, their sleek hulls skimming across the crystal blue lake. ", "And over there, at the Mountain Harbor Lodge, two parts of that lover's triangle are plotting against the third, and your story is set into motion.", "\n\nBefore any of that can happen, you have to do considerable planning. ", "As you can see, the time and the place, and the description you will use to deliver them to your reader, need to be very important ingredients of that planning.", "\n\n **WRITING**\n\nI am a firm believer — some of my students might say to the point of fanaticism — in the idea that this most important and creative stage of the process should be separated completely from the others. ", "A writer who is serious about his or her task should set aside a block of time each and every day for writing. ", "This time should never be for planning, researching, revising, or editing. ", "Perhaps most important, it shouldn't be for _thinking_ about writing (writers are, if you haven't already noticed, great procrastinators). ", "This predetermined daily time should be for _writing_. ", "And it should be sacred time.", "\n\nMy block is from four until half past five every morning. ", "And I try awfully hard to write for that hour and a half seven days a week. ", "Now, this isn't meant to imply that I _only_ write for those two hours. ", "Many days I log many more than that. ", "What I want to you to understand is this: I write for at least that amount of time _every_ day. ", "I know; you're probably not an early riser. ", "That's fine; then your block shouldn't be when mine is. ", "Maybe yours should be late at night, when mine _absolutely_ shouldn't be. ", "I'm very much a \"morning person,\" and I doubt if I could compose even a coherent grocery list at midnight. ", "I'm a better writer early in the morning, and I've discovered that a strong advantage to my predawn ritual is that nobody ever bothers me. ", "Believe me, if the phone rings that early in the morning, it's either a wrong number or an emergency.", "\n\nSo one of my unbreakable rules is that I am at the keyboard for that hour and a half every day. ", "The other one is that I am writing for all of that time. ", "Many mornings I feel pretty certain that what I'm writing is garbage, and sometimes it turns out that I'm right. ", "But the funny thing about garbage is that there is usually something buried in there that can be salvaged. ", "The worst thing a writer can convince himself of is that he doesn't feel like writing today. ", "I encourage my students to make believe, every time they sit down to write, that they have a deadline to meet for a tough city editor on a daily newspaper. ", "Envision him as a scowling, Lou Grant-type character who doesn't care a fig what you feel like. ", "He just wants your copy on his desk, pronto.", "\n\nWhen it comes to setting and description during the actual writing of a story or novel, I've found it very helpful to have photographs, floor plans, or schematics of the specific setting where I can look at them when I write. ", "When constructing that scene about Lake Ouachita — with its blue water and mountains and pine trees — a postcard tacked up over your monitor would be a good idea. ", "And a list of possible adjectives and phrases that you've jotted down in your planning will be essential, as will frequent dips into the thesaurus to scan several options that might work better in your overall wordsmithing. ", "But avoid a spell check and grammar check during your actual writing. ", "Save those for revisions. ", "You don't want anything slowing you down in this, the most crucial phase of your task.", "\n\nUsually, when writing a chapter of a novel or a section of a story, I won't tackle it in the order that it will eventually play itself out, but will start with the clearest image that I have in my mind and then write \"around\" it. ", "For instance, if your most vivid image is of those sailboats on Lake Ouachita, then that might be the best place for you to begin. ", "Here again is proof positive that your choice of setting is very important.", "\n\n **REVISION**\n\nNow's the time to check over everything and make the first of many changes. ", "I always print out the pages that I've just written and sit down on the couch in my study (not during my sacred block of writing time; remember: that's only for writing) and make plenty of notes on the manuscript with a fine-point mechanical pencil. ", "I draw arrows to indicate when I want to move words, phrases, or whole sentences. ", "I take things out and put things in. ", "I declutter and make things clearer. ", "Sometimes I scribble out entire new paragraphs in the margins, their sentences wandering around the edges of the page like rats in a maze. ", "Sometimes I reward myself with little checkmarks for a bit of nice wordsmithing. ", "Everybody needs a pat on the back occasionally, even if it is self-inflicted.", "\n\nThis stage of the writing process is the most likely candidate for being shortchanged, I suspect. ", "After all, we all know full well how enormously important planning and writing is, and we sometimes look down on revision as something less creative than the first two. ", "But believe me, revision is every bit as essential if you intend to finally come up with a finished product that is both publishable and readable. ", "Revision is your refiner's fire; it is the polishing of your work to the highest possible shine. ", "So build in enough time to make a proper job of it. ", "The revision phase is the time that I pay very close attention to my description and my setting. ", "I weigh every adjective against other possibilities. ", "And I try to _become_ the guy in Sheboygan, who has never been to Paris (if I am writing about Paris) or to Lake Ouachita. ", "It is essential that I attempt to see my writing through his perception, to make sure that I have adequately described the time, the place, and the characters.", "\n\n **FEEDBACK**\n\nWhen I am first working my way through an idea for a story or novel, and then when I do the planning, writing, and initial revisions, I make it a point not to seek any outside input or to accept any. ", "Too many cooks in the kitchen early on will indeed spoil the stew. ", "In fact, when people ask me what I'm working on, I usually lie and tell them nothing at the moment. ", "If I tell them I've got an idea for a story or a novel, they will inevitably ask what it's about, and that is exactly what I _don't_ want to go into at that stage of the process. ", "This thing — whatever it ends up being — will have to work in _my_ voice, from _my_ perspective. ", "So I need to be the lone ranger in the first vision, the planning, and the first and maybe second draft.", "\n\nThen, I throw the doors to that kitchen open wide to other people whose opinion I respect. ", "Patricia Soledade, a fellow teacher and a wonderful friend, is my constant reader, and her input has been invaluable over the years. ", "But Pat never hears about possible ideas, never sees plot graphs, and never sees first drafts. ", "That's when it would be detrimental to have her, or anybody else's, ideas tripping over mine.", "\n\nWhen I take a chapter or a story to Pat, it has been planned, written, and revised. ", "Then she digs into it and brings me back the thoroughly marked-up and Post-It-noted manuscript. ", "I spend a lot of time with that batch of papers, considering each of her recommendations, changing some things and leaving others as they were. ", "And, of course, I ask her for clarification on some things. ", "The ultimate decisions are mine, but my work is stronger because of the skillful input I've received from an excellent and dependable sounding board.", "\n\nFinally, I make my next round of revisions and send the manuscript off to my agent and my editor. ", "Then, of course, there are things they want changed or enlarged or done away with. ", "Sometimes I yield, sometimes I compromise, and sometimes I dig in my heels. ", "Every once in a while, it can be a frustrating process, but it's always ended up being a productive one.", "\n\nOne last thing, if you aren't fortunate enough to have a Pat Soledade, I suggest you get yourself into a writer's critique group that meets frequently in your community. ", "Go online to locate one, or call a local bookstore or your library to see if they know of any. ", "There will be, I assure you, one or two Pollyannas in that group that won't be of much use to you because they'll gush over every offering and never find anything wrong with anybody's writing, and there will be a Scrooge or two who will find _everything_ wrong and never anything right. ", "But there will also be, if you are very lucky, a core group of talented writers who will provide fair, constructive feedback from which your fiction will benefit greatly. ", "And you will do the very same thing for them.", "\n\n **SUMMARY: THE FINISHED PRODUCT**\n\nI get asked fairly often to speak to writer's groups like the ones I just described to you. ", "They usually meet in bookstores or in the community rooms in shopping malls and, though their main order of business is to critique each other's fiction, they do sometimes invite published writers in to say a few words and to answer questions.", "\n\nThe vast majority of questions put to me over the years have regarded how to go about finding a publisher or an agent or — this is the most frequently asked question — how to make the most money at this writing gig. ", "Rarely am I asked any questions that I can actually _answer_ , like how to better develop a character or instill a bit of irony or make the best use of setting and description. ", "Sometimes, these John Grisham wannabes seem disappointed that I was invited at all. ", "And the fact that I'm there, instead of John Grisham, should have been a dead giveaway that I don't know anything about making a lot of money from writing. ", "People who do that generally charge a lot of money to speak to groups that can get somebody like me for free.", "\n\n **A Fews Good Rules for Good Writers**\n\n * Set aside a specific time for writing. ", "Then _write_. ", "Don't look out the window. ", "Don't listen to the radio. ", "Don't talk on the phone or check your e-mail or hook paperclips together. ", "Don't edit. _", "Write_.", "\n * Wordsmith. ", "Make sure every word and phrase is the _best_ choice.", "\n * Read! ", "Read! ", "Read! ", "Someone once told me that good writers are just avid readers that spilled over.", "\n * Plan! ", "Know where you're going.", "\n * Show more than you tell.", "\n * Leave out more than you put in.", "\n * Use the five senses to describe.", "\n * Make characters and situations and dialogue believable.", "\n * Make your setting more than _just_ a setting. ", "Put it to work in your fiction.", "\n * Don't preach.", "\n * Don't imitate. ", "Locate and polish your own voice.", "\n * Don't clutter.", "\n * Take your time.", "\n * Revise! ", "Revise! ", "Revise!", "\n * Plan, write, and revise autonomously; then seek feedback.", "\n * Be open to constructive criticism and willing to make the changes necessary to make your writing better.", "\n * Don't worry about fame, fortune, or a national book tour. ", "Just write well!", "\n\nAll I can tell those groups is what I have tried to tell you in these pages: Wordsmith the very best story or novel that you can, crafting every word, sentence and paragraph precisely, in your unique voice. ", "Work it through as many revisions as it needs. ", "Then get yourself a good resource full of agents' or publishers' names and — armed with a perfect query letter — wander into a marketplace that will likely break your heart many times before it makes it glad. ", "Be persistent. ", "There is on a shelf in my closet a shoebox crammed full of rejection letters that came my way in regard to my first book, which was finally published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, one of the most prestigious publishers in New York. ", "That book went on to make the short list of finalists for a national PEN award. ", "But during the writing of it, I didn't let myself focus on anything other than the story I was trying to tell and the best ways to do exactly that.", "\n\nIn a nutshell, don't worry about agents or publishers or marketing your wares when writing. ", "Just concentrate on writing well, on using all the tools in your kit, not just the two — setting and description — that we have been talking about. ", "If you do that, then you'll end up with something that will be worthy of your faith in it and of the persistence you'll use to put it \"out there.\"", "\n\nYou will be a wordsmith. ", "Welcome to the club.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 1**\n\nLook over these basic story ideas. ", "Then jot down several possible primary settings (times and places) where the ideas might be fully realized. ", "Think of places where you have been or places you have an interest in and would _like_ to visit. ", "And consider reasons to set the story in one place (or time) rather than another:\n\n * two old friends end up on opposite ends of a labor dispute in a canning factory\n * the ghost of a slave appears a century and a half after his death\n * a tale of espionage in a large hotel\n * the old man befriended by a young couple at a resort might, or might not, be a Nazi fugitive\n * a spoiled, city teenager who survives a plane crash must endure a wilderness and find her way to civilization\n * a woman returns to her old hometown to make amends for a bad thing she did years ago\n * a murder is done at a famous landmark, and an innocent tourist is implicated\n\n **EXERCISE 2**\n\nMake a list of at least five people you know that will be good readers for your second draft manuscript. ", "I suggest you don't put down your significant other, since he is too close to you, and perhaps to your writing. ", "Friendship shouldn't be your only criteria, or even a major one; choose people who do a lot of reading of fiction and ideally someone who has done some creative writing themselves.", "\n\n **EXERCISE 3**\n\nUsing two markers — one red and one green — dig into a manuscript that you've been working on. ", "Circle strong, clear phrases, sentences, or paragraphs with the green marker, then locate their counterparts, the sections that need work. ", "You might just notice a pattern emerging; the green passages are good for certain reasons, and the red ones are found lacking for other reasons. ", "Get to work pulling the red ones up to snuff, transforming them into green.", "\n\n# appendix\n\n## [ POINT BY POINT — A QUICK AND EASY REFERENCE TO MATERIAL COVERED ]\n\n **CHAPTER ONE: THE IMPORTANCE OF DESCRIPTION AND SETTING**\n\n * Good writing is never entirely dependent on the setting, but any work of fiction without a clearly depicted time and place will almost certainly fail.", "\n * Your fiction should have a setting rich enough to match the story you intend to tell.", "\n * Fiction is essentially made up of two things: the craft that a writer uses to create a story and the unique voice in which he or she conveys it.", "\n * Improvement in writing can occur when you focus on three things: the underlying craft of fiction (the tools of the trade, so to speak), models (examples of published authors' works), and wordsmithing (the careful selection of each and every word).", "\n * Giving the lay of the land (actually describing topography and geography) is one way to introduce your setting, and it will work especially well if you intend for that land to play a vital role, almost as a character in its own right, in your story. ", "MODEL: John Steinbeck, _East of Eden_.", "\n * The use of intricate details is another option. ", "Here, though, you would do well to consider the audience you are aiming for: literary or popular. ", "Readers of literary fiction will be more receptive to long passages of description while devotees of more mainstream or popular stories and novels want less of that and considerably more action. ", "MODEL: Don DeLillo, _Underworld_.", "\n * Yet another way to introduce the setting is to appeal to the reader's five senses, paying special attention to what things look, taste, smell, sound, and feel like. ", "MODEL: Margaret George, _The Memoirs of Cleopatra_.", "\n * The tone (the prevailing attitude or mood) will determine how your fiction will be perceived and to a large extent what will actually happen in your story or novel. ", "MODEL: Jack Finney, _The Night People_.", "\n * Your close attention to and crafting of description — of your settings, characters, and their actions — must be maintained throughout your entire story or novel, not just at the beginning. ", "MODEL: E. Annie Proulx: _The Shipping News_.", "\n * Within the context of your writing, you have to send an invitation to your readers. ", "Something in the situation you are presenting, in your characters, and in your writer's voice has to be compelling enough to bring them in and keep them on board. ", "MODEL: Robert Frost, \"The Pasture.\"", "\n\n **CHAPTER TWO: LEARNING TO PAY ATTENTION**\n\n * Good writers are persistent and meticulous harvesters of detail. ", "MODEL: Morley Callaghan, _That Summer in Paris_.", "\n * When you look at everything with a stronger magnification, you'll end up with more bits and pieces of data than you'll ever use. ", "So you'll have to come up with ways to hold on to them, and then locate them when and if you need them.", "\n * The more time you spend searching for these details, the more interesting and useful details you're likely to come up with.", "\n * One good way to do this is to focus on a time and place in your past. ", "Think of it in present tense — not past — and take plenty of notes, making sure you include sensory details.", "\n * Another approach is to focus on a setting in the present. ", "Select a place where you don't go often or know anyone, so that you won't be influenced by preconceptions.", "\n * A small notebook, kept close at hand most of the time, should be one of your constant tools. ", "Jot down any details, dialogue, descriptions, arrangements, etc. ", "that might be useful to you in your writing.", "\n * Maps, floor plans, or schematics of places real or imagined will help you to better visualize your setting so that you can make it realistic for your reader.", "\n * Movies and television and radio programs are great sources of visual images, intricate details, and the employment and delivery of language that will be useful to you. ", "Other sources are newspaper and magazine columnists as well as daily comic strips that follow an ongoing storyline.", "\n * When looking for details, always be on the alert for any bits of irony. ", "Your readers get plenty of irony in real life, so they expect it to occur in fiction also.", "\n * You need to keep a journal or diary into which story ideas regularly go, as well as bits of overheard dialogue, new dialogue that your characters come up with, details of places or situations, techniques you've picked up from other writers, and anything else that has anything to do with your writing.", "\n * Once you've sharpened your observation skills and taken notes about what you've seen, you need to create the little world in your mind where your story will take place. ", "Because if it doesn't exist there, it won't stand a chance of existing in your reader's mind.", "\n\n **CHAPTER THREE: USING ALL THE TOOLS IN YOUR KIT**\n\n * The crafting of fiction is a slow and deliberate undertaking in which you will need to employ, often and well, many of the literary devices and approaches available to you.", "\n * Adjectives and adverbs are the spices that good writers use to flavor their writing. ", "Too little or too much spice can spoil a dish; the same rule applies to modifiers. ", "They should be tested constantly to make sure they're doing exactly what you need them to do. ", "MODELS: Ernest Hemingway, _For Whom the Bell Tolls_ ; Robert Cremins, _A Sort of Homecoming_.", "\n * Punctuation marks are road signs for your readers, put there to show them where you want them to pause, continue, speed up, and stop altogether. ", "This requires that you _listen_ to your fiction.", "\n * Exclamation points should be used sparingly, so as not to diminish their effectiveness. ", "MODEL: Luanne Rice, _The Perfect Summer_.", "\n * Use colons to alert your reader to something that is coming up: a list, a definition, or a clarification. ", "MODEL: Edward Rutherfurd, _London_.", "\n * Semicolons and dashes will prove useful in the important business of giving your sentences a variety of lengths and structures. ", "MODELS: Jeffrey Lent, _In the Fall_ ; Clare Francis, _Night Sky_.", "\n * Parentheses provide a way for you to tell your reader something _outside_ of the story proper. ", "MODEL: Vladimir Nabokov, _King, Queen, Knave_.", "\n * One of the most effective ways to convey a particular image to your readers is to show them what it is similar to.", "\n * Metaphors and similes are excellent ways to imply similarity, and you should use them often. ", "Just make sure you don't get carried away and _over_ use them. ", "MODELS: Alex Haley, _Roots_ ; Aidan Chambers, _Postcards From No Man's Land_ ; Ken Follett, _The Hammer of Eden_.", "\n * Sometimes you'll need to lay out an exact comparison, not an implied one. ", "That's when an analogy will work better than a metaphor or a simile. ", "MODELS: Lori Aurelia Williams, _When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune_ ; James Michener, _The Eagle and the Raven_.", "\n * When using an allusion, make sure it is wide enough for your readers to pick up on. ", "MODELS: Kurt Vonnegut, _Cat's Cradle_ ; Tony Kushner, _Angels in America_ ; Anne Rice, _The Tale of the Body Thief_.", "\n * Personifications provide excellent ways for you to paint a visual, active image in your reader's mind. ", "MODELS: William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ ; Ann Packer, _The Dive From Clausen's Pier_ ; J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_.", "\n * Symbolism should occur naturally in your fiction, with no need for you to intentionally _plant_ symbols. ", "MODEL: Aaron Elkins, _Fellowship of Fear_.", "\n * When employing onomatopoeia, weave it into the fabric of your sentences, letting the sound words have their effect in small doses. ", "Avoid using them as one-word sentences followed by exclamation points. ", "MODEL: Zane Grey, _Riders of the Purple Sage_.", "\n * Cadence is good; repetition is bad. ", "Cadence provides a flowing, musical aspect and taps home strong images, while repetition is simply saying something you've already said. ", "MODELS: John Grisham, _Bleachers_ ; William Gay, _Provinces of Night_.", "\n * Flashbacks, backstories, and future stories are good ways to establish setting and provide description by diverting your readers' attention from the present plot to another time and place. ", "MODELS: William Styron, _Sophie's Choice_ ; M.M. Kaye, _The Far Pavilions_.", "\n * Foreshadowing provides small clues of what's to come, and. ", "is quite an effective way to keep your reader interested. ", "MODEL: Alice Sebold, _The Lovely Bones_.", "\n * Readers get tired of sentences of the same pattern and length coming one after the other, and the same is true of paragraphs. ", "So give them a variety. ", "MODELS: Patricia Cornwell, _From Potter's Field_ ; Shelley Mydans, _Thomas_ ; D.E. Stevenson, _Miss Buncle's Book_.", "\n * Let moderation and a sense of balance determine which literary techniques and devices you choose for your story or novel.", "\n\n **CHAPTER FOUR: SHOWING, TELLING, AND COMBINING THE TWO**\n\n * Use a combination of showing and telling in your writing, but tend to show more than your tell. ", "MODELS: Toni Morrison, _Sula_ ; Masuji Ibuse, _Black Rain_.", "\n * In your fiction, plug your readers' into images — situations and emotions — that they can relate to. ", "One of the best ways to do this is to immerse them in those images by showing rather than telling. ", "MODELS: Kathleen Cambor, _The Book of Mercy_ ; Charles Frazier, _Cold Mountain_.", "\n * Sometimes a combination of showing and telling works best. ", "MODELS: John Gardner, _Grendel_ ; Ray Bradbury, _The Martian Chronicles_.", "\n * Don't tell what you've already shown.", "\n * Deciding when to show and when to tell becomes an instinctive process, but you should always test each passage or image to see if it might not work better in the other way.", "\n\n **CHAPTER FIVE: SENSORY DESCRIPTION**\n\n * The success of your story or novel will depend on many things, but the most crucial is your ability to bring your reader into it. ", "And that reader will be most completely in when you deliver the actual sensations of the many things that comprise your fiction.", "\n * The extent to which you should do this will be determined somewhat by the audience you are aiming for. ", "Readers of literary fiction will tolerate lengthy passages of sensory description in order to get a wide canvas on which the story can take place. ", "Readers of popular fiction want the description also, but they want it more quickly. ", "MODELS: William Goyen, _The House of Breath_ ; Joy Fielding, _Whispers and Lies_.", "\n * The danger of using the sense of sight is to use it too often, to the exclusion of the others.", "\n * When making your reader see something, present it in a way that he or she might not have ever seen it before. ", "MODELS: Cormac McCarthy, _Cities of the Plain_ ; Walter M. Miller, _A Canticle for Leibowitz_.", "\n * Be careful not to overdo the uncommon, unexpected bits of visual description. ", "They usually work well the first time, but not so again.", "\n * Occasionally you'll need the reader to see only slight differences between things. ", "MODEL: William Martin, _Cape Cod_.", "\n * Smell is the most nostalgic of the senses, so use it to great effect. ", "It can be used to nudge a character's memory, to symbolize something else, to describe something that is difficult or impossible to describe, and to help establish your setting. ", "MODELS: Gore Vidal, _Washington, D.C._ ; Marly Youmans, _Catherwood_ ; Larry Watson, _Montana, 1948_ ; Patrick Suskind, _Perfume_.", "\n * When using the sense of touch your job is to make the reader recall exactly what it feels like when something occurs in your story or, if they haven't experienced it, what it _would_ feel like if they did. ", "MODELS: Dick Francis, _Longshot_ ; Chuck Palahniuk, _Invisible Monsters_.", "\n * When it's time to inflict a bit of pain and suffering in your fiction, put more emphasis on your character's reaction to it than on the actual description of it.", "\n * Sometimes describing the sense of touch won't show what a character feels, but what you want your _reader_ to feel. ", "MODELS: Barbara Kingsolver, _The Poisonwood Bible_ ; Ron Rozelle, _A Place Apart_.", "\n * The sense of taste can be used to center the reader's attention on a thing, and to help establish a character in the reader's mind. ", "MODELS: Jessica Danes, \"Hot Tea,\" _Houston Chronicle_ , January 8, 2003; Gore Vidal, _Washington, D.C._ ; Irving Stone, _The Agony and the Ecstasy._", "\n * Often showing what something _doesn't_ taste like is effective. ", "MODEL: Tracy Chevalier, _Girl With a Pearl Earring_.", "\n * Let a character's preference for one taste or another make him or her clearer in your reader's mind.", "\n * Let the sounds that surround you all the time work their way into your stories and novels. ", "MODEL: Louis L'Amour, _Guns of the Timberlands_.", "\n * Sometimes the absence of sound is the best way to convey what something sounds like. ", "MODEL: Robert Frost, \"Stopping by Woods.\"", "\n * Good writers spend much of their time thinking in metaphors; this is especially true when it comes to the sensory detail. ", "MODEL: Robert Penn Warren, _All The King's Men_.", "\n * One way to help describe your characters is to let the reader know what kind of music they listen to, maybe even what their favorite songs are. ", "MODEL: James Baldwin, \"Sonny's Blues.\"", "\n * Use sounds to make your reader curious and build suspense. ", "MODEL: Wallace Stegner, _Crossing to Safety_.", "\n * The sixth sense, intuition, is an excellent way to help describe a character or situation. ", "MODELS: John D. MacDonald, _The Deep Blue Good By_ ; Mary Higgins Clark, _Stillwatch_.", "\n\n **CHAPTER SIX: DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS**\n\n * The characters in your fiction are the actors that will take to the stage in your reader's mind. ", "So breathing life into the characters represents some of the most important work you'll do as a writer.", "\n * Straightforward physical description is the most common approach. ", "MODEL: Carson McCullers, \"A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud.\"", "\n * Mixing physical traits with subtle clues about attitudes and personality is another method. ", "MODEL: William E. Barrett, _Lilies of the Field_.", "\n * The use of an extended analogy is yet another option. ", "MODEL: Flannery O'Connor, \"Good Country People.\"", "\n * Providing an image of what your characters look like can come in very short doses or longer ones. ", "MODELS: William Faulkner, \"A Rose for Emily\"; David Westheimer, _Von Ryan's Express_.", "\n * Often it is quite effective to simply quickly tell what somebody looks or acts like. ", "Brevity occasionally wins out over elaboration. ", "MODEL: Anne Lamott, _Crooked Little Heart_.", "\n * Load your description up with little telling actions and references that help build your overall story. ", "MODEL: Kent Haruf, _Plainsong_.", "\n * Putting real people in your fiction can be therapeutic, but it can also be risky. ", "So be careful.", "\n * If you choose to use a historical character in your story, do your homework — about both the person and the historical era. ", "MODELS: Walter F. Murphy, _Upon This Rock_ ; Herman Wouk, _The Winds of War_.", "\n * When using yourself as a model for a character, use only descriptions that are called for in a particular story or novel.", "\n * One way to describe characters is to let them describe themselves. ", "MODEL: John D. MacDonald, _The Deep Blue Good-By_.", "\n * Sometimes, letting the character either dabble in a little wishful thinking or make reference to something they like about themselves provides good description. ", "MODELS: Virginia Woolf, _Mrs. Dalloway_ ; Irving Wallace, _The Seventh Secret_.", "\n * A character's dialogue can be the strongest description you can give. ", "MODELS: Willa Cather, _Death Comes for the Archbishop_ ; Allen Drury, _Advise and Consent_ ; John O'Hara, _Ourselves to Know_.", "\n * You'll need to know exactly what motivates your characters before you can convey them or their situations to your reader. ", "MODEL: Richard Stark, _Comeback_.", "\n * Showing characters' moods is an effective way to describe them. ", "MODELS: V.C. Andrews, _Into the Garden_ ; David Guterson, _East of the Mountains_.", "\n * Emotional or behavioral flaws are common in real people, so they'd better be in your characters also. ", "MODELS: Pat Conroy, _The Great Santini_ ; Betty Smith, _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_.", "\n * Physical imperfections in characters should provide more than just cosmetic description; perhaps they can be motivating or make a character _not_ be motivated. ", "MODEL: Robert Phillips, \"Night Flowers.\"", "\n * Avoid overplaying character stereotypes, but draw on reader's preconceived notions from time to time. ", "MODEL: F. Scott Fitzgerald, \"The Rich Boy.\"", "\n\n **CHAPTER SEVEN: TIME AND PLACE**\n\n * Nothing so solidly anchors a work of fiction in reader's minds as knowing when and where something is taking place.", "\n * The credibility of your setting depends entirely on your description of it. ", "MODEL: Ernest Hemingway, \"In Another Country.\"", "\n * One way to bring your reader into the setting is to give them a large view of it — a macrocosm, or bird's eye view. ", "This can be done quickly or in great detail. ", "MODELS: John Steinbeck, _The Moon Is Down_ ; Ron Rozelle, _The Windows of Heaven_ ; Stephen Harrigan, _The Gates of the Alamo_ ; Thornton Wilder, _Our Town_.", "\n * Another — and much more commonly used — approach is to give the reader a microcosm, a world in small. ", "MODEL: Philip Roth, _The Ghost Writer_.", "\n * Remember to let your reader know what the weather is doing at any given time in your story; it's an important, and often overlooked, aspect of your setting. ", "MODELS: Belva Plain, _Her Father's House_ ; William Martin, _Harvard Yard_.", "\n * Just as important is letting the reader know about the geography — its actual description and its influence on characters' personalities. ", "MODEL: A. Conan Doyle, \"The Adventure of the Speckled Band.\"", "\n * When describing weather and geography for particular places, do your research.", "\n * Whether or not your setting works for your reader is not dependent on whether or not it is physically _possible_ , but on how well you establish its credibility within the context of the story you are telling. ", "Let your characters and their motivations and actions drive your fiction, not the setting.", "\n * Beware the comfort zone, where your characters are cozy and comfortable in the setting you've provided for them. ", "Your story has to be constantly moving.", "\n * Frameworking — the inclusion of several things into a larger context or frame — is an ancient and quite effective way to tell a story. ", "If you choose to use it, make sure that your major emphasis is on the specific story you are telling, and not on the wider framework.", "\n * Good fiction allows the reader to be immersed in a particular time and place for a while. ", "Your job is to deliver those settings.", "\n\n **CHAPTER EIGHT: DESCRIPTION AND SETTING IN SPECIALIZED FICTION**\n\n * The story you are going to tell will more than likely work within several of the genres of fiction.", "\n * Because of that, it is important that you read some good examples of each genre, and keep an open mind when reaching your decision.", "\n * Historical fiction is a hybrid of both history and fiction, so you'd do well to do the necessary research to get the historical facts right.", "\n * Though the readers of historical fiction usually know how certain things will turn out, the characters must not have any such knowledge.", "\n * One way to describe a particular historical location is to provide details about the place itself. ", "MODEL: Irving Stone, _The Agony and the Ecstasy_.", "\n * Another way is to describe small actions or events that are indicative of the time and place. ", "MODEL: Colleen McCullough, _Caesar_.", "\n * In mysteries, setting and description can help establish the mood of suspense and provide foreshadowing. ", "MODEL: Janwillem van de Wetering, _The Maine Massacre_.", "\n * When writing science fiction and fantasy, your settings can be as fanciful as you want them to be, but they must be — first and foremost — a stage upon which your characters do something that your earthbound reader can relate to. ", "MODEL: Isaac Asimov, _Foundation_.", "\n * Readers of Western fiction expect considerable action, and they expect it to take place outside. ", "Give your reader plenty of vivid description, and invoke the rough, wide-open spirit of the West in your description of characters. ", "MODEL: Elmer Kelton, _Joe Pepper_.", "\n * Readers of romance novels and stories want elaborate descriptions of clothing, de´cor, and characters. ", "MODEL: Amanda Quick, _Affair_.", "\n * When writing horror, suspense, or thriller fiction, use foreshadowing extensively, and focus on your character's fears and suspicions. ", "MODEL: Stephen King, _Salem's Lot_.", "\n\n **CHAPTER NINE: USING DESCRIPTION AND SETTING TO DRIVE THE STORY**\n\n * Your setting should be more than just a place for your story to play itself out. ", "Aspects of it should impact your characters, their actions, and your overall plot. ", "MODEL: Eudora Welty, \"A Worn Path.\"", "\n * Let setting and description magnify a specific theme. ", "MODELS: Greg Tobin, _Conclave_ ; C.S. Lewis, _Surprised by Joy_.", "\n * Mood and tone can also be conveyed by setting and description.", "\n * One way to accomplish this is to let the mood emanate from the setting itself. ", "MODEL: Nicholas Meyer, _The Seven-Per-Cent Solution_.", "\n * Another possibility is to let your description of your characters' actions determine the mood of the story. ", "MODEL: Dashiell Hammett, _The Maltese Falcon_.", "\n * Showing the prevailing mood, by either the surroundings or some action, is more effective than telling it.", "\n * Use setting and description to enlarge conflicts in your fiction. ", "MODEL: Edith Wharton, _Ethan Frome_.", "\n\n **CHAPTER TEN: WORKING THE MAGIC**\n\n * First impressions are just as important in fiction as in daily life, perhaps even more so. ", "So you must begin the careful weaving of craft and voice in the first sentence and paragraph. ", "MODEL: Gregory Maguire, _Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West_.", "\n * Often, in order to end up with fiction that comes off as realistic, the author has to modify what is total reality. ", "The many realistic details that you gather will ultimately need to be adjusted, enlarged, narrowed, or changed in some other way in order to fit in your story or novel. ", "MODEL: Arthur Miller, _Death of a Salesman_.", "\n * Wherever you find your title — the Bible, poetry, song lyrics, dialogue of your own characters — make sure what your choice is a very good one. ", "That title will be the first taste the reader has of you.", "\n * Titles can be particularly helpful in establishing your setting.", "\n * The primary purpose of your first sentence is to make the reader want to read the second one, so it should be a real grabber. ", "It needs to be engaging, maybe a little quirky, and it wouldn't hurt if it had a bit of mystery or foreshadowing. ", "MODELS: J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Fellowship of the Ring_ ; Edith Wharton, _Summer_ ; Jeffrey Archer, _First Among Equals_ ; Frederick Busch, _A Handbook for Spies_.", "\n * The disparity between your specific setting and a much larger one — which includes not only bigger pieces of geography, but prevailing customs and philosophies — provides an excellent opportunity for you to firmly establish the time and place where your story takes place.", "\n * A good way to check if you are balancing story and voice is to print out manuscript pages you've just written, put them aside for a while, perhaps overnight, and then give them a fresh reading.", "\n\n **CHAPTER ELEVEN: TOO LITTLE, TOO MUCH**\n\n * Be as watchful for things that you leave out as you are for things you put in. ", "Anything that is not directly serving to move your fiction along is clutter and should be removed.", "\n * If you have two characters in a scene — even in a scene that is dialogue driven — you shouldn't need more than a grand total of two dialogue tags.", "\n * Rather than resort to the use of adverbs in dialogue tags, _show_ what you would have conveyed with the adverbs in the characters' words and their actions.", "\n * The only acceptable use of cliche´s is in a character's dialogue or in a very colloquial narrative voice, and even these should not be overdone. ", "Creative writing should be _creative_ , and there is nothing creative about resorting to cliche´s.", "\n * Avoid using modifiers that simply tell; find ways to _show_ a trait in a character, place, or situation.", "\n * Avoid repeating words and phrases, even words that have different meanings but sound somewhat alike.", "\n * Readers of fiction don't want to be taught lessons, they want to be told a story. ", "Neither do they want to be preached to. ", "So avoid being didactic, and don't overemphasize the moral implications of a situation.", "\n * Don't use passive voice.", "\n * When you wander off track, and end up discarding paragraphs or pages of text, don't throw them away. ", "What doesn't fit in one story might work beautifully in another.", "\n * Description simply for the sake of description is clutter. ", "Any details that you provide should be ones that will help your reader better see a character, place, or situation. ", "Always consider what readers _need_ to know and avoid giving them useless information.", "\n * Sometimes the best description is no description. ", "Look for places where you can leave much, or all, of something to the reader's imagination. ", "MODEL: Saki, \"The Interlopers.\"", "\n\n **CHAPTER TWELVE: DESCRIPTION AND SETTING IN THE WRITING PROCESS**\n\n * Wherever you get your story idea, setting and description should factor into your selection. ", "The place and time where your fiction will take place will impact every aspect of it: characters, plot, mood, conflict, and theme — to name just a few.", "\n * Once you've got the idea, setting and description should be constantly on your mind when making your plans. ", "Look for things that you will want to emphasize in your description and make notes.", "\n * A writer who is serious about his or her task should set aside a block of time each and every day for writing. ", "It shouldn't be used for planning, researching, revising, or editing. ", "Neither should it be used for _thinking_ about writing. ", "It must be an inviolable time for wordsmithing.", "\n * During the actual process of writing, it is essential to have any ancillary materials — maps, plot graphs, outlines, floor plans, character trait lists, photographs — close at hand so you won't have to take time to look for them.", "\n * It is not essential that you write everything in chronological order. ", "It might be best to start with the strongest image, or scene, in your mind. ", "Then write _around_ it.", "\n * Revision is your refiner's fire; it is the polishing of your work to its brightest shine. ", "So build in enough time to make a proper job of it.", "\n * Attempt to see your setting through the eyes of a reader who has never seen it before.", "\n * In the early stages of the writing process — the formation of the initial idea, the planning, the first draft — you need to work without any input from others.", "\n * Then, it's essential that you get helpful feedback from readers that can point out what's working and not working in your manuscript. ", "One dependable reader that you trust might be all you need, or it might be a good idea for you to locate a writer's group in your community, one that workshops manuscripts on a regular basis.", "\n * Don't worry about agents or publishers or marketing your wares when writing. ", "Just concentrate on writing well.", "\n\n#\n\n## The Best Books on Writing Instruction Come From Writer's Digest Books!", "\n\n **Dictionary of Disagreeable English —** You don't have to be a curmudgeon to enjoy the use of correct grammar! ", "Let Robert Hartwell Fiske, a.k.a. ", "the Grumbling Grammarian, help you identify and correct tricky grammar and usage problems. ", "This is the perfect-sized, indispensable reference for every writer on the go!", "\n\n _ISBN 1-58297-313-X, paperback, 352 pages, $12.99, #10949-K_\n\n **Page After Page —** Learn to write with confidence and passion! ", "In the same vein as _Bird by Bird_ by Anne Lamott, this brilliantly written, highly original book will help you achieve your writing goals and establish a productive, satisfying writing life.", "\n\n _ISBN 1-58297-312-1, hardcover, 240 pages, $19.99 #10948-K_\n\n **Some Writers Deserve to Starve —** This practical book will acquaint you with the brutally hard truths of getting published and understanding how the industry works. ", "Written to better your odds for writing success, the advice found here — delivered with a dash of wit — will help you get an agent, pitch your work, and get it into print.", "\n\n _ISBN 1-58297-354-7, paperback, 240 pages, $14.99 #10985-K_\n\n **Write Great Fiction: Dialogue —** Write snappy sentences, clever quips, and realistic conversations for your characters. ", "Innovative exercises, clear instruction, and excerpts from today's most popular novels will help you create dialogue sure to grab your reader's attention.", "\n\n _ISBN 1-58297-289-3, paperback, 240 pages, $16.99 #10936-K_\n\n **Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure —** Create a story your readers can't resist! ", "Strong plots with solid structure can be yours by following the techniques, exercises, plot examples, and comprehensive checklists found in James Scott Bell's detailed instruction.", "\n\n _ISBN 1-58297-297-X, paperback, 240 pages, $16.99, #10942-K_\n\n **These books and other fine Writer's Digest titles are available from your local bookstore or online supplier, or by calling 1-800-448-0915.**", "\n" ]

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[ "Q:\n\nArea between $y = \\frac{2}{1+x^2}$ and $y = |x|$\n\nThe exercise is from Anton 8th, page 443, question 15. ", "The problem asks for the area between:\n$f(x) = \\frac{2}{1+x^2}$\nand\n$g(x) = |x|$\nIt is not said what interval the area should be calculated, so assume that it is when both equations 'touch' each other, and here is my question.", "\nUsually I would do:\n$$ f(x) = g(x) $$\n$$ \\frac{2}{1+x^2} = |x| $$\nBut then I can't proceed. ", "I've tried to put $1+x^2$ multiplying $|x|$, as something like:\n$$ 2 = |x|.(1+x^2) $$\nthen:\n$$ 2 = |x|+x^3$$\n$$ x^3+|x|-2 = 0$$\nBut I can't have three roots as the graph shows (and that operation does not look good to me, so it's probably not right) (please don't mind my awesome drawing skill to identify the area):\n\nI did find the area based on the graph, but I have to justify where (points) both equations are touching each other to define the interval of the integral.", "\nHow could I proof my points (-1,1) and (1,1) by doing $f(x) = g(x)$?", "\n\nA:\n\nA good point to start when dealing with equations with absolute values is to \"fork\" the equation in two, dependig on the sign of what is inside of the absolute value.", "\nThe equation\n$$\\frac{2}{x^2+1}=|x|$$\nforks to\n$$\\frac{2}{x^2+1}=x$$\nwhen $x\\geq 0$. The roots of the polynomial $x^3+x-2$ are $1$ and two complex numbers that are not real. ", "The other fork is\n$$\\frac{2}{x^2+1}=-x$$\nwhen $x<0$. Now the polynomial is $x^3+x+2$, whose roots are $-1$ and tow nonreal complex numbers.", "\nSo the solutions are $-1$ and $1$.\n\n" ]

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[ "1. ", "Field of the Invention\nThe present invention is concerned with an apparatus and method for testing strings of miniature incandescent light bulbs to locate inoperative bulbs. ", "Strings of miniature incandescent light bulbs are extremely popular currently for various decorative purposes. ", "One of the most common is for decoration of Christmas trees. ", "The sets are usually strung in series with a minimum of 15 bulbs or more. ", "Since the lamp filaments are generally 2.5 to 7 volts and in series, the total filament voltage should add up to 110 to 120 volts of common household current. ", "Sets with large numbers of bulbs are generally divided into multiple sections in which the bulbs in each section are connected in series. ", "When one bulb fails, a whole section fails to light and it is very frustrating and time consuming to locate and replace the failed bulb. ", "Usually many bulbs have to be checked and replaced before finding the failed bulb.", "\nWhile there are presently various apparatus available for testing individual bulbs there is no apparatus presently known which is inexpensive, simple to use and can be used to rapidly locate the failed bulb by removing one bulb and connecting the apparatus of the present invention to the bulb socket to determine if that is the failed bulb and if it is not, the direction on the string of bulbs to the location of the failed bulb.", "\n2. ", "Prior Art\nU.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "4,943,752, Todd. ", "While this reference specifically discloses a Christmas tree lamp tester which is simple and utilizes a portable 9 volt battery, it fails to eliminate the need of testing multiple individual lamp bulbs, more or less blindly, since it gives no indication as to the direction of the failed lamp if the socket selected randomly is not the socket of the failed lamp. ", "It uses a piezoelectric circuit suitable for testing Christmas tree lights and related devices. ", "The device, however is suitable for testing only bulbs singularly by inducing a spark across a broken filament of the bulb.", "\nU.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "5,008,626, Boyd. ", "Also discloses a portable DC miniature lamp tester which includes a translucent plastic body with an open socket for receiving the bayonet end of the lamp, and terminals connecting to a nine volt dry cell battery. ", "This is specifically designed for testing light strings.", "\nThe general difficulties in testing Christmas tree lamps are discussed in column 1 of this patent which also refers to the Olin U.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "3,725,780 which specifically discloses a Christmas tree lamp tester that utilizes a nine volt battery.", "\nU.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "5,047,721, Farley. ", "Shows a detector for testing a string of lights; i.e. Christmas tree lights by providing means for testing lamps without removing the lamps from the sockets utilizing capacitor plates. ", "Once again, no directional capability is disclosed.", "\nU.S. Pat. ", "No. ", "3,760,266, Ocasio, Tuman. ", "Shows a simple Christmas tree light socket tester to determine which in a series of lights is burned out. ", "Again, no directional capability is disclosed." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nSQL Server 2008 R2 Transaction is @@error necessary and is ROLLBACK TRANS necessary\n\nMy colleague has this in a procedure:\nBEGIN TRAN\n --Some deletes and inserts\nIF(@@error <> 0)\nBEGIN\n ROLLBACK TRAN\n RETURN\nEND\nCOMMIT TRAN\n\nI have another in a stored procedure that simply is:\nBEGIN TRANSACTION\n --Some deltes and inserts\nCOMMIT TRANSACTION\n\nI have tested and found that my procedure always rolls everything back during an error (tested for example changing a column data type etc.) ", "without explicitly coding a rollback. ", "Also I have read that using @@error condition is outdated for SQL Server 2005 and above. ", "\nWhat would you say is the correct way of doing a transaction for SQL Server 2008 R2 and above? ", "Thanks\n\nA:\n\nYES, the ROLLBACK is necessary!", "\nI would do a stored procedure based on this template for SQL Server 2005 and newer:\nBEGIN TRANSACTION\nBEGIN TRY\n\n -- put your T-SQL commands here \n\n -- if successful - COMMIT the work\n COMMIT TRANSACTION\nEND TRY\nBEGIN CATCH\n -- handle the error case (here by displaying the error)\n SELECT \n ERROR_NUMBER() AS ErrorNumber,\n ERROR_SEVERITY() AS ErrorSeverity,\n ERROR_STATE() AS ErrorState,\n ERROR_PROCEDURE() AS ErrorProcedure,\n ERROR_LINE() AS ErrorLine,\n ERROR_MESSAGE() AS ErrorMessage\n\n -- in case of an error, ROLLBACK the transaction \n ROLLBACK TRANSACTION\n\n -- if you want to log this error info into an error table - do it here \n -- *AFTER* the ROLLBACK\nEND CATCH\n\nA:\n\nThere a problem with the @@ERROR variable.", "\nIt's a global variable thus if you are doing something like:\nBEGIN TRAN\n\n --inserts\n --deletes\n --updates\n -- last operation\n\nIF(@@error <> 0)\nBEGIN\n ROLLBACK TRAN\n RETURN\nEND\nCOMMIT TRAN\n\n@@error contains the result for the last operation only. ", "Thus this piece of code can mask error in previous operations.", "\nMy advice is, if you can manage transaction at application level, do it at application level.", "\nHandling errors at server side is not for faint hearts and it doesn't improves your application overral robusteness.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Nigel Dodds: Troubling verdict on Public Prosecution Service\n\nBy Nigel Dodds\n\nThe Attorney General's report published yesterday does not give the Public Prosecution Service a clean bill of health - rather quite the opposite. ", "This latest report will be very difficult reading for the Director of Public Prosecutions.", "\n\nFormer Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer said he will carry out an independent and robust review\n\nThe Attorney General's report published yesterday does not give the Public Prosecution Service a clean bill of health - rather quite the opposite. ", "This latest report will be very difficult reading for the Director of Public Prosecutions.", "\n\nThis is the second report in as many weeks which has been critical of how the PPS has handled cases involving sexual abuse. ", "Only two weeks ago, Sir Keir Starmer's review found how victims were let down by PPS through unnecessary delays, failure to follow up leads and through improper communication with those who were already in a vulnerable state.", "\n\nIndeed, paragraph 7.6 of the Attorney General's review raises the question as to why a key witness was not re-interviewed to clarify evidence. ", "Paragraph 7.7 states \"the PPS decision that the evidential sub-test was not met was perhaps premature\".", "\n\nParagraph 7.8 points to the PPS breaching the Code for Prosecutors.", "\n\nMeanwhile, and very alarmingly, the Attorney General in Paragraph 7.10 states: \"The papers furnished to me do not disclose why the PPS concluded that a prosecution of Gerry Adams would not be in the public interest.\"", "\n\nMy colleague and Chairman of the Assembly's Justice Committee Alastair Ross has invited the Director of Public Prosecutions to his committee tomorrow, where the DPP will be pressed for further answers. ", "These failures must be addressed with open and transparent explanations.", "\n\nAccording to the Public Prosecution Service's website, its vision is: \"To be recognised as providing a first class prosecution service for the people of Northern Ireland\"\n\nAnd its aim is: \"To provide the people of Northern Ireland with an independent, fair and effective prosecution service.\"", "\n\nUndoubtedly, both the Starmer report and the Attorney General's report have exposed flaws, thus damaging the public's confidence in our Public Prosecution Service.", "\n\nSwift remedial action must be taken by the Justice Minister, the Assembly and the PPS to demonstrate that our justice system is independent, fair and effective.", "\n\nSadly, these two reports have highlighted that our PPS is not 'first class'. ", "That must change." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nA problem about $\\epsilon-\\delta$ definition of a limit where the target is to find $\\delta$\n\nThe fuction is:\n$f(x)=2-\\frac{1}{x}$\nIt requires to find $\\delta$ such that $0<\\mid x-1 \\mid<\\delta$ else, $\\mid f(x)-1 \\mid<0.1$ \nMy process so far, has been trying to compare the stuff that I have, because I found the $\\delta$ like that before, but I don't know how to continue with this especific problem.", "\nWhat I have:\n$\\mid 2-\\frac{1}{x}-1\\mid<0.1$ \n$\\mid 1-\\frac{1}{x}\\mid<0.1$ \n$\\mid\\frac{x-1}{x}\\mid<0.1$\n$\\frac{\\mid x-1\\mid}{\\mid x\\mid}<0.1$\n$\\mid x-1 \\mid<0.1\\mid x \\mid$ \nFrom here, I don't know how to proceed. ", "The answer in the book says that $\\delta=\\frac{1}{11}$\n\nA:\n\nFirst, choose $\\delta<1$ so that we have\n\\begin{eqnarray}\n|x-1|&<&\\delta\\\\\n-\\delta<x-1&<&\\delta\\\\\n1-\\delta&<&x<1+\\delta\\\\\n0&<&x\n\\end{eqnarray}\nThen we have\n\\begin{eqnarray}\n\\left\\vert f(x)-1\\right\\vert&<&\\frac{1}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n\\left\\vert 2-\\frac{1}{x}-1\\right\\vert&<&\\frac{1}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n\\left\\vert 1-\\frac{1}{x}\\right\\vert&<&\\frac{1}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n-\\frac{1}{10}<1-\\frac{1}{x}&<&\\frac{1}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n-\\frac{1}{10}-1<-\\frac{1}{x}&<&\\frac{1}{10}-1\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n-\\frac{11}{10}<-\\frac{1}{x}&<&-\\frac{9}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n\\frac{11}{10}>\\frac{1}{x}&>&\\frac{9}{10}\\quad\\text{ iff}\\\\\n\\frac{9}{10}<\\frac{1}{x}&<&\\frac{11}{10}\n\\end{eqnarray}\nwhich is equivalent to the previous inequality.", "\nSo the reciprocals are related in the reverse order\n$$ \\frac{10}{11}<x<\\frac{10}{9} $$\nSubtract $1$ to get\n$$ -\\frac{1}{11}<x-1<\\frac{1}{9}$$\nSo we should choose $|x-1|<\\dfrac{1}{11}$\nThis gives us\n$$ -\\frac{1}{11}<x-1<\\frac{1}{11} $$\nAnd since $\\dfrac{1}{11}<\\dfrac{1}{9}$ we have\n$$-\\frac{1}{11}<\\frac{1}{x}<\\frac{1}{9}$$\nwhich is equivalent to\n$$ \\left\\vert f(x)-1\\right\\vert<\\frac{1}{10} $$\nprovided it is true that\n$$|x-1|<\\dfrac{1}{11}$$\n\n" ]

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[ "Beneficial effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus and its relationship to the cytokine network.", "\nSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterised by arthritis, cutaneous rash, vasculitis, and involvement of central nervous system, renal and cardiopulmonary manifestations. ", "Abnormalities in the cytokine network is believed to be involved in the pathobiology of this condition. ", "The n-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can suppress T-cell proliferation and the production of interleukin-1, interleukin-2, and tumor necrosis factor by these cells both in vitro and in vivo. ", "Oral supplementation of EPA and DHA induced prolonged remission of SLE in 10 consecutive patients without any side-effects. ", "These results suggest that n-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are useful in the management of SLE and possibly, other similar collagen vascular diseases." ]

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[ "Other vector-borne parasitic diseases: animal helminthiases, bovine besnoitiosis and malaria.", "\nThe parasitic diseases discussed elsewhere in this issue of the Scientific and Technical Review are not the only ones to make use of biological vectors (such as mosquitoes or ticks) or mechanical vectors (such as horse flies or Stomoxys flies). ", "The authors discuss two major groups of vector-borne parasitic diseases: firstly, helminthiasis, along with animal filariasis and onchocerciasis, which are parasitic diseases that often take a heavytoll on artiodactylsthroughoutthe world; secondly, parasitic diseases caused by vector-borne protists, foremost of which is bovine besnoitiosis (or anasarca of cattle), which has recently spread through Europe by a dual mode of transmission (direct and by vector). ", "Other protists, such as Plasmodium and Hepatozoon, are also described briefly." ]

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[ " COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA\n\n\nPresent: Judges Elder, Frank and Humphreys\nArgued at Chesapeake, Virginia\n\n\nJAMAAL SAMUEL WYCHE\n MEMORANDUM OPINION * BY\nv. Record No. ", "1934-11-1 JUDGE ROBERT P. FRANK\n JULY 10, 2012\nCOMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA\n\n\n FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF HAMPTON\n Wilford Taylor, Jr., Judge\n\n Charles E. Haden for appellant.", "\n\n Alice T. Armstrong, Assistant Attorney General II (Kenneth T.\n Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General, on brief), for appellee.", "\n\n\n Jamaal Samuel Wyche, appellant, was convicted by a jury of two counts of malicious\n\nwounding in violation of Code § 18.2-51, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a\n\nfelony in violation of Code § 18.2-53.1, and two counts of shooting from a motor vehicle in\n\nviolation of Code § 18.2-286.1. ", "On appeal, he argues the trial court erred in permitting an expert\n\nwitness to testify about gang practices and terminology, including appellant’s involvement with a\n\ngang. ", "For the reasons stated, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.", "\n\n BACKGROUND\n\n On the afternoon of January 21, 2010, a group of high school students was walking on a\n\nHampton street when a passenger in a black SUV opened fire on them. ", "Two of the group were\n\nwounded by the gunfire.", "\n\n\n\n\n *\n Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, this opinion is not designated for publication.", "\n\f Immediately prior to the gunshots, someone in the SUV shouted, “What’s crackin’ now?”", "\n\nThe victims could not identify the shooter, but both indicated the shooter wore a red bandana.", "\n\nKashawn Cummings, a witness, testified that the “person who rolled down the window who was\n\nshooting” was the person who said “What’s crackin’?”", "\n\n Marquise Hassell, the driver of the SUV, testified appellant was the person who shot from\n\nthe SUV. ", "Tyron Parks, one of the victims, had earlier robbed Hassell at gunpoint. ", "On the day of\n\nthe shooting, Hassell observed Parks walking down the street and intended to stop and engage him\n\nin a fight, not shoot him. ", "Hassell testified Tyron was a “249 Crip.” ", "Hassell also testified that\n\nappellant was the only person in the SUV wearing a red bandana.", "\n\n The Commonwealth called Hampton Police Detective Corey Sales to testify as an expert in\n\ngang ideology. ", "Appellant objected to Sales’ testimony concerning gang activities because the\n\npending charges did not involve gang participation. ", "The following exchange occurred:\n\n [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: But anyway, I think that if – if he is\n asked concerning the significance of – of a red bandana, um, that\n that would be permissible, because that has come up in the\n testimony.", "\n\n The other thing would – let’s see – oh, the phrase –\n\n [COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY]: “What’s crackin’?”", "\n\n [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: “Get crackin’,” if he can – if that shows\n significance to him as a gang expert by the saying of that phrase.", "\n\n And I think that that should be limited to those two things and not\n have any greater, um, testimony before this panel, because it’s\n surely not relevant outside of that.", "\n\n THE COURT: All right. ", "The Commonwealth’s response.", "\n\n [COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY]: Judge, that’s essentially –\n and I’ll just proffer the evidence to you – that’s essentially what\n I’m going to be asking Detective Sales to testify to, about what the\n meaning of “What’s crackin’?” ", "and what the meaning of\n somebody –\n\n THE COURT: He’s not objecting to that.", "\n -2-\n\f The trial court qualified Detective Sales as an expert in gang ideology and identification.", "\n\nSales testified that Crips wear blue and Bloods wear red, black or green. ", "These colors are\n\ntypically present in a “flag” or bandana and identify the individual as a member of a particular\n\ngang. ", "Sales further explained that the phrase “What’s crackin’?” ", "is a Crips greeting, yet if that\n\nphrase is used by a Blood to a Crip, it would be considered disrespectful, prompting some type\n\nof “altercation.”", "\n\n One of Sales’ responsibilities is to monitor “MySpace” 1 for gang intelligence. ", "In that\n\ncapacity, he downloaded two photographs from MySpace in 2008. ", "One photo depicts Kenny\n\nJarvis, also known as “Killer,” displaying a hand sign indicating his involvement in Nine Trey, a\n\nBlood street gang that originated in New York. ", "Standing behind Jarvis is appellant, wearing a\n\n“black skully” and a “red do-rag.”", "\n\n Appellant appears in the other photograph with Kenny Jarvis and “Qwan.” ", "In that photo,\n\nJarvis is wearing red beads around his neck, another “flag” indicating he is a Blood. ", "Appellant is\n\nwearing a “red do-rag.”", "\n\n Sales testified he had no knowledge appellant was a Blood, but explained that appellant\n\nalways associated with members of the Bloods. ", "The detective testified Tyron Parks, a victim,\n\nwas a “249 Phoebus Crip.”", "\n\n After the Commonwealth rested, appellant renewed his objections “to the discussion and\n\nexpanded testimony of Detective Sales” based on relevancy because appellant was not charged\n\nwith any gang-related offenses. ", "The trial court admitted the two photographs over appellant’s\n\nobjections. ", "The jury convicted appellant of all counts.", "\n\n This appeal follows.", "\n\n\n\n 1\n MySpace is a web-based social networking service.", "\n\n -3-\n\f ANALYSIS\n\n On appeal, appellant contends the trial court erred in permitting Sales to testify about\n\ngang practices and terminology. ", "Specifically, he complains of Sales’ testimony as to the\n\nmeaning of red bandanas, the phrase “What’s crackin’?”, ", "and appellant’s association with Blood\n\ngang members. ", "2 He claims the prejudicial effect of that testimony far outweighs its probative\n\nvalue. ", "His entire assignment of error is premised on his argument that any evidence of gang\n\ninvolvement is irrelevant because appellant was not charged with gang-related offenses.", "\n\n We first note that in his brief, appellant argues evidence of other crimes is inadmissible.", "\n\nHowever, this issue is not presented in the assignment of error on brief and was not included as\n\npart of the assignment of error on which this appeal was granted at the petition stage. ", "Rule\n\n5A:12(c)(1) provides that “the petition shall list . . . ", "the specific errors in the rulings below upon\n\nwhich the party intends to rely” and that “[o]nly assignments of error assigned in the petition for\n\nappeal will be noticed by this Court.” ", "The purpose of the rule is to require a party “‘to point out\n\nthe errors . . . ", "on which [an] appellant intends to ask a reversal of the judgment, and to limit\n\ndiscussion to these points.’” ", "Envtl. ", "Staffing Acquisition Corp. v. B & R Constr. ", "Mgmt., ", "Inc.,\n\n283 Va. 787, 792, 725 S.E.2d 550, 553 (2012) (emphasis added) (quoting Yeatts v. Murray, 249\n\nVa. 285, 290, 455 S.E.2d 18, 21 (1995)) (discussing similar “assignment of error” language in\n\nRule 5:17(c)(1)(iii), applicable to appeals to the Supreme Court). ", "Thus, to the extent appellant\n\nattempts to raise an other-crimes argument separate from his challenge to the admissibility of the\n\n\n 2\n The assignment of error states:\n\n The trial court erred in permitting Detective Corey Sales to testify\n about gang practices and terminology, including the fact that red\n bandannas and the term “What’s crackin’” were often employed by\n Bloods gang members and that Jamaal Wyche “associated” with\n Bloods gang members, where the prejudicial effect of such\n information far outweighed its probative value.", "\n\n -4-\n\fgang evidence, we lack authority to consider that argument on appeal. ", "Cf. ", "Cruz v.\n\nCommonwealth, 12 Va. App. ", "661, 664 n.1, 406 S.E.2d 406, 407 n.1 (1991) (decided under\n\nformer rules, which required questions presented rather than assignments of error, and declining\n\nto consider issue on which “no appeal was granted”).", "\n\n Appellant has challenged the court’s ruling allowing Sales to testify as to the significance\n\nof red bandanas and the phrase “What’s crackin’?” ", "Yet at trial, appellant agreed that testimony\n\nwas admissible. ", "In fact, he said Sales’ testimony should be limited to those two points. ", "The\n\nexchange between the Commonwealth’s attorney and defense counsel addressed the\n\nadmissibility of the two MySpace photographs, not the red bandana and phrase “What’s\n\ncrackin’?”", "\n\n The principle is long standing in Virginia that an appellate court will not “notice error\n\nwhich has been invited by the party seeking to take advantage thereof on appeal.” ", "Saunders v.\n\nCommonwealth, 211 Va. 399, 400, 177 S.E.2d 637, 638 (1970). ", "Stated differently,\n\n even if we were to assume that the court’s ruling was technically\n erroneous, . . . [", "the appellant] is barred from invoking it on appeal.", "\n No litigant, even a defendant in a criminal case, will be permitted\n to approbate and reprobate — to invite error, as the defense\n admittedly did here, and then to take advantage of the situation\n created by his own wrong.", "\n\nFisher v. Commonwealth, 236 Va. 403, 417, 374 S.E.2d 46, 54 (1988).", "\n\n Appellant maintains Sales’ testimony as to gang affiliation, the only issue properly before\n\nus, is inadmissible because the prejudicial effect of that testimony outweighs its probative value.", "\n\nEssentially, he argues that evidence of gang activity would tend to arouse the jury’s hostility.", "\n\n “The admissibility of evidence is within the broad discretion of the trial court, and a\n\nruling will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of an abuse of discretion.” ", "Blain v.\n\nCommonwealth, 7 Va. App. ", "10, 16, 371 S.E.2d 838, 842 (1988). ", "However, “[b]y definition,\n\nwhen the trial court makes an error of law, an abuse of discretion occurs.” ", "Bass v.\n -5-\n\fCommonwealth, 31 Va. App. ", "373, 382, 523 S.E.2d 534, 539 (2000). ", "The proponent of the\n\nevidence bears the burden of establishing, by a preponderance of the evidence, the facts\n\nnecessary to support its admissibility. ", "Bloom v. Commonwealth, 262 Va. 814, 821, 554 S.E.2d\n\n84, 87 (2001).", "\n\n Relevant evidence should be excluded if the prejudicial effect of admitting it outweighs\n\nits probative value. ", "Evans-Smith v. Commonwealth, 5 Va. App. ", "188, 196, 361 S.E.2d 436, 441\n\n(1987). “", "The fact that some prejudice may result does not justify automatic exclusion.” ", "Id.\n\nIndeed, “[a]ll evidence tending to prove guilt is prejudicial to an accused.” ", "Powell v.\n\nCommonwealth, 267 Va. 107, 141, 590 S.E.2d 537, 558 (2004). “", "Virginia law . . . ", "intervenes\n\nonly when the alleged prejudice tends to inflame irrational emotions or leads to illegitimate\n\ninferences.” ", "Thomas v. Commonwealth, 44 Va. App. ", "741, 758, 607 S.E.2d 738, 746, adopted\n\nupon reh’g en banc, 45 Va. App. ", "811, 613 S.E.2d 870 (2005).", "\n\n Here, the trial court reasonably concluded that the probative value of Sales’ testimony\n\noutweighed any prejudicial effect. ", "Clearly this evidence was relevant to prove the identity of the\n\nshooter. ", "The victims testified the shooter shouted “What’s crackin’?” ", "and wore a red bandana.", "\n\nHassell testified appellant wore a red bandana and fired the shot from the vehicle, yet neither of\n\nthe victims could identify the shooter.", "\n\n It must be remembered that the jury heard other evidence of appellant’s involvement with\n\ngang activity. ", "Hassell testified without objection that appellant associates with gang members.", "\n\nThe jury viewed photographs depicting appellant, wearing red “flags,” posing with an individual\n\ndisplaying hand signs denoting his involvement with a Blood street gang. ", "Sales testified to the\n\nmeaning of the phrase “What’s crackin’?” ", "and the significance of red bandanas. ", "Additionally,\n\nJordanWarner acknowledged that “What’s crackin’?” ", "has “something to do” with gangs. ", "Under\n\n\n\n\n -6-\n\fthese circumstances, it is inconceivable that the challenged portion of Sales’ testimony had any\n\nprejudicial effect on the jury.", "\n\n We cannot say the trial court abused its discretion in admitting Sales’ testimony as to\n\ngang affiliation because such testimony was probative as to appellant’s identity and merely\n\ncumulative of what the jury already heard from other testimony and exhibits.", "\n\n CONCLUSION\n\n For the foregoing reasons, we hold the trial court did not err in permitting an expert\n\nwitness to testify about gang practices and terminology, including appellant’s involvement with a\n\ngang. ", "Therefore, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.", "\n\n Affirmed.", "\n\n\n\n\n -7-\n\f" ]

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[ "Q:\n\nWhat is the big-Oh runtime of two recursive O(logn) calls?", "\n\ndef f(L):\n if len(L) < 1 billion:\n return L\n else:\n return f(L[:len(L) // 2]) + f(L[len(L) // 2:])\n\nL is a list of size n\nI know that if it was a single recursive call, then it would be O(logn), but there are two recursive calls here.", "\nBut it started to exhibit more of a O(n) runtime as I began to run it on a visualizer.", "\nIn my opinion it should be O(logn+logn) = O(2logn) = O(logn). ", "Am I correct?", "\n\nA:\n\nConsider how many calls you're doing. ", " At the first level of the recursion you'll do 2 calls. ", " For each of those you'll do two more calls. ", " Etc ... This means that at level i of the recursion you'll have made a total of O(2^i) function calls.", "\nHow many levels of the recursion are there? ", " This is just the height of a binary tree with n elements, which is O(log_2 n).", "\nSo by the time you reach all the leaves of the recursion you will have done O(2^(log_2 n)) = O(n) function calls.", "\n--\nAnother way of looking at it is that you eventually have to piece back together the entire list, so how could you possibly do that in less than O(n) time?", "\n\n" ]

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[ "ReadWriteBuilders is a series of interviews with developers, designers and other architects of the programmable future.", "\n\nCynthia Breazeal has been called the mother of personal robotics, and it’s easy to see why. ", "For more than ten years, she has brought forth robotic life that is designed to express, gesture, and relate to humans.", "\n\nIt’s a far cry from most of modern robotics, which is about utilizing robots for production and labor. ", "Her earliest creations, the saucer-eyed Kismet and cuddly Leonardo, aren’t much for manual labor, but they can emote and respond to emotions almost like people.", "\n\nAt the end of the day, Breazeal’s work is about using simulated life to help humans make connections in our own lives. ", "In a TED talk, she recounted a project she’d conducted during her work at the MIT Media Lab in which she tried to help people eat healthy food. ", "Some test subjects received a paper notepad, others a computer, and the last third a responsive robot named Autom. ", "People trusted Autom the most because they related to it as a personal assistant.", "\n\nSee also: Meet The Robot That Will Teach Your Child To Program\n\nBreazeal’s latest and most groundbreaking robot is Jibo, a personal robot designed to live in your home with your family. ", "With an expressive facial screen and a youthful voice, Jibo suggests a friendly helper, evocative of big screen robot fantasies. ", "Since Jibo’s GoFundMe launch on July 16, it has raised more than $1.5 million—only about 15 times its original $100,000 funding goal.", "\n\nI talked to Breazeal about her work in personal robotics and how she thinks robots can help us to better understand humanity.", "\n\nOur Robots, Ourselves\n\nRW: What inspired your shift from working with space robotics to social robotics?", "\n\nCynthia Breazeal: When I was an undergraduate, I was at UC Santa Barbara, and at the time they had a Center for Excellence in Robotics. ", "At the time I was fascinated by space and I wanted to be an astronaut.", "\n\nTo be an astronaut I knew I’d have to get a PhD. in a relevant field, so I decided that it would be robotics. ", "It just happened to fortuitously turn out that the year I was applying to graduate schools, Rod Brooks [founder of Rethink Robotics], who was my PhD advisor, had just started a program in developing planetary microrovers.", "\n\nHe wrote this famous paper—that there was a movie of the same title—Fast, Cheap and Out of Control: A Robot Invasion of the Solar System. ", "And it was all about advocating for, rather than sending out a few large teleoperated rovers like we did to the moon, if you really wanted to explore Mars you needed to send many small, much more autonomous robots because of the lag of the signal from the Earth going to Mars was hours so the robots would have to have more autonomy in order to be effective explorers.", "\n\nThat was the project that was available when I applied for graduate school. ", "That’s how I really got my start in autonomous robots. ", "When I was at UC Santa Barbara it was more about manufacturing robots. ", "That was my first exposure to biological inspired autonomous robots, robots that are really inspired after creatures rather than machines. ", "And for me it was like, you know, “Oh my God, Star Wars is really happening. ", "I have to be a part of this!” (", "laughs)\n\nRod is credited with shifting NASA’s stance to smaller microrovers, too, so of course it was a tremendously successful project. ", "When NASA landed Sojourner on Mars I remember, as a graduate student, watching this huge success for all of robotics and thinking, “OK, we have robots we’ll send into the ocean. ", "We’ll send them into volcanos. ", "And now we’ll send them to Mars. ", "But they’re not in our homes. ", "What’s up with that? ", "Where are the robots?”", "\n\nIt occurred that me that the human environment and people, in so many ways, are so much more complex than navigating in environments where there’s nothing around you. ", "And then I started thinking, “Well, what would it really take to have a robot be able to live with people? ", "To have anyone be able to interact with them?”", "\n\nSocial robotics is very much the analog of when we built these extremely expensive computers and only experts knew how to use them. ", "We know how to build extremely expensive robots that only experts know how to use. ", "So that mind shift of what happens when they go into every home and every desk. ", "So that was it and that was social robotics and that was, “How do people naturally want to try to interact with machines?”", "\n\nWell, people naturally anthropomorphize things that sense the world on their own, make decisions on their own, and exhibit this autonomy. ", "So given that this is how people naturally want to make sense of autonomous robots, that’s how we need to support them. ", "They very naturally try to anthropomorphize these robots, try to understand them as not being governed by laws of physics like things, but by states of mind, beliefs, intents, desires, emotions.", "\n\nThat was the impetus for social robotics. ", "The final frontier of robotics is actually the human environment and robots need to be social in order to engage with us in a natural way, to be part of our lives.", "\n\nSocial Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Humanoid\n\nRW: What differentiates a “social robot” from other humanoid robots?", "\n\nCB: A humanoid robot typically refers very much to the morphology of the machine. ", "So to have legs, arms, a head, basically the same physical attributes as a human. ", "A lot of the impetus or motivation behind humanoid robots was that you could have robots in a human environment.", "\n\nWe have engineered so much of this environment for our morphology. ", "If you built a robot that could basically be of human stature and size then it could also use all the tools and navigate the spaces around it as well. ", "That was the original rationale behind humanoid robots.", "\n\nYou can have humanoids that are purely functional. ", "They can carry things and never have to interact with people. ", "Social robots are really about robots that engage people in this interpersonal dimension. ", "Social robots don’t have to be humanoid at all, as it turns out, as long as they interact with us in this social, emotional way.", "\n\nThese are two distinct research areas, but they overlap as well.", "\n\nRW: How have human expectations of robot connections changed since you first broke out with Kismet 10 years ago? ", "Back then, we didn’t have jokes about talking to Siri or the iPhone. ", "Now, many of us expect to have a digital companion at all times. ", "How has the demand in your audience evolved?", "\n\nCB: Yeah, you know it’s really fascinating. ", "I think one of the challenges of robots, especially personal robots, is that it is a technology people have fantasized about, written books about, and made movies about long before the technology ever really existed. ", "People have always had really profound expectations of what robots could be, from the extremely human-like social to the superhuman to the completely mundane—I mean, all over the map.", "\n\nSurely all those images are still all around us. ", "You still have the cultural joke about the robot overlords. ", "They’re just part of our culture.", "\n\nI do think what’s fascinating since the mobile computing revolution is just, because people are used to having little computers in their pockets and with them everywhere, people now have a much greater familiarity with technology in general. ", "Everybody has a smartphone, everybody understands downloading apps.", "\n\nBecause of that, I think there’s probably a greater receptivity in terms of expectation that robots clearly are coming very soon. ", "If I’m talking to my smartphone like Siri, clearly the robots must be coming soon.", "\n\nIt’s funny, I’ve talked to a lot of people about that. ", "It’s almost as if they say, “I grew up with the Jetsons dreaming of robots, and what I got instead was a smartphone. ", "But finally the robots might be actually coming.” ", "I think there’s a real anticipation that personal robots are really happening, they’re going to come into our homes in a much bigger way. ", "I think that’s what’s changed because of the mobile computing revolution.", "\n\nAn Electronic Helping Hand\n\nRW: Your robots Kismet and Leonardo are pre-verbal. ", "How do robots that can understand but not speak English help people?", "\n\nCB: This is just an appreciation that how we communicate is extremely rich and extremely multimodal. ", "For a very long time, a lot of AI focused on spoken conversational interaction, and that’s logical, right? ", "People want to be able to talk to each other and to be able to talk and have machines understand them. ", "But very few people are actually looking at the nonverbal dimension and it’s a profound dimension of human communication.", "\n\nPeople have done studies that show if you have a person say something but if their body communicates a different attitude, people believe the body and not what’s said. ", "How the body expresses this nonverbal dimension is also profoundly meaningful and convincing and persuasive to people.", "\n\nSee also: Meet The Robot That Made Me Want More Robots\n\nWhen you look at a lot of work in the formation of human social judgements—“Are you an ally or a foe? ", "Can I trust you? ", "Do you have my best interests at heart? ", "Do I like you? ", "Do you like me? ", "Can we relate?”—in all of these things, the nonverbal behavior has a tremendous role in how we make these very quick assessments of one another. ", "And that has a huge consequence on interpersonal interaction and our effectiveness at working with each other as a team. ", "It is a critical dimension of human communication and collaboration.", "\n\nWhen we started off with robots, it was really almost more of a stake in the ground saying, “There’s already so much work in spoken language. ", "Let’s focus on embodiment because what do robots have? ", "Bodies!” ", "Bodies are a tremendous asset to robots and they are not only an asset in terms of doing physical work, they’re a tremendous asset in how we interact with them that has not been explored nearly enough.", "\n\nEven how robots understand the nonverbal behavior of people, in not just gestures but even action patterns—“How can I confirm the intent of a person by watching their activity?”—we do this so naturally. ", "Humans have this profoundly rich theory of mind. ", "The question is how do you design robots that can also have that theory of mind.", "\n\nWe started with these robots that were preverbal. ", "We weren’t trying to get right down to the semantic side, but they were doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of these social cognitive theory of mind skills, in terms of intuiting and understanding the intent and beliefs and desires, where words never had to be exchanged by watching what they were doing. ", "It was a research stance, a stake in the ground, but one that was not explored nearly as richly enough as it should be.", "\n\nBut of course as our work has continued to evolve, now we’re implementing more spoken language into it where you still have the richness of the nonverbal.", "\n\nThe Mechanical Hand That Rocks The Cradle\n\nRW: Why did you choose to focus so much of your research on robots that care for the old, young, and chronically ill?", "\n\nCB: When you look at the field of robotics, the dominant paradigm is that robots are a technology to do physical work. ", "You can navigate an unstructured environment so you surely must be able to carry things, or vacuum. ", "If you can manipulate things, clearly you can manufacture or do unloading of trucks or things like that. ", "It’s all been about the physical labor aspect.", "\n\nWithin social robotics, one of the big ah-ha moments was that there’s profound utility in what robots can bring for people where it is really around high touch engagement.", "\n\nIf you look at these domains like learning and health care and behavior change and aging independently, these are all domains where in the human professions they understand that high touch, this feeling of being supported by a social other, is really critical to the best outcomes for people. ", "Information alone isn’t enough. ", "Our technologies are great at information but they’re not great at high touch.", "\n\nWe live in this time now where the demand is far exceeding our institutional resources and human professionals. ", "We need technology to step in and fill that gap, but it needs to be high touch technology to be the most effective. ", "Social robots are a really powerful expression of high touch engagement that a technology can perform.", "\n\nSee also: 5 Adorable Robots At CES\n\nWe’ve been exploring it in domains like learning companions for young children, like health coaches for weight management, to show that when a robot takes these principles and strategies and skills that people do, that in fact people respond to them in a similar way and do better than with an intervention that doesn’t do that.", "\n\nI think there’s a huge societal need for technology in general for technology to be much more humanized. ", "By that I mean treating people like human beings and not like other stuff like most of our technology does, and to be able to support this high touch engagement—not to replace people, but to supplement and fill the gap.", "\n\nIt’s really about augmenting and extending what people provide each other. ", "It’s not about marginalizing or replacing people—we still need people, we just don’t have enough people. ", "There’s a huge opportunity here, which is why I talk about emotions as the next wave of computing.", "\n\nPeaks And Valleys\n\nRW: Robotics have really taken off in part because robot makers of today, including yourself, were movie robot lovers as kids. ", "But many still have that Terminator distrust of robots, the fear of being replaced, as well as the evolutionary revulsion we experience with too-human robots. ", "Do kids interact differently with robots than adults, and if so, how?", "\n\nCB: Yeah, I think it’s interesting. ", "Regarding the difference in adults versus kids… in my work, I think the way robots were first introduced to society was about replacing human labor. ", "There’s a knee-jerk reaction from the past about robots trying to replace people and take away jobs. ", "But in reality that’s not quite what happens.", "\n\nWith any new technology, they take over the jobs that people don’t necessarily want to do anyway, and they create new jobs. ", "They empower people to do more interesting work.", "\n\nThere’s a great book, Race Against the Machine .… ", "we’re moving from racing against the machine to racing with the machines. ", "I think we need to do a better job communicating this new, more enlightened philosophy: robots are supplementing what people do.", "\n\nThey’re meant to help support us and allow us to do the kind of work that humans in particular find much more interesting and much more fulfilling because humans are creative, humans do things that machines don’t. ", "It’s really about this partnership, this teamwork.", "\n\nIf you set aside this first initial reaction of robots trying to replace people, now we’re just talking about visceral reactions to robots. ", "The uncanny valley. ", "There’s a lot of science poking at what the uncanny valley is really about, but the premise is, when things take on more anthropomorphic like toys or Disney characters or so forth, we like it. ", "It’s appealing. ", "But when you get too close, when you’re really close to being like a human but still falling short, then you drop into the uncanny valley. ", "That’s like, you know, a corpse.", "\n\nRemember when Pixar did Tin Toy, the precursor to Toy Story? ", "There was this baby in this concrete diaper—that was the joke. ", "That animated short was intended to show how far computer graphics had come at doing people, and it was still way in the valley.", "\n\nNow we have Shrek and other examples where, we can tell they’re not real humans, but they’re definitely out of the Valley, they’re very appealing. ", "That’s an example of something that went into the valley and came out of the valley.", "\n\nRobots are also at this point where we can design things that are more anthropomorphic and they’re not in the valley because they’re not trying to push it too hard. ", "And then we have robots, like modern androids I’d say, that are definitely in the valley. ", "But eventually I’m thinking it’s going to go the way of computer graphics and come out of the valley.", "\n\nNow when you talk about just raw appeal or non appeal between adults and children, I think it’s very similar. ", "I think children can be a little more flexible and forgiving, but I think what children and adults find appealing and unappealing is also similar. ", "I think if adults can get past the Terminator fear or overlord fear or take-over-my-job fear and are just looking at the pure appeal of something as a character, it’s actually quite comparable.", "\n\nRW: Do you think kids growing up interacting with robots will evolve beyond the uncanny valley experience?", "\n\nCB: I think there’s two things going on. ", "Kids growing up are not only interacting with robots more, they’re actually building robots themselves. ", "I think you definitely get a different sort of appreciation when you’re a creator of the technology as well as someone who interacts with it.", "\n\nIn terms of the uncanny valley, there are certain things that are just viscerally unappealing. ", "I think that’s just a physiological response, beyond conscious thinking. ", "But I do think that children growing up with robots, creating robots as well as living with them, are going to continue to evolve our thinking in terms of this kind of autonomous intelligent technology that’s not just bits on a screen, but is actually in our world and of our world and how they fit into our lives and how they fit into society and the roles they feel comfortable having these machines play.", "\n\nHow We’ll Learn To Love The Machine\n\nRW: In your studies, what characteristics do robots need to have for people to feel empathy for them? ", "Both in terms of hardware and software?", "\n\nCB: Even Charles Darwin said human beings are the most social and emotional of all species. ", "It’s true—look at our facial expressions.", "\n\nIn terms of empathy, just even based on our science fiction and mythology even, it’s a profound human quest to think about creating or discovering things that exist that are like us but not quite like us. ", "It’s the fascination with the not-quite-human Other.", "\n\nWhether it’s Hephaestus making maidens of gold that are walking around and talking to people, or DaVinci’s [mechanical] knight, it seems like whenever we’ve created or advanced technology, very soon after that we create machines that are that much more in our image. ", "I think it’s a profound human quest to do this. ", "I think we do it because it fascinates us. ", "I think we do it to try to understand ourselves.", "\n\nIn terms of empathy, I think we’re naturally inclined to want to emotionally connect with all kinds of things. ", "That’s why we have companion apps, so we can emotionally connect and relate to things that aren’t human at all. ", "We can emotionally connect to ideas, to nature.", "\n\nI think we want to emotionally connect to our artifacts—we already do—with our cars and things like that. ", "It’s not surprising that we want to emotionally connect with intelligent machines, with robots. ", "The challenge is not to get people there to want to connect to robots. ", "I think the challenge is to get robots to meet us halfway.", "\n\nI think we already want to, it’s just human nature. ", "I think we delight in it, it gives richness to our lives. ", "I think what we want is to see the Other connect back with us. ", "We want this reciprocity. ", "It’s an AI challenge.", "\n\nWe can connect with things that aren’t anthropomorphic at all. ", "But if you give them a little bit more cues, our brains just respond to them in a very subconscious way. ", "The field of animation is an excellent example of an entire discipline inspired by human movement that discovered these abstracted principles that you can push and not make human at all—for instance, just squiggly lines on a screen—and you can imbue an emotion to.", "\n\nSo you need to understand what is it about our human mind that triggers these ways of thinking and understanding, and again you can take these very abstract ideas of it. ", "But when you put those qualities into a technology, it’s like you’re just dancing with people. ", "That’s the way they want to think, that’s how they respond, and that’s the way they want to try to understand.", "\n\nIt can be done digitally, it can be done through software, it can be done through hardware, and the more those signals reinforce one another in a coherent way, the stronger that perception is. ", "The design space is actually ginormous on how you achieve that.", "\n\nThe quality of movement [is important]. ", "You know rectilinear movement is machine as we know it today; biological movement moves in arcs. ", "There are certain kinds of acceleration/deceleration profiles that organic motion adheres to, that’s typically not of machines. ", "The more that the technology embodies those signals, the easier and more intuitive it is for us to see it as a living thing, a someone, not a something, and for us to want to connect to it, because that’s the next obvious thing we want to do. ", "And then it’s about how does the robot reciprocate with us.", "\n\nIt is a stance almost. ", "It’s attuned reciprocity. ", "For the machine to engage us in the stance of communication, getting back to nonverbal communication, that really makes it happen.", "\n\nRW: Do you think our increasingly connected world is causing us to lose empathy for fellow humans?", "\n\nCB: I know there’s a lot of discussion around this right now in the media. ", "I think it is a very important discussion to have because I think, for children in particular growing up, you’re hearing the stories of people breaking up with their girlfriend by texting and things like that.", "\n\nThe bottom line is interpersonal relationships are really important for people, and they can be wonderful, but they can be really complicated. ", "They can be really hard. ", "And they can be hurtful. ", "But that doesn’t mean we should be avoiding them.", "\n\nWhat I’m hearing a lot of concern being expressed about is children growing up not learning how to deal with negative emotions, especially negative emotions coming from other people, because they’re kind of offloading it to the technology. ", "Because it is uncomfortable. ", "It’s uncomfortable to say, “Hey, what you did or what I did, it wasn’t cool. ", "Let’s talk about it.” ", "It is a hard thing to do. ", "But it’s a critical skill for people in society to be able to do to live with each other.", "\n\nThere’s no reason to believe that technologies can’t be designed to help strengthen human relationships. ", "I think we just need to put a stake in the ground and say that’s what technology really needs to do. ", "And we need to be cognizant of when we make design choices and people use these technologies, the good that they do and the unintended side effects or consequences that they have and learn from that and try to rectify that.", "\n\nI think that’s the bottom line. ", "Technology is a powerful enabler of human beings and human experience and we definitely want to create technologies that fully support human beings’ values of what leads to a quality life. ", "Sometimes we do things that have this objective and we don’t quite get it. ", "Or we learn people are using it in a way that’s not the best possible thing you could want. ", "And I think that’s when’s the dialogue is important and that’s when people need to try to create new technologies to show a cognizant shift toward something that is more humanized or more supportive of the human experience and human relationships.", "\n\nI’m very pro-technology, obviously, and I’m very pro-human relationships. ", "They’re both critical.", "\n\nRW: What is your opinion on the Robot Bill of Rights, a proposal to extend legal rights to social robots?", "\n\nCB: Yeah, so this is very interesting. (", "Laughs)\n\nI haven’t been following it really closely, but Kate Darling at the [MIT] Media Lab is wonderful. ", "She wrote an article two years ago and her argument was very much like, “Why should we extend rights to animals?” ", "Which is, “Do we connect to robots in an interpersonal or effective other way—like we do to animals—enough that we don’t like ourselves or what it says about human society if we mistreat those entities?”", "\n\nEven if you don’t ascribe any legal rights to animals, the fact that we connect to them and we care about them, that if we mistreat them it makes us feel really bad about what that says about ourselves and our society. ", "So her premise was, whether robots are intelligent or whatever is almost irrelevant. ", "It’s really about people and what it says about ourselves and our society.", "\n\nI can see a rationale there at some point where if machines are relatable to us enough that we feel inhuman by mistreating them, I think that is interesting. ", "For me just as a mother, whether it’s a pet or a piece of furniture in my house, I don’t want my kids abusing it. ", "There’s just a certain civil behavior that I would like to see ascribed to things as well as living things. ", "It’s a baseline civility stance.", "\n\nBut I do think Kate’s point is a fascinating one, and I think it will keep evolving as these technologies evolve.", "\n\nIntroducing Jibo\n\nRW: You’ve said Jibo is “the world’s first social robot for the home.” ", "Can you elaborate?", "\n\nJibo is the world’s first family robot. ", "Jibo’s really about how it interacts with and supports the interactions between human beings in the house. ", "There’s so much stuff around the connected home and the Internet of Things that’s about how your stuff talks to one another. ", "Social robotics is about how this technology engages you.", "\n\nIt’s about bringing this high touch, humanized engagement with technology into the home where, from the whole paradigm of social robots. ", "It’s really about saying technology should be able to interact with us and support us more like a partner that’s helpful versus just a tool that we use.", "\n\nThat frees us up to be in the moment and to experience our life versus what we have with technology now: “Oh I want to take a picture, let me leave the moment, pick up my camera, take the picture, now I have all these pictures of my kids but I’m not in any of them, put the camera back down, and get into the action.”", "\n\nBy having something like Jibo I can stay in the action. ", "I can be with my kids, I can be in the moment, and have that moment recorded. ", "Because Jibo’s playing the role of the cameraman.", "\n\nAs a high order concept, it’s about bringing this helpfulness with heart to the home. ", "This helpfulness is the idea that Jibo plays roles for you, to free you up to be in the flow of your life. ", "Jibo also brings any kind of content to life with this more interpersonal engagement.", "\n\nJibo is a storyteller, not an e-reader so even a children’s story is brought to life through the fact that Jibo’s treating you like its audience, looking at you, reading your expressions, telling you a story rather than just displaying a story while playing an audio file of it.", "\n\nSo that level of engagement is very different. ", "We want to enable developers to bring that experience into their content, apps, and services. ", "First of all, because I think it’s going to make their content more emotionally engaging for people, and I think there’s a lot of people in the world who are looking for technology to treat them in a much more humanized way.", "\n\nRW: Let’s talk a little more about development on Jibo. ", "I usually expect robots to be programmed in ROS [Robot Operating System]. ", "But Jibo is JavaScript?", "\n\nCB: That decision was a conscious one, to court developers. ", "Although there’s a lot of robotics research going on in ROS, it’s not necessarily a lot of social robotics research. ", "Jibo in many ways I see as a bridge between the iPad kind of devices of today and the sci-fi robot visions of the future.", "\n\nWe want to court those developers, people who design apps for tablets today, but we’re saying to them, “Hey, you’ve been making apps for flatscreens for a long time. ", "What about something that feels alive?”", "\n\nBlack-and-white robot and shadow image by Flickr user JD Hancock; Braava-in-the-kitchen image courtesy of iRobot; baby and robots image by Adriana Lee for ReadWrite; all other images courtesy of Jibo." ]

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[ "Customer training feedback\n\nLisa - Quayles Estate Agents\n\n\"Fantastic - having taken over a department with lots of inherited problems I now feel\nconfident to move forward - He was very patient and answered my queries in a way I was able to understand.", "\nBrilliant, confident my staff get a good over view when joining. ", "Good value for money as so much is crammed in!!!!\"", "\n\nAdam - Paull & Rose Estate Agents\n\n\"Very useful, really interesting to find out more about the system. ", "thank you.\"", "\n\nScott - D.J Alexander\n\n\"I had a couple of hours before the training session to\nfamiliarize myself with the platform, which I advised him about. ", "He tailored his training based on that fact and he went through the points that I would need on a day to day basis along with some of the other sections that would be beneficial for me to be aware of.\"", "\n\nNicola - Fixed Price\n\n\"Our training session for very helpful. ", "ben answered all our questions and covered a wide range of topics.\"", "\n\nIan - Home Hopper Lettings\n\n\"The session was very clear and information passed from the trainer was also of good quality\"\n\nHelp desk telephone support\n\nUnlimited phone support is provided by Thesaurus Technology between the hours:\n\nMonday to Friday: 9.00am and 5.30pm\n\nSaturdays: 10.00am - 4.00pm\n\nCall 0845 83 82 666 and a member of the support team will be willing to help you.", "\n\nWhat types of training and support are available?", "\n\nOnline TrainingIf you have employed new staff or just want a refresher\nof all the features then online training can be\ngiven. ", "To book a session click here.", "\n\nWho is the training open to?", "\n\nThesaurus Technology provides training and support to ALL it's customers\nnew and old. ", "Free demonstrations are also available to agents who are\nevaluating Universal.", "\n\nOnline training\n\nThesaurus Technology provide online training to new, existing and\npotential customers. ", "A training session usually lasts for 1-2 hours\nand can involve a detailed look or just an overview of the software.", "\nThe training is done over the internet whilst the customer is on the\nphone. ", "A facility is set up so the customer can simply connect to a\ncomputer in Thesaurus Technology's offices so both parties see the\nsame screen.", "\n\nThis allows for the customer to see what can be done and see how\neasy it is. ", "It allows for better communication as both parties can see\nthe same screen and any points can be clarified or\ndiscussed there and\nthen over the phone.", "\n\nEmail support\n\nSkype\n\nMost training is done over the telephone but 'Skype Voice\nCall' is available if preferred.", "\n\nAbout Thesaurus Technology\n\nThesaurus Technology produces cost effective, high quality software\nfor estate and letting agents. ", "We provide both desktop and Internet\nbased solutions that are suitable for all sizes of organisation.", "\nAll our software is written in Microsoft's latest technology, future\nproofing your investment and ensuring compatibility." ]

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[ ". ", "Is j(h) composite?", "\nFalse\nLet f(x) = 12*x**2 - 9*x - 12. ", "Let t be f(-6). ", "Let r = t + 197. ", "Is r composite?", "\nTrue\nLet f(x) = -5*x**2 - 4*x - 2. ", "Let a be f(-1). ", "Let l be 3 - 1 - (-2599 + a). ", "Let i = -1061 + l. Is i prime?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -116632 = 29*u - 30*u + t, -u = 5*t - 116674. ", "Is u prime?", "\nTrue\nLet p(f) = 4*f + 43. ", "Let l be p(-8). ", "Is (l/(-3) + 4)/((-3)/(-6687)) a prime number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -129 = -138*w + 135*w. ", "Suppose 35*h + 2344 = w*h. ", "Is h a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet n = 4250 - -6597. ", "Is n prime?", "\nTrue\nLet t = 151 + -148. ", "Suppose 2*k - 5*h - 2496 = 0, -3765 = -6*k + 3*k - t*h. ", "Is k composite?", "\nTrue\nLet l(f) = -f**2 + 2*f + 440. ", "Let k be l(22). ", "Let n = 9711 - 5108. ", "Suppose 42*b - 43*b + n = k. Is b a composite number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 43*r - 41*r - 2260508 = 0. ", "Is r prime?", "\nFalse\nLet w be (60/(-100))/((-9)/21105). ", "Let r be -461*(-2)/((-2)/(-7)). ", "Suppose 2*o - r = w. Is o prime?", "\nFalse\nLet o(a) = 11*a + 107. ", "Let b be o(-6). ", "Suppose 7*z - b*z = -470186. ", "Is z composite?", "\nFalse\nLet f(b) = 32*b + 85. ", "Let r(n) = -161*n - 425. ", "Suppose 98 = 9*a - 1. ", "Let u(g) = a*f(g) + 2*r(g). ", "Is u(29) prime?", "\nFalse\nLet w(o) be the third derivative of 17795*o**4/24 - 81*o**3/2 - 2*o**2 + 6*o. ", "Is w(4) prime?", "\nTrue\nLet v(k) = 3*k**2 - 2*k - 45. ", "Let j be v(19). ", "Let g = -23 + 25. ", "Suppose 0 = -g*r + 982 + j. Is r a prime number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose 3*o = 9, -5*o - 182946 = -4*d + 135163. ", "Is d composite?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 5*w = s + 10, -2*w = -6*w + 16. ", "Let g = s - 10. ", "Suppose m - 3*n = 1148, g*n = -2*m + 2*n + 2276. ", "Is m a composite number?", "\nTrue\nLet d(s) = 918*s + 44. ", "Let o(y) = -1377*y - 66. ", "Let c(a) = -7*d(a) - 5*o(a). ", "Is c(1) prime?", "\nFalse\nLet p = -890 - -1421. ", "Suppose 138 - p = -f. ", "Is f a composite number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose 0 = 3*h + 4*r - 157660, 6*h - 10*h + 4*r + 210232 = 0. ", "Suppose -h = -5*x + 3*d, -x + 2*x - 10519 = -2*d. ", "Is x a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet k be (-34)/(-8) - (-1 - (-5)/4). ", "Let n be (-3 + (-30332)/k)*-1. ", "Suppose 0*h + n = 2*h. ", "Is h prime?", "\nTrue\nLet j(h) = 33*h**2 + 28*h + 20. ", "Let m(v) = 4*v**2 + 22*v - 1. ", "Let n be m(-6). ", "Is j(n) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose -8*h = -9*h - l - 6, 42 = -2*h + 4*l. ", "Let i(a) = 116*a**2 + 7*a + 38. ", "Is i(h) composite?", "\nFalse\nLet b = -66 - -72. ", "Suppose 2*a + 2*j = 6, 3*j = -4*a + b*j + 5. ", "Suppose 0 = -a*s + 1829 + 399. ", "Is s composite?", "\nTrue\nLet l = 39 + -39. ", "Suppose 6*q - 16*q + 30 = l. Suppose o = -4*o - 25, q*p = -4*o + 1045. ", "Is p a composite number?", "\nTrue\nLet t be -8 - -4 - (-137 - -4). ", "Let k = 250 + t. Is k a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet b = 21810 + 361. ", "Is b a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet q = -30 + 55. ", "Suppose -6*s + q = -s. ", "Is (-2)/s - (-15702)/30 composite?", "\nFalse\nLet v = -8 - 9. ", "Let k = 20 + v. Suppose k*f - 901 = -4*p, 2*p + 2*p - 883 = 3*f. ", "Is p prime?", "\nTrue\nLet g = -143461 + 203330. ", "Suppose -g - 103071 = -20*u. ", "Is u a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet c be (-6 + 14)*(-6)/8. ", "Let g(f) = 5*f**2 + 10*f - 11. ", "Let a be g(c). ", "Suppose -d = -3*j + 100, 0 = -3*j + 3*d - 13 + a. Is j a prime number?", "\nFalse\nLet i(d) = d**2 - 10*d + 16. ", "Let g be i(8). ", "Suppose -2*o = 2*b - g*o - 32, 4*o - 4 = 0. ", "Suppose 21*n - b*n = 7122. ", "Is n a prime number?", "\nTrue\nIs (0 - 602365)/(-18 + 13) prime?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -3*a + x + 1568658 = 0, 2*a + 54919 = x + 1100688. ", "Is a a composite number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -10655 = 16*k - 155359. ", "Suppose 4*d = -4*b - 4422 + 40646, 5*d = -b + k. Is b a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet i(m) = -5308*m - 2097. ", "Is i(-10) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose n + 0*n - 254 = 0. ", "Suppose 2*i = 5*k - 321, 0 = 4*k - i - 2*i - n. Suppose -13*m + 18*m = k. Is m prime?", "\nTrue\nLet u(i) be the third derivative of -20*i**2 - 1/60*i**5 + 0*i + 5/8*i**4 + 0 - 4/3*i**3. ", "Is u(9) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nLet k = 65708 + -36699. ", "Is k a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet s be (-11 - (-5 - 0)) + -76. ", "Suppose r + j = -j + 405, 417 = r - j. Let i = r + s. Is i composite?", "\nFalse\nLet t(m) be the first derivative of -3318*m**2 + 409*m - 61. ", "Is t(-5) composite?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 35*v - 39*v = f - 277129, -f + 138567 = 2*v. ", "Is v composite?", "\nTrue\nIs ((-119)/(-85) + 4598792/(-5))/(-1) composite?", "\nFalse\nLet h(g) be the first derivative of 16*g**3/3 - 53*g**2/2 - 7*g + 169. ", "Is h(-12) composite?", "\nTrue\nIs 394881 + 40/30*3 prime?", "\nFalse\nIs ((-10677898)/132)/((-1 + 3)/(-12)) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 0*y + 18 = 9*y. ", "Suppose 0*m + 9491 = 4*t - m, 5*t = -y*m + 11880. ", "Suppose v + p - 593 = 0, 4*v - t = -7*p + 2*p. ", "Is v a prime number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 4*r - 62 = -54. ", "Let g be -4 - 1/(r/80). ", "Let b = g + 445. ", "Is b composite?", "\nFalse\nLet v be (12/9)/(-4)*(527 + 4). ", "Let w = v - -428. ", "Is w composite?", "\nFalse\nLet c(u) = -46436*u - 303. ", "Is c(-4) a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet i(t) = 14*t**3 - 3*t + 2. ", "Suppose 3*q + 2*w = 5 + 6, -4*q - 4*w = -16. ", "Let h be i(q). ", "Suppose -4*o + 3*k = -h, 5*k = -3*o + 45 + 197. ", "Is o a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet k(o) = -15677*o + 1784. ", "Is k(-7) prime?", "\nFalse\nLet k(s) = 134*s - 25. ", "Let q(x) = -133*x + 25. ", "Let t(a) = -2*k(a) - 3*q(a). ", "Is t(4) a composite number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose -2*h - 1 = -9. ", "Suppose 4*b + h*c - 895 - 5865 = 0, b = -2*c + 1687. ", "Is b prime?", "\nTrue\nLet l(q) be the third derivative of 479*q**5/12 - 7*q**4/24 - q**3/6 + 3*q**2 - 11. ", "Is l(-2) prime?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 226189 = 5*m - 4*c, 3*m + 7*c - 135723 = 11*c. ", "Is m composite?", "\nFalse\nLet w(u) = 151*u + 2. ", "Suppose -7*b = -15*b + 16. ", "Let z(x) = -301*x - 3. ", "Let q(d) = b*z(d) + 5*w(d). ", "Is q(1) a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet t(s) = -131*s + 1. ", "Let d(m) = -27*m - 13 - 11 - 10*m - 2*m**2. ", "Let p be d(-18). ", "Is t(p) composite?", "\nFalse\nLet d = -85213 - -124622. ", "Is d a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet b be (-1 - (-2)/(-2))*(-90)/(-12). ", "Let k(v) = 26*v**2 + 23*v + 118. ", "Is k(b) a prime number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -5*j + 36 = 36. ", "Let u(z) = -z**2 - z + 21851. ", "Is u(j) prime?", "\nTrue\nLet f = 684 + -679. ", "Suppose 2*j + 3*u = 4767, -2366 = -4*j + 3*j - f*u. ", "Is j prime?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 2*a + 2*g - 241074 = 0, -g = -3*a - 2*a + 602709. ", "Is a a composite number?", "\nTrue\nSuppose 19*k - 14*k - 80 = 4*l, l - 45 = -2*k. ", "Suppose -22*t = -k*t - 16. ", "Is (-673)/(29/(-7) - t/(-2)) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nLet p(n) = 11*n - 65. ", "Let j(o) = -11*o + 64. ", "Let a(i) = 5*j(i) + 6*p(i). ", "Let w be a(6). ", "Is 16507/34 - (-2)/w a composite number?", "\nTrue\nLet d = -18187 + 18816. ", "Is d composite?", "\nTrue\nIs (66/77)/((-10)/(-252245)) composite?", "\nTrue\nSuppose 63492 + 4989 = 21*z. ", "Suppose 7*l + z = 18038. ", "Is l a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet b(x) = x**3. ", "Let t be ((-12)/(-10))/((-18)/(-45)). ", "Let i(o) = 51*o**3 - 4*o**2 - o. Let q(r) = t*b(r) - i(r). ", "Is q(-3) composite?", "\nTrue\nSuppose 0 = -4*h + 6*h - 5*k - 7, 5*k = -2*h + 17. ", "Suppose 12 + 30 = h*u. ", "Let o(n) = 124*n + 3. ", "Is o(u) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 1014275 = -16*c + 23*c + 18*c. ", "Is c prime?", "\nFalse\nLet r be 1/(-3) - 8761/(-3). ", "Let d = -1709 + r. Is d composite?", "\nTrue\nLet i be 11/5 + 1 + (-6)/5. ", "Suppose 5*b + i*b = -14. ", "Is (2 - 1665)*2*b/4 composite?", "\nFalse\nLet g = -36 + 53. ", "Let t(s) = 2*s**2 - g*s**3 - 8*s + 28*s - 10*s + 7 - 5*s. ", "Is t(-3) prime?", "\nFalse\nLet b(w) = 2335*w - 174. ", "Is b(13) a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet q(d) = -9*d + 4. ", "Let l be q(-9). ", "Suppose 3*b = -58 + l. Is b/(36/(-16)) - -41 a composite number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 2*k + 3*t = -0*k - 5645, -2*t + 14160 = -5*k. ", "Suppose -288 = 10*r - 28*r. ", "Is (-8)/r + k/(-4) a prime number?", "\nFalse\nLet l = 25184 + 7721. ", "Is l prime?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 10*n + 141 = 57*n. ", "Suppose -n*d = -4*k - 2086, 2*d + 2*k - 663 - 723 = 0. ", "Is d a prime number?", "\nFalse\nLet z(s) = s**2 + 8*s - 8. ", "Let a be z(-8). ", "Let f(u) = 357*u**2 - 6*u + 25. ", "Is f(a) a composite number?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 0 = 5*x - 10, -5*x - 6 = -2*v - 8*x. ", "Suppose r - 4*k = -2*k + 1191, -r + 5*k + 1194 = v. Is r composite?", "\nTrue\nSuppose -c = 4 - 13. ", "Let p be (-384)/(-18) - (-6)/c. ", "Is 4/p - (-15771)/77 composite?", "\nTrue\nLet i be 4*(-27)/42 + 12/(-28). ", "Is (i - -5)*(-48310)/(-4)*1 prime?", "\nFalse\nSuppose 5 = -t, 9*t - 4*t - 4990 = -5*c. ", "Let m = c + -2028. ", "Let f = -702 - m. Is f composite?", "\nTrue\nLet s be (-15090)/(-24) - (-1)/4. ", "Suppose 2*k + 623 = 3*z, 0 = -3*z - 0*z - k + s. Is (-9)/6 + z/2 a composite number?", "\nFalse\nLet a(r) be the third derivative of 3371*r**5/60 - r**4/8 - r**3/2 - 15*r**2. ", "Let x be a(-1). ", "Let t = x + -2220. ", "Is t a prime number?", "\nTrue\nLet a be 0 + 8 - 27/(4 - -5). ", "Suppose -a*r = -3*s + 553 + 1424, r = 3*s - 1965. ", "Let g = s + -261. ", "Is g composite?", "\nTrue\nLet y(x) = -3*x**2 + 4*x + 13. ", "Let m be y(-31). ", "Let h = m - -7615. ", "Is h a composi" ]

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[ "Two former staffers of a congresswoman were indicted Thursday on charges of posting nude pictures of the lawmaker and her husband on social media and of lying to investigators about it.", "\n\n\n\nThe indictments surround former aides to Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat and non-voting delegate to the House representing the Virgin Islands. ", "The cyberstalking charges allege that Juan McCullum, Plaskett's general counsel, published nude images of the congresswoman and her husband on a fictitious Facebook account and elsewhere. ", "He accessed the images, the authorities said, when he took Plaskett's iPhone to an Apple Store for repair.", "\n\nAnother staffer, secretary Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, is accused of covering up last year's scandal.", "\n\nAccording to the government:\n\nThe indictment alleges that, during the course of his employment, McCullum offered in March 2016 to assist the House member in repairing the member’s malfunctioning, password-protected cellular iPhone by taking the device to a local Apple store. ", "According to the indictment, the House member provided McCullum with the device solely to have the iPhone repaired. ", "McCullum was not given permission to take, copy, or distribute any of the contents of the iPhone. ", "The iPhone contained the private, nude images and videos. (", "PDF)\n\nFederal prosecutors said that \"McCullum also sent text messages to Browne-Louis alerting her to his activities.\" ", "Browne-Louis is accused of deleting those messages and is charged with making \"false, incomplete, and misleading statements\" to a grand jury and investigators.", "\n\nBrowne-Louis pleaded not guilty to the accusations on Thursday and remains out of jail. ", "No court date has been set for McCullum. ", "The 35-year-old McCullum is a former reality TV star known as \"Pretty\" on VH1's I love New York.", "\n\nPlaskett said she was the victim of \"egregious acts.\"", "\n\n\"Last year, my privacy was invaded, which was followed by an organized smear campaign and defamatory press reports concerning both me and my family,\" Plaskett said. \"", "I was informed today that preliminary arrests had been made of individuals who were involved in those illegal acts. ", "I am deeply grateful to the Capitol Police and US attorney for the District of Columbia for their thorough and in depth investigating the crimes committed against me and those who I love.\"", "\n\nThe nude images appeared online last July. ", "McCullum, according to prosecutors, opened a Hotmail account under a fictitious name and e-mailed the images to reporters, politicians, and others. ", "He is also accused of uploading the content to a fake Facebook account and of \"friending\" Plaskett's political foes on that account.", "\n\nMcCullum is accused of two counts of cyberstalking. ", "Browne-Louis is charged with two counts of obstruction." ]

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[ "List of banks in Botswana\n\nThis is a list of commercial banks in Botswana\n\n African Banking Corporation of Botswana Limited\n Bank Gaborone Limited\n Bank of Baroda (Botswana) Limited\n Bank of India (Botswana) Limited\n Absa Bank Botswana Limited\n First Capital Bank Limited\n First National Bank of Botswana Limited\n Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited\n Standard Chartered Bank Botswana Limited\n Bank SBI Botswana Limited\n\nExternal links\n List of Licensed Commercial Banks in Botswana\n Directory of Licensed Financial Institutions in Botswana\n\nSee also\n List of banks in Africa\n Economy of Botswana\n\nReferences\n\n \nBanks\nBotswana\nBotswana" ]

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[ "School officials said steps were taken to ensure the safety of students and staff, and the student accused of posting the writings was removed from the school while an investigation is underway.", "\n\n\"I want to assure you that the safety of your children and our staff members is always the School District's top priority,\" Principal Stephen Imbusch said in the letter. \"", "This matter is well under control and no student or staff member is in any danger. \"" ]

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[ "Book Review: “King of Spies: The Dark Reign of America’s Spymaster in Korea”\n\nKing of Spies: The Dark Reign of America’s Spymaster in KoreaBy Blaine Harden. ", "Viking, October 2017. ", "272 pp.", "\n\nBlaine Harden has written another captivating narrative on Korea, this time telling the story of an American military intelligence operative, Donald Nichols, who lived and worked in South Korea for eleven years before, during and after the Korean War. ", "The book’s teaser promises a spy story with the intrigue of a great novel or film plus the added benefit of being a true story. ", "Through a series of interviews, Freedom of Information Act requests on Nichols’ official performance files, legal proceedings for criminal conduct and obscure autobiography, Harden separates the tall tales from the facts to create a compelling story of a relatively unknown individual’s tortured participation in the American involvement in this critical period on the Korean Peninsula.", "\n\nHarden’s stated purpose is more ambitious than telling the story of one man. ", "He uses this lens to explain the larger role of the United States in Korea under Syngman Rhee, expose human rights violations during this period and add to our understanding of the deep roots of North Korea’s animosity towards the United States. ", "Admittedly, this reader was skeptical about the ability to shed new light on these larger historical questions through Nichols’ story, but Harden surpassed my expectations. ", "He shows how this young American intelligence operative, who dedicated special attention to Korea when it was an unpopular and understudied posting, developed a unique personal relationship with the South Korean president, expanded his bureaucratic fiefdom and delivered intelligence results when these were in short supply and high demand. ", "Harden persuasively shows that Nichols had an oversized role compared to his official position.", "\n\nHarden calls Nichols “a highly decorated U.S. Air Force intelligence officer who ran his own secret war for more than a decade” (8). ", "He was particularly good at finding bombing targets for the Air Force that were often attacked with napalm, which Hardens says outside of the United States “was widely regarded as a war crime” (9). ", "At the height of his authority, Nichols supervised up to 58 American and 200 South Korean intelligence operatives, which controlled more than 700 agents. ", "To put the size of his operation in perspective, the United States had over 1.7 million troops in theater at the time and suffered 33,739 battle deaths and 103,284 wounded in the Korean War. ", "Harden paints a vivid picture of Nichols that is colorful, heroic, tragic and criminal, but readers should be cautious about placing too much stake in this individual’s centrality to the broader war effort and the foundations of North Korean animosity towards the United States.", "\n\nNichols had an impoverished and troubled upbringing. ", "He joined the military to escape his dysfunctional family and quickly found himself in Seoul in 1946. ", "He meets South Korean President Syngman Rhee, somehow manages to gain Rhee’s trust and builds an unlikely personal relationship. ", "It is never precisely clear why Rhee befriended the much younger Nichols, and there is thin evidence that the intelligence operative genuinely leveraged this relationship for strategic information about Rhee’s plans and intentions during tense periods in the early US-ROK relationship. ", "Nevertheless, from that vantage point, Nichols witnesses some of Rhee’s brutality before and during the war, including the execution of suspected communists and average prisoners in South Korea. ", "Nichols photographed one of Rhee’s massacres and was part of the cover-up that would last for decades.", "\n\nHarden quotes a letter from US Ambassador John Muccio to General Willoughby that Nichols should stay in Korea because no other intelligence unit produced more useful information than the unit Nichols led. ", "Unable to expel him, Willoughby hired Nichols away from the Air Force for Army intelligence. ", "Nichols would earn 21 medals and by all accounts demonstrate bravery and dedication to his mission. ", "Nichols took over codebreaking and jealously guarded the effort within his own unit. ", "Like the CIA, he also ran perilous parachute drops into North Korea with no expectation that his Korean agents would return alive. ", "He correctly forecasted North Korea’s invasion, but judged incorrectly on China’s intervention.", "\n\nNichols was also a sexual predator in Korea and the United States. ", "The evidence of his depredations is clearer in the United States due to legal proceedings, but the scale of Nichols’ abuse in wartime Korea is ultimately unknown given the blind eyes turned towards his activities. ", "In the US military in the 1940s and 1950s, homosexuality was not tolerated. ", "Nichols was a closeted gay man. ", "Although his relationships with a variety of young South Korean airmen and soldiers were widely known among the Koreans in his unit, his abuse of authority never registered in his American performance evaluations or disciplinary records. ", "He invented a story about a Korean wife and went to odd great lengths to perpetuate the claim—including having her name inscribed next to his on an unlikely two-person gravestone.", "\n\nNichols remained in Korea after the war for four years. ", "However, his behavior that American authorities tolerated during the war became more difficult to justify in peacetime. ", "In 1957, he was removed from Korea and faced two formal investigations for his behavior. ", "He was admitted to an Air Force hospital in Japan for psychiatric evaluation, diagnosed as schizophrenic and transferred to another Air Force hospital in Florida where he was subjected to electroshock therapy without his consent.", "\n\nHe was eventually released and returned to civilian life with a suspiciously large amount of cash that he stored in a relative’s freezer. ", "Decades later, Florida prosecutors charged him with pedophilia; Nichols fled to Mexico, and was arrested upon his return. ", "He hired a famous attorney and beat the charges on a technicality. ", "He abused children again and pled to the charges, and after committing further abuses while on probation he was sent to a psychiatric ward in Alabama. ", "Given this pattern of abuse later in life, one is left to suspect the scope of his sexual crimes while in wartime Korea may be at least on a par with his crimes in the United States.", "\n\nNo one is better placed to write this story than Blaine Harden. ", "A New York Times best-selling author, Harden is a master of his craft. ", "He knows Korea well, and his research has produced a treasure trove of information for a compelling personal account of a significant and virtually unknown American in the Korean War. ", "King of Spies is a page-turner that is difficult to put down, and I imagine many readers will finish it in one sitting.", "\n\nIf a reader is looking for a personal story of a vividly conflicted and complex American spy in the Korean War, this is the book to read. ", "My main critique is the narrative oversells the importance of Nichols to the broader history of the Korean War. ", "Ultimately, this reader was not fully persuaded that Nichols was a “pivotal player” in the war or his “is not just the story of one American spy. ", "It is a groundbreaking work of narrative history that—at a time when North Korea is threatening the United States with long-range nuclear missiles—explains the origins of an intractable foreign policy mess” (inside cover). ", "Also, Harden’s descriptions of general Korean history are very good, but some characterizations fall prey to colorful writing at the expense of historical accuracy, such as Kim Il Sung’s role as “a self-proclaimed god” and characterizations that “upon his death in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il seized power” (emphasis added, 27).", "\n\nAs general history, the frame of reference also creates some distortions. ", "Nichols is the spymaster, but running just one of three US intelligence outfits in Korea at the time. ", "The reader does not get the larger story of US intelligence in Korea, let alone the broader war effort or full political context. ", "Nichols’ “dark reign” repeatedly shows, for example, morally reprehensible actions committed by US and South Korean personnel that create a sense of moral equivalency or worse with North Korean abuses that are outside the story’s frame of reference. ", "Harden is well known for chronicling North Korean human rights abuses, but readers of this volume alone won’t be exposed to that overall balance. ", "King of Spies is a remarkable historical account of Donald Nichols and worth a read, but readers should still augment it with the broader history to take away a balanced view of this highly consequential and devastating war." ]

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[ "The United Kingdom could soon become a \"surveillance superpower\" --- more so than it already is --- following today's publication of the draft Communications Data Bill by the U.K. government.", "\n\nHM the Queen outlined the plan in her annual speech to the U.K. Parliament in May. The plan to monitor data associated with all Web, email and call activity, and give the U.K. intelligence agencies \"near-realtime\" access, has been met with extreme criticism from privacy advocacy groups and ordinary citizens alike.", "\n\nHere's everything you need to know.", "\n\nNutshell this one for me: What is the bill going to do?", "\n\nThe U.K. government wants the police, intelligence services and other government departments to have access to data relating to citizens Web, email and phone traffic in a bid to prevent terrorism and disrupt major crime.", "\n\nIt would see every shred of \"communication data\" collected and stored by ISPs and phone companies which could then be accessed in near-realtime speed by U.K. authorities.", "\n\nOK, so that wouldn't fit in a single tweet, but we're off to a good start.", "\n\nWhat is \"communication data\"?", "\n\nBasically, it's all the details about everything that's sent and received online --- rather than the actual contents of the data.", "\n\nSay you send an email to John Smith. ", "Your name will be recorded, John Smith's name will be recorded, the IP addresses and the timestamp of the email being sent and received will be collected. ", "This is \"communication data\".", "\n\nIf you visit a website, that domain name will be logged along with the IP address, and the date and time data will be collected. ", "Pages within sites will not be logged.", "\n\nThe \"contents\" of communication data is still under lock and key and can only be accessed by the usual judicial requests --- such as a court order or a search warrant signed by the Home Secretary. ", "Next question explains all.", "\n\nSo, the U.K. government can access my Web activity, emails, and calls?", "\n\nNo, just the details of Web activity, emails, and calls --- rather than the contents of emails and phone call recordings.", "\n\n(That said, the contents have always been available to the authorities. ", "The way police and intelligence services access the contents of the data will remain vastly unchanged.)", "\n\nOf course, this means data relating to Web searches, email and phone call traffic --- including landlines and mobile phone calls. ", "But it also includes social media messages and data, Web email, voicemail messages, and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls, such as Skype and Google Talk. ", "Gaming websites and instant messaging services will also be monitored.", "\n\nHow the U.K. government will access Skype calls is beyond me. ", "As far as I'm aware, because of the peer-to-peer nature of the system, it's close to impossible to eavesdrop. ", "Authorities who want to access the data will have to ask Microsoft, which now owns Skype. ", "That opens up a whole other can of worms.", "\n\nU.K. Home Secretary Theresa May told the BBC: \"It's not about the content, it's not about reading people's emails or listening to their telephone calls. ", "This is purely about the who, when and where made these communications and it's about ensuring we catch criminals and stop terrorists.\"", "\n\nHow long will the communication data be stored for?", "\n\nISPs and phone companies will continue to hold the data for a period of up to 12 months. ", "This keeps the proposed law in line with the E.U. Data Retention Directive.", "\n\nAnd where will all this data be stored? ", "A new \"government database\"?", "\n\nNot quite. ", "ISPs and phone companies already collect most data, such as Web traffic, email traffic and call logs --- even details of text messages and voicemails. ", "But this is out of the government's control unless a judicial request --- such as a search warrant from the Home Secretary --- is presented to ISPs or phone companies.", "\n\nThe previous Labour government had plans to centralise all U.K. Internet data in one place, but the plans were scrapped. ", "May said there were \"no plans\" to resurrect the idea.", "\n\nThe danger is that a series of decentralised databases with single points of access --- and given the ability for police to self-authorise access to the \"communication data\" --- the effect could be effecitively the same as a centralised database.", "\n\nISPs and phone companies will retain hold of the data. ", "It will stay in their respective, secure and non-government controlled datacenters.", "\n\nWho will have access to the data?", "\n\nThere are four bodies who will have access to the data. ", "The police is an obvious one. ", "The second is the U.K. intelligence services --- including domestic service MI5, foreign service MI6 (SIS), and the electronic eavesdropping service GCHQ.", "\n\nThe Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) will also have access to the data in a bid to prevent serious crime. ", "Also, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) --- the U.K.'s tax authority --- will have access to such communication data.", "\n\nDo police need a warrant for this communication data?", "\n\nA warrant is required to access the content of communications, but access to communications data does not require a warrant. ", "A senior police officer would have to authorise access to the communications data, however.", "\n\n“The new bill will set out what the police would be able to do --- they will not be able to access content,” May said. “", "It requires senior officers authorising this, they can only do this when investigating a criminal and when it is necessary and proportionate,” May said.", "\n\nWho currently has access to communication data?", "\n\nISPs and phone companies of course. ", "But they can't access it unless they are presented with a court order or a search warrant.", "\n\nLocal authorities account for less than 0.5 percent of total annual RIPA requests for communication data. ", "This means that only those with extremely high national security clearance --- such as police officers and even higher, the intelligence services --- can access this highly-sensitive personal data.", "\n\nAt least, on the bright side, though more data is being collected, fewer people can access it.", "\n\nHow do I know the police et al will not access more data than they should?", "\n\nMay said: \"The technology will ensure that any extraneous data is filtered out so that the police, or whoever is asking, only get what they are asking for.\"", "\n\nThis comes under the \"reasonable safeguards\" element to the E.U.'s concerns. ", "Databases of highly-sensitive personal data, such as the Police National Computer (PNC) and GENESIS, for example, are heavily audited and monitored to ensure staff and vetted officials are not accessing their friends' or family's records.", "\n\nWhat's the reasoning behind the bill? ", "Terrorism? ", "Sex offenders? ", "Dare I say it: anti-piracy?", "\n\nAll of the above, though less so on the anti-piracy front.", "\n\nTheresa May said “ordinary people” had nothing to fear from the proposed law.", "\n\n\"Such data has been used in every security service terrorism investigation and 95 per cent of serious organised crime investigations over the last ten years,” she said. \"", "Only suspected terrorists, paedophiles or serious criminals will be investigated.\"", "\n\nThe trouble is: even terrorists are \"ordinary people\" until they are charged with a crime under British law. ", "This middle ground of \"suspected\" something to actively being arrested and charged for a crime could leave U.K. citizens in legal purgatory.", "\n\nI've heard a lot about SOPA and PIPA. ", "Is this the same thing?", "\n\nNot really. ", "This bill does not really dive into the anti-piracy movement. ", "However, the U.K. government \"has an app for that,\" more so in the Digital Economy Act 2010. ", "But that's a whole separate piece of legislation, and as of the time of writing is not 'active'.", "\n\nHaving said that, the U.K. judiciary kicked off the proceedings with the Newzbin2 case. ", "It forced telecoms giant BT to block access to the file-sharing site. ", "A few months later, The Pirate Bay was blocked by a U.K. court order to more than 20 million British citizens.", "\n\nDoes this mean that foreign data could also be collected if it was sent to a U.K. recipient?", "\n\nYes. ", "At this point, it does not appear that the U.K. draft bill can access foreign data on foreign soil. ", "However, the implications could be that a U.K.-based company could see a government data request but find the data is stored at a foreign datacenter in Europe.", "\n\nAlso, if a foreign citizen emails a U.K. citizen, it's possible that the sender's communications data may also be subject to access requests. ", "This one needs to be explored in more detail. ", "Amendments to the U.K. draft bill are expected, so this may not be set in stone.", "\n\nHow much is this costing the U.K. taxpayer for the 'privilege' of being spied upon?", "\n\nThe U.K. government says it will spend £1.8 billion ($2.8bn) once the bill passes through Parliament. ", "Critics say it could cost as much as £2 billion ($3.1bn). ", "It's a good job we're not in a double dip recession. ", "Oh, wait.", "\n\nHaving said that, the government was quick to say it could get back between £5--£6.2 billion ($7.7--$9.6bn) in reducing tax fraud and seizing assets from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2012.", "\n\nImage credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC.", "\n\nRelated:\n\nAround the network:" ]

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[ "The mayor’s five-day travel itinerary is expected to cost approximately $8,000, which will cover the cost of travel, lodging and meals for the mayor and his staff. ", "| AP Photo De Blasio, on a national mission, heads to Texas\n\nMayor Bill de Blasio is Texas bound this weekend on a three-stop politicking tour.", "\n\nDe Blasio, ever eager to expand his national profile, is expected to attend the South by Southwest conference in Austin to meet with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, host a panel discussion and attend a strategy session to discuss the 2020 census and immigration reform, aides told POLITICO on Thursday. ", "Before his trip to Texas, the mayor will make a pit stop in Baltimore on Friday to address the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center Strategy Summit.", "\n\n\nThe summit is being hosted by the Progressive Congress — a nonprofit organization working to connect activists and progressive members of Congress, according to the group’s website.", "\n\n\"The Mayor is working hard to organize mayors and progressive leaders against Trump Administration efforts to decrease health care access, divest from public housing, and make our tax policy even less fair for working people,\" mayoral spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein said.", "\n\nThe mayor’s five-day travel itinerary is expected to cost approximately $8,000, which will cover the cost of travel, lodging and meals for the mayor and his staff. ", "The cost will be covered by city taxpayers as the trip is considered government-related work, City Hall said. ", "He will travel with three of his aides and his security detail. ", "De Blasio was not required to get Conflict of Interest Board approval, staffers said.", "\n\nSince his second-term reelection win, de Blasio has said he plans to spend a significant amount of time traveling around the country.", "\n\nSpecifically, the mayor has said taking back the U.S. House of Representatives is his top national priority — a change that could have significant implications for the city and state in terms of the resources they receive from the federal government.", "\n\nThe mayor’s forays into the national spotlight have won mixed receptions in the past.", "\n\nHis effort to get involved in the 2016 presidential election was focused on pushing Hillary Clinton’s campaign to the left in a bid for her to embrace more of the liberal policies outlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ", "though his role was somewhat limited in that capacity. ", "Since the presidential election, de Blasio has fully embraced the Sanders doctrine and held a handful of events with the Vermont senator, who administered de Blasio’s oath of office in January.", "\n\nThe mayor’s upcoming jaunt will offer him a chance to meet with like-minded counterparts.", "\n\nWhile in Baltimore, he will meet with members of Congress, local and state officials and national advocates including a meeting with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, and Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union.", "\n\nOn Saturday, de Blasio will head to Austin for the South by Southwest Convention where he’ll be hosting a panel with Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Portland, Oregon mayor Ted Wheeler. ", "He is also scheduled to meet with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.", "\n\nWhile in attendance at the South by Southwest Convention, de Blasio will also participate in a strategy session with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to discuss the 2020 census, immigration reform and infrastructure, his aides said.", "\n\nDe Blasio will then head back north to the nation's capital to attend the League of Cities spring conference and deliver the keynote address at the Democratic Municipal Officials national breakfast." ]

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[ "Armand Dupree\n\nArmand Dupree is a direct selling company based in the United States, owned by Tupperware Brands. ", "The brand has been known in Mexico for over 28 years, and was sold by the Fuller Cosmeticos company there.", "\n\nProducts\nArmand Dupree products can be found in personal care, cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, and home care categories. ", "Armand Dupree products were first sold in Mexico, but can now be found in Argentina, Brazil, Philippines, United States, and Uruguay.", "\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Official site\n\nCategory:Companies based in Orlando, Florida" ]

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[ "Q:\n\nTabHost inside a AlertDialog\n\nUsing this answer, I managed to get a TabHost inside an AlertDialog.", "\nThe problem is that the Tab Indicators have the same color as the background, as shown in the image below:\n\nThe code used to show the dialog is presented below:\n AlertDialog.", "Builder builder;\n AlertDialog alertDialog;\n\n LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater)\n getApplicationContext().getSystemService(LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);\n View layout = inflater.inflate(R.layout.tabbed_dialog,\n (ViewGroup) findViewById(R.id.tabhost));\n\n TabHost tabs = (TabHost) layout.findViewById(R.id.tabhost);\n tabs.setup();\n TabHost.", "TabSpec tabpage1 = tabs.newTabSpec(\"foo\");\n tabpage1.setContent(R.id.", "ScrollView01);\n tabpage1.setIndicator(\"foo\");\n TabHost.", "TabSpec tabpage2 = tabs.newTabSpec(\"bar\");\n tabpage2.setContent(R.id.", "ScrollView02);\n tabpage2.setIndicator(\"bar\");\n tabs.addTab(tabpage1);\n tabs.addTab(tabpage2);\n\n builder = new AlertDialog.", "Builder(MainActivity.this);\n\n builder\n .setCancelable(false)\n .setPositiveButton(\"Ok\",\n new DialogInterface.", "OnClickListener() {\n public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {\n\n }\n })\n .setNegativeButton(\"Cancel\",\n new DialogInterface.", "OnClickListener() {\n public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int id) {\n dialog.cancel();\n }\n });\n builder.setTitle(\"Dialog with tabs\");\n builder.setView(layout);\n alertDialog = builder.create();\n alertDialog.show();\n\nThis is the layout used:\n<?", "xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?", ">\n<TabHost\n xmlns:android=\"http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android\"\n android:id=\"@+id/tabhost\"\n android:layout_width=\"fill_parent\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\">\n\n <LinearLayout\n android:orientation=\"vertical\"\n android:layout_width=\"fill_parent\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\"\n android:padding=\"5dp\">\n\n <TabWidget\n android:id=\"@android:id/tabs\"\n android:layout_width=\"fill_parent\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\"/>\n\n <FrameLayout\n android:id=\"@android:id/tabcontent\"\n android:layout_width=\"fill_parent\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\"\n android:padding=\"5dp\">\n\n <ScrollView android:id=\"@+id/ScrollView01\"\n android:layout_width=\"wrap_content\"\n android:layout_height=\"200px\">\n\n <TextView\n android:id=\"@+id/TextView01\"\n android:text=\"foo text content\"\n android:layout_width=\"wrap_content\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\"\n android:gravity=\"center_horizontal\"\n android:paddingLeft=\"15dip\"\n android:paddingTop=\"15dip\"\n android:paddingRight=\"20dip\"\n android:paddingBottom=\"15dip\"\n android:textColor=\"#000000\"/>\n\n </ScrollView>\n\n <ScrollView android:id=\"@+id/ScrollView02\"\n android:layout_width=\"wrap_content\"\n android:layout_height=\"200px\">\n\n <TextView\n android:id=\"@+id/TextView02\"\n android:text=\"bar text content\"\n android:layout_width=\"wrap_content\"\n android:layout_height=\"wrap_content\"\n android:gravity=\"center_horizontal\"\n android:paddingLeft=\"15dip\"\n android:paddingTop=\"15dip\"\n android:paddingRight=\"20dip\"\n android:paddingBottom=\"15dip\"\n android:textColor=\"#000000\"/>\n\n </ScrollView>\n </FrameLayout>\n </LinearLayout>\n</TabHost>\n\nThe question is: how do I change the Indicator color?", "\nI know I can change the layout used by the AlertDialog, as in:\nbuilder = new AlertDialog.", "Builder(MainActivity.this, android.", "R.style.", "Theme_Dialog);\n\nBut I want the same layout as show in the picture, but with different color for the tab indicators. ", "Can I get this from Android without having to redefine the whole Indicators?", "\n\nA:\n\nFound the solution.", "\nJust get the title view and set the color:\n TextView tv = (TextView)layout.findViewById(android.", "R.id.title);\n tv.setTextColor(Color.", "GRAY);\n\nOr, even better, we can select each tab:\n TextView tv;\n tv = (TextView)tabs.getTabWidget().getChildAt(0).findViewById(android.", "R.id.title);\n tv.setTextColor(Color.", "GRAY);\n tv = (TextView)tabs.getTabWidget().getChildAt(1).findViewById(android.", "R.id.title);\n tv.setTextColor(Color.", "GRAY);\n\n" ]

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[ "/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */\n/*\n * Copyright (C) 2011 - 2012 Intel Corporation. ", "All rights reserved.", "\n */\n\n#ifndef __LOCAL_MICROREAD_H_\n#define __LOCAL_MICROREAD_H_\n\n#include <net/nfc/hci.h>\n\n#define DRIVER_DESC \"NFC driver for microread\"\n\nint microread_probe(void *phy_id, struct nfc_phy_ops *phy_ops, char *llc_name,\n\t\t int phy_headroom, int phy_tailroom, int phy_payload,\n\t\t struct nfc_hci_dev **hdev);\n\nvoid microread_remove(struct nfc_hci_dev *hdev);\n\n#endif /* __LOCAL_MICROREAD_H_ */\n" ]

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[ "Museum of Coastal Defence temporarily closed due to explosives\n****************************************************\n\nAttention TV/radio announcers:\n\nA spokesman for the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence announced today (September 9) that explosives had been found on a slope about 100 metres from the museum earlier this afternoon. ", "Consequently the museum will be closed for the remainder of today for reasons of public safety. ", "It will be open as usual tomorrow (September 10)." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nUniform PDF of offset sphere\n\nNote that throughout this I use the spherical mapping convention: $$(x,y,z) = (r\\cos\\phi\\sin\\theta,r\\cos\\theta,r\\sin\\phi\\sin\\theta)$$ \nI have derived that the uniform pdf for a sphere $S_1$ with radius $\\rho$ and center $(0,0,0)$ is $p_A(r,\\phi,\\theta) = \\frac{\\delta(r-\\rho)}{4\\pi\\rho^2}$. I want to translate this sphere by $(0,\\rho,0)$ and find the corresponding pdf. ", "\nWhat I have tried is to rewrite the pdf in cartesian coordinates, that is: \n$$p_B(x,y,z) = \\frac{p_A(r, \\phi, \\theta)}{|r^2\\sin\\theta|}$$ \nAnd translate it: $p_C(x,y,z) = p_B(x,y-\\rho,z)$.\nThen I believe that the pdf I am looking for is: $p_D(r',\\phi',\\theta') = p_C(x,y,z)|r'^2\\sin\\theta'|$. \nI have $r^2 = x^2 + (y-\\rho)^2 + z^2$, $\\cos\\theta = \\frac{y-\\rho}{r}$, $r'^2 = x^2+y^2 + z^2$, $\\cos\\theta' = \\frac{y}{r'}$. Assuming that this is correct I get the relationship:\n$$r^2 = r'^2 - 2\\rho r'\\cos\\theta' + \\rho^2$$\n$$\\cos\\theta = \\cos\\theta' - \\frac{\\rho}{r}$$\nIs everything correct? ", "Is this the correct expression for the pdf I am looking for?", "\n$$p_D(r',\\phi,\\theta') = p_A(r(r',\\theta'),\\phi,\\theta(r',\\theta'))\\frac{|r'^2\\sin\\theta'|}{|r^2(r',\\theta')\\sin(\\theta(r',\\theta'))|}$$\nEdit:\nJust for completeness I provide the derivation of the uniform pdf on the sphere centered at $(0,0,0)$ with radius $\\rho$. Since I only want to have a constant probability over the surface of the sphere I can write $p_A(r,\\phi,\\theta) = C\\delta(r-\\rho)$. In order to derive the pdf normalization constant $C$ I integrate the pdf:\n$$\\int_{0}^{2\\pi}{\\int_{0}^{pi}{\\int_{0}^{\\infty}{p_A(r,\\phi,\\theta)r^2\\sin\\theta dr}d\\theta}d\\phi} = $$\n$$2\\pi C\\int_{0}^{pi}{\\rho^2\\sin\\theta d\\theta} =$$\n$$4C\\pi\\rho^2 = 1$$\n$$C = \\frac{1}{4\\pi\\rho^2}$$\n\nA:\n\nThe denominator seems to be redundant, since it actually cancels out with the term $|r^2\\sin\\theta|$ in the numerator, which I forgot to add in the pdf it seems: $p_A(r,\\phi,\\theta) = \\delta(r-\\rho)\\frac{|r^2\\sin\\theta|}{4\\pi\\rho^2}$.\n\n" ]

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[ "Monday\n\nAn Overabundance of Overtime\n\nI have gotten myself into a bad nanny situation. ", "It started off great and I loved my job and loved the children but suddenly things spiraled downwards. ", "The family took their children for a week long vacation overseas and did not tell me about this in the original contract. ", "Which the trip was 2 months after I first started. ", "I feel a though they knew in advance. ", "I was told a month before and it wasn't til the week before that I was sat down to discuss what would happen with my pay.", "\n\nThe wife told me that other nannies were being paid but were doing some hours here and there to help out. ", "And that sounded like a fair deal. ", "I did tell her that it was their vacation time and not mine (I shouldn't be forced to take a week vacation technically unpaid since I get 4% tacked onto my paychecks which after 2 months of work that's really only about a day off worth). ", "So anyways a day before they leave I did an extra couple of hours and then I was told to count my hours to make sure I did 42.5 hours worth of extra hours to make up for them paying me. ", "I tried to say at this point that it was overtime hours and that it doesn't equivalate to a regular hour to which the husband replied in a snarky way and asked if my current work day hours were to much for me.", "\n\nI dropped the conversation until a couple weeks later when I asked for a day off. ", "They asked me to work an evening an extra 6 hours. ", "And I said sure thinking it was making up for my day off. ", "Later I was docked for the day off and not paid for the Monday on the premises that those 6 hours counted for their vacation time that they paid me for. ", "I brought up how I thought this was unfair and I was told to sit down with one of the parents and chat about it. ", "I was told I was exempt from overtime hours (I am not. ", "I get overtime after 44 hours). ", "And that I owed them that extra time and if i didn't want to repay it in overtime, they would take away my vacation pay to make up for it. ", "I feel as though 43 hours in overtime is a lot to make up.", "\n\nMy contract says I get 8.5 hours a day 5 days a week and I can give them 2 weeks notice for my vacation time. ", "It does not mention unpaid leave. ", "Am I being taken advantage of? ", "I'm telling you this family has a ton of money. ", "That isn't there problem, it's more the fact that they feel as though they owe me nothing. ", "I still have to pay bills and I work another job part time. ", "So I do not have time to make up overtime hours for them. ", "They hired me, they should pay me. ", "Right?", "\n\nShe tried to speak up for herself. ", "You can't make crooks honest. ", "You can only get another job where the parents are respectable. ", "In some cases, employers aren't having any fun unless they are cheating the help. ", "This looks like a case in point.", "\n\nYou post was a bit confusing as far as making up the hours and overtime but I think a few things are clear...\n\n1. ", "You need to sit down with them and make a better contract. ", "Decide how much notice you need for their vacations and whether or not you will get paid. ", "If they say no but they will give you more hours to \"make up for it\" (which I think is what you were describing), you need to decide if you are ok with that.", "\n\n2. ", "Make it clear to them that if you work over your 40 hours in one week, you are entitled to overtime. ", "Point blank. ", "Period.", "\n\n3. ", "The whole thing about making up hours and such is complicated. ", "I would suggest putting it in the contract that you will get paid your weekly salary no matter what. ", "Then if you work any hours over that, it is overtime.", "\n\n4. ", "Discuss what happens when you need a day off. ", "You said you have vacation time and that you have to give 2 weeks notice. ", "Is this vacation time paid or do you have to \"earn it?\"", "\n\n5. ", "Put the fact that they have a lot of money out of your head. ", "It doesn't matter if they are millionaires or just live comfortably. ", "You deserve to be paid for your time and you have to advocate for that.", "\n\nwell it seems that they are aspiring to run you guys like employees. ", "YOu are either exempt or not. ", "YOu are either salary or hourly. ", "If you are hourly you get paid over time pay over 40 hours per week. ", "If you are salary you get paid the same rate whether you work 30 hours or 80 hours but you are not both. ", "You are being taken advantage of. ", "that would seriously not fly with me. ", "If it says you get overtime pay in your contract that they signed they better give it to you. ", "I would sue the pants off these people. ", "I hate rudeness\n\nYes, you are being taken advantage of, intentionally or not. ", "This is why I advocate putting every single tiny detail in the Work Agreement. ", "Things like this - flex hours/makeup vs unpaid vs paid - are just one of many examples of small issues that could have been avoided.", "\n\nYou should be paid 52 weeks a year unless YOU choose to take additional vacation beyond your allotment. ", "I do know many families, including ours, that do some flex time but it benefits both sides. ", "For example, if my nanny wants a day of this week but doesn't want to use vacation/personal days, we will add the hours on to the next week. ", "I also occasionally ask this, but I always *ask* never insist. ", "Plus, I discussed this issue at hiring including specific examples.", "\n\nSounds like you have already tried the sit down talk. ", "Are these new employers or first-time parents? ", "It can be a bit confusing to them as it was to me. ", "IME, most nanny vacation time is handled as one week of family's choice, one week of nanny's choice. ", "That also needs to be clarified.", "\n\nIf you really want to work this out, I suggest you draft a very detailed Work Agreement addressing this and any other issues you can think of. ", "Then ask them to review it and negotiate.", "\n\nQuit and do it now! ", "This situation is only going to get worse, because the EXACT SAME THING happened to me with my last job and I ended up getting fired for standing up for myself. ", "People like your employers, and my former ones, do not understand what it is like to be a nanny and rely on the steady paycheck. ", "And they never will understand it, no matter how many times we try to rationally explain.", "\n\nNYCMom, I would love to see a copy of it as well. ", "I have a great bear bones contract in place with my current family but I believe it would benefit both of us to go into the relationship further knowing exactly what to expect on those sorts of situations.", "\n\nSounds like you have a good head on your shoulders for how to treat a nanny. ", "I wish all families were like that, but I usually assume since I work with tiny things, that being a good employer is something that is learned and my families are just generally clueless. (", "Not always the case, but I assume the best until shown the worst!)", "\n\nI quit my old nanny job when I got into this situation. ", "I was nickled and dimed, and MB was so petty. ", "If the baby was sleeping and let me go 5 minutes early she'd make me come in 5 minutes early the next morning. ", "It's just unnecessary for rich families to be like this. ", "we're not asking for the moon and the stars. ", "Just some respect.", "\n\nDid you mention if you were paid through a payroll service? ", "LEgally they need to pay you on the books. ", "And you cannot be an salaried employee Nannies can only be hourly so you are entitled to overtime which is time and a half after 40 HOURS. ", "So two things I want to know, are you paid on the books? ", "If so the payroll service they use can explain this to them. ", "2nd question, did you use an agency that you can contact so they can assist you in dealing with the issues with the family? ", "THat is always why it's great to go through an agency, they are always there for the nannies and the families if they have any questions or concerns. ", "The agency can clearly explain these issues to the family. ", "Yes I work for an agency and place caregivers with families. ", "Some people say we are all about getting the families money and don't care about the nannies..I'm not the owner I made an hourly wage so that for me isn't true, being a former nanny I am an advocate for a good nanny being treated well.", "If you do find a new job please go through a agency who can be your advocate Best\n\nThere are alot of parents who will try one way or another to take advantage. ", "Passive, shy people tend to be the ones who get taken advantage of the most. ", "I don't no why parents who want to screw the 1 person caring for there children. ", "If i ever hired a nanny or babysitter i'd be going the extra mile for them just so i know my children are being truely cared for.", "\n\nI'd advise you to have another sit down and exlain your situation. ", "and make them realize that you deserve to be payed the extra $$. ", "If you don't then you will become resentful of them. ", "But then again, they might become resentful of you. ", "These are tough situations when you're dealing with these type of people.", "\n\nOP, To me, it sounds like you made a bad agreement. ", "While I personally absolutely agree that when families choose to employ a nanny they need to pay that nanny 52 weeks per year - barring the nanny requesting unpaid time off - which a lot of families do. (", "I'm one of those nannies who won't accept a position that doesn't include that standard.) ", "Unfortunately, we're in an industry without set standards, so a lot of families also don't pay their nannies for unused hours. ", "It seems like these issues always come down to individual nanny/family agreements, where the more detailed the agreement is from the start, the better off the nanny generally is.", "\n\nIn an ideal world, your written agreement would outline how much notice the family needs to give you and their options - if any - for use of your hours while they are away. ", "For example, my nanny family went away for a long weekend a couple of weeks ago and I spent a day packing away (kid) winter clothes and inventorying what each child has/needs for spring and summer. ", "Some families use an \"hours bank\" - with or without time limitations - which is what it sounds like your family is trying to do, albeit somewhat clumsily. ", "My experience with the hours bank is that the exchange is 1:1 and it is kept track of (by both parties) outside of any payroll, to avoid overtime issues - which yes, is probably not legal. ", "I guess my question is this: when you were told to keep track and make sure you worked an extra 42.5 hours, did you work (or make an effort to work) them? ", "Did you cash their check prior to figuring out your agreement? ", "Because it sounds a bit like they agreed to pay you for the week, on time, if you agreed to make up the 42.5 hours...and it sounds like they paid you and you have not worked the hours. ", "I'm not saying it's a good deal, but I am saying that it sounds like a deal to which you agreed.", "\n\nI would encourage you to talk to them, bringing solutions to the table. ", "At this point, it's unlikely that they are going to just pay you for hours they aren't using, as they likely view you as an hourly employee AND they might also feel like they were doing you a favor for paying you prior to your making up the hours. ", "You might suggest doing kid-based projects while they are away, more household tasks if they are part of your agreement or you are willing to do them while the family is away (and if it's the latter, specify in writing if you want them limited to while the family is away), or an hours bank with more concrete guidelines.", "\n\nI would also advise you not to consider how much money they do or do not have. ", "I have found no relationship between employer generosity and employer assets/income.", "\n\nTermination/Parting-both parties agree to give minimum 4 weeks notice if they need to terminate employment-if job ends due to no fault of nanny, family agrees to make extensive attempts to assist with job search and serve as a reference-nanny agrees to be available for assistance with finding new nanny and giving prospective candidates job expectations-severance will be given at rate of one week per year of employment-if nanny is terminated for cause, no notice or severance will be given-causes for termination: unsafe care of kids, inconsistent job performance, dishonesty, stealing, breach of confidentiality, persistent tardiness, unapproved guests, smoking/drink/drugs while on duty\n\nCompensation-rate of pay-paid weekly and all federal and state taxes will be withheld-monthly metrocard (NYC) or IRS mileage rate for use of own car-no other comp will be given that is not listed-if nanny does not have a cell phone, one will be provided during work hours for emergencies-if she does, family will not assume responsibility for paying for it but if extra charges are accrued due to job, these will be paid.", "\n\nTravel-Nanny agrees to be available for travel with family, although family understands this is not always possible-Salary, additional reimbursement and flight/hotel/food details will be discussed and agreed upon in advance\n\nVacation-Nanny will be given two weeks (10 days or 40 hours) of paid vacation. ", "-All attempts will be made to coordinate these times with family.-However, if coordination is not possible one week will at family's choice and one at nanny's choice-Vacation must be taken or will be forfeited-No vacation during first 3 months of employment-5 sick/personal days per year to be used at nanny's discretion and paid out if unused-if family takes vacation beyond these weeks, nanny will be paid. ", "However, family may ask for some duties during this time that do not exceed agreed upon duties.", "\n\nDuties-safety of children is paramount-plan age appropriate activities-play with kids including but not limited to arts & crafts, music, board games-trips to local children's activities or parks as weather permits-basic needs such as bathing, dressing, changing diapers, brushing teeth, making school lunches, assisting with homework-follow schedule as outlined by family-keep briefly daily log for communication (this should not take more than 5 minutes daily)-prepare basic, healthy meals for kids-limit TV to one hour during daytime-limit screen time for older kids (video games, computer, etc) to one hour on weekdays after all homework is completed\n\nHousehold-clean up after yourself and the kids-keep children's rooms and play areas clean and organized (as they get older part of this duty includes reminding kids to clean up their own rooms)-loading and unloading dishwasher daily-removing garbage and recycling as needed-wiping down kitchen counters or running vacuum if spills-children's laundry twice a week-feed, walk, and clean up after family pet-keep track of children's supplies and notify family if we need more-grocery shopping as needed -grant access to home for service people-occasional errands such as dry cleaning, bank -be proactive in determining general needs of household\n\nPersonal Phone/Errands-Limit personal phone, text and computer usage during workday to urgent issues only.-Personal errands time permitting providing it does not interfere with job performance (note that my nanny has 12-15 hours per week of time without the kids, plus at least one full day off each week so this is not a big issue for us)\n\nHolidays-Paid holidays are: Xmas Day, NY Day, Tgiving Day and day after Tgivign, July 4th, Labor Day, Memorial Day\n\nOther issues-Nanny may eat and drink anything in the home. ", "If nanny would like certain foods or drinks during her workday, she is free to purchase them at our expense when buying groceries or add to list.-Petty cash will always be available. ", "Please notify family if running low. ", "Place receipts in drawer, but you do not need permission for purchases unless they are out of the ordinary.-Nanny may use extra bedroom to stay over as little or often as she desires-Nanny may bring her own child to work on days off school, but if child is sick, we should discuss in advance-Nanny understands that any and all information obtained about family during her employment is confidential and may not be disclosed to third party for any reason (includes medical, financial, legal, career, assets, etc)\n\nre-posted for anonymous: I have a current nanny who is paid 400.00 a week as a salary employee. ", "We have a vehicle she drives when caring for our child, we pay for activities and lunch expenses if she is away from the house during this time as well as her entrance fee's to museums and zoo's. ", "We also pay for any extra arts and crafts stuff she would like to do. ", "We do make up time if she needs a day off, or let her go early if we can without docking her pay. ", "During our vacation time she is still paid, and she has no responsibilities to us. ", "We also let her live in our other house rent free (she has to pay utilities). ", "I always try to make sure that she agree's to how things are going to work with pay, make up time and such, and I always try to make it fair. ", "We do not have a lot of money, I don't work due to injuries and my wife is a full time student. ", "Even in my opinion you are being taken advantage of. ", "Our nanny stays for dinner, can eat whatever is in the house for lunch, has breakfast with us. ", "I would think that a person who is paying you to watch their children would want you happy to be there. ", "In our case we ask for notice if a day off is needed for something due to my wife's school schedule and my physical therapy schedule. ", "If I were you, I would seriously look for a new job.", "\n\nNYCMom:wow. ", "that is a clear, fair contract. ", "It is appropriately strict and at the same time generous in every aspect. ", "For the right fit, that sounds like a great job.", "\n\nI would not be right for this position. ", "lol no freaking way! ", "You sound like a tough employer to work for! ", "And that is not a criticism: you also seem like a fair employer who wants the best for her kids! ", "I say tough because it seems you don't take any BS! ", "and that is awesome.", "\n\nI'm actually not that strict in practice! ", "I just find if you don't address every.single.thing at hiring it becomes a problem later. ", "My first nanny kept saying she did not want vacation for two years. ", "I kept encourage her to take vacation. ", "Then after 2.5yrs, she suddenly asked to be paid for all her built up vacation. ", "I paid her, but I won't make that mistake again. ", "Vacation/taking a break is important for everyone's physical and mental health, thus I think it should be required.", "\n\nAlso, I often negotiate these terms with a prospective nanny and we come to something we both agree on. ", "It's interesting to see the responses perceiving this as \"strict\" though. ", "I actually don't think much about it is unusually strict, just spelled out in minute detail.", "\n\nI would be interested to hear which parts, specifically, you or other nannies would find objectionable. ", "I would certainly be open to revising this if there was feedback that some of it was unreasonable. ", "Thanks!", "\n\nI think that you are a very good employer. ", "Setting up a contract like you did is exactly what other businesses do so why should a nanny be any different. ", "I think the boundaries you established are spot on. ", "Any nanny would be lucky to be employed by you. ", "Not just because you are nice but you are professional and that is very hard to find in domestic employment.", "\n\ni am the double poster lately because i always want to add after i said things...go figure i have more to say LOL\n\ni don't think that setting up boundaries and having expectations of your employee is considered strict. ", "I believe that a good employer is able to walk that fine line and if need be bend to the employee more than expecting the employee to bend for them. ", "it is business when you get right down to it. ", "This nanny wouldn't be in your home if they didn't need a job to pay their bills. ", "It seems that a lot of employers begin to think that it is a privelage they are giving their nanny for watching their children and this isn't fair but a lot of people do it\n\nNYC Mom - After being in a situation for a year and a half where my employer flat-out REFUSED to fill out the contract given to us by the agency I go through (just didn't \"feel like it\") I would love to have an employer like you who outlines the expectations of the job in such detail. ", "I was consistently given more and more to do at this job, and I won't bore people with the details, but a lot of them were far beyond what a nanny should be doing. ", "Meanwhile my pay never increased while my job duties grew significantly until I was completely overwhelmed within an hour of being there each day. ", "I tried unsuccessfully for a year and a half to persuade him to go through the contract with me but he was too lazy about it and kept putting it off so I eventually quit. ", "With nothing on paper backing me, I couldn't ever say \"This isn't in my job description.\" ", "Even though the things he was asking me to do, most people on here probably wouldn't even believe if I told them. ", "LOL\n\nNYC mom, I meant strict in a good way: you put everything up front. ", "I don't find anything in this contract objectionable, other than that it sounds like hard work! ", "Nanny jobs in general, when the nanny is good, are hard work! ", "I think this contract is great and you sound like a great employer. ", "I just would not want to be a nanny. ", "Ever again! ", "I will be the first to say I can't do it!", "\n\nKarli, please tell us what kinds of things your employer would ask you to do, i know you don't think we'd believe you but i'm sure there are many nannies here that have been asked to do some crazy shit for their boss!", "\n\nnycmom,Just echoing that I also think your contract is great. ", "I too appreciate covering all bases up front is wise and fair.", "Relationships have a far better chance of success when both parties understand fully what is expected of them.", "\n\nI'm a nanny and my boss wants me to make up 45 hours that they are paying me for there! ", "Vacation! ", "Every time I take a day off I have to make it up! ", "Or if I want to take a vacation a different they take a vacation I have to make up all the hours! ", "Please help is this fear!", "\n\nSubmit a Sighting\n\nEmail isynblog@gmail.com.", "Please include:Date, time, location, a description, photo or videoof the nanny and a description, photo or video of the child. ", "We will blur the child's face for privacy reasons. ", "Please include a detailed description of what you witnessed. ", "We do not disclose the identity of submission authors unless they specifically request to have their information shared with the parents involved in the incident." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nInstance methods Vs Static Methods in the business layer\n\nI have a typical web application with the controllers calling the business methods. ", " Should the methods in the business classes be implemented using static methods or instance methods. ", " The business layer classes doe not maintain any state information.", "\nSome additional information\n+ The business classes do not maintain state specific information.", "\n+ Would instantiating these objects on a per request basis consume a lot of memory as opposed to using static methods\n\nA:\n\nDoes \"yes\" count as an answer? ", "I hate to say it, but both answers are valid; choosing between them requires context. ", "If you have no use for per-instance state, then: why create instances? ", "However, it should be noted that per-instance state is useful for IoC/DI scenarios, which in turn are handy for testing.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Related Items\n\nResearch Animations\n\nMaking Tumors Vulnerable\n\nHow can researchers overcome the \"toughness\" of cancerous tissue and deliver treatments deep inside tumors? ", "This video tells the story of researchers from Sangeeta Bhatia's lab at the KI who have developed a new nanomaterials-based solution to this problem. ", "The video is currently featured in the interactive displays of the KI Public Galleries." ]

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[ "Property Description\n\nThe Hotel is situated 1 minute walk from the beach, 200 m from the port and ferries to Le Verdon-Médoc, 5 minutes' walk from the town centre of Royan, shops and restaurants, and 17 km from La Palmyre Zoo.", "Renovated in 2017, the rooms come with free WiFi, tea/coffee making facilities and a flat-screen TV. ", "All rooms have air conditioning and are no-smoking.", "There are 28 rooms in the hotel, some of them overlook the courtyard and the others are on the sea side. ", "Moreover, there are family rooms for 4 persons or 3 persons.", "A free baby bed can be put in the double sea side rooms.", "A sweet and savoury breakfast buffet can be served in the dining room or in the rooms. ", "Guests are invited to enjoy a drink in the Foncillon's bar.", "There is a free public car park a few steps from the hotel. ", "And a free bus parking space is 200 m from the hotel. ", "A meeting room is located on the 7th floor of the hotel and has a large terrace with a sea view on the Bay of Royan. ", "The meeting room is equipped with paperboard, video projector, screen ,free WIFI and can accomodate up to 15 persons.", "\n\nAirport & Shuttle Information\n\nThe Merignac Airport of Bordeaux is located 120 km from the hotel.", "\n\nAirport Shuttle? ", "Sorry, no airport shuttle available.", "\n\nBreakfast Information\n\nA sweet and savoury breakfast buffet can be served in the dining room or in the rooms. ", "The buffet presents bread, fruits, ham, cheese, eggs, juice, tea, coffee...The breakfast is 12.00 euros per person and free for children under 2 years.", "\n\nParking Info\n\nThere is a free public car park a few steps from the hotel. ", "And a free bus parking space is 200 m from the hotel.", "\n\nInternet / WiFI\n\nAll the hotel is equipped with the free wifi and a fibre-optic network.", "\n\nTestimonials: Why use Hotel Planner?", "\n\n\"Your group was spectacular and was the very reason we had a successful reunion. ", "What great customer service! ", "I will keep you in mind and I intend to spread the word. ", "Thank you\" P.F. - Philadelphia, PA" ]

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[ "Centers of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery: design, implementation, and one-year outcomes.", "\nBariatric surgery procedures increased from <20,000 annually in the early 1990s to >100,000 in 2003. ", "The complications related to surgery have increased disproportionately, causing some payers to discontinue coverage for bariatric procedures and reducing patient access to an effective treatment modality. ", "This report describes an alternative approach-the creation of a network of Centers of Excellence (COE) in Bariatric Surgery. ", "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina developed a COE program by working collaboratively with the bariatric surgery community. ", "Through systematic review, the collaborative identified bariatric surgical programs that appropriately select patients, comprehensively evaluate and prepare patients for surgery, produce superior outcomes, and provide long-term follow-up for patients. ", "Seven practices were selected as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Bariatric Surgery COE. ", "The short-term results comparing the 12 months before COE implementation and the 12 months after implementation included a 14% decline in the number of bariatric procedures performed (693 versus 596), a 23% decrease in the number of surgeons billing for bariatric procedures (53 versus 41), a 30-day readmission rate of 4.7% for COE providers and 8.3% for non-COE providers, and an average inpatient length of stay of 2.5 days for COE providers and 3.0 days for non-COE providers. ", "The proportion of procedures performed by the COE providers increased from 55% to 61%. ", "The preliminary results are encouraging, with COE providers demonstrating reduced 30-day readmission rates and, surprisingly, overall reductions in the rate and number of procedures performed and the number of physicians performing them." ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }

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[ "Why cold Cleveland is suddenly a hot, cool place to visit CLEVELAND from K1\n\nIncreasingly in the national and international spotlight, Cleveland has received growing attention for its burgeoning culinary scene. ", "Last year a group of travel editors toured the city on a \"Quirky Cleveland tour\" hosted by Positively Cleveland. ", "The group headed to the West Side Market, the Christmas Story house, Happy Dog saloon (shown here, one of the writers photographing toppings on one of the restaurant's signature hot dogs) and Big Fun, Lakeview Cemetery and more.", "\n\n(Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)\n\nCLEVELAND, Ohio -- In its list of \"America's Best Food Cities\" for 2015, Time magazine subsidiary, Time.com, ranks Cleveland in seventh place.", "\n\nFor good measure, \"The Best Location\" edged out perennial dining destinations such as San Francisco (No. ", "19), New Orleans (No. ", "15), New York City (No. ", "10) and Portland, Oregon (No. ", "8).", "\n\nBased on a poll among readers of Travel & Leisure magazine, who were invited to rank 38 U.S. cities \"for qualities like walkable streets, historic appeal and art galleries -- which, for some travelers, are just pleasant time-killers between meals\" respondents also ranked \"the 10 most crave-worthy features of a city, from the relatively low-cost indulgences of street food, coffee and bakeries to specialty gourmet markets, wine bars and high-end, chef-driven restaurants.\"", "\n\nOf Cleveland, the editors noted:\n\n\"The rust belt city offers some old-fashioned, even old world charms. ", "Readers ranked it at No. ", "5 for its rich food halls, like West Side Market -- with spices, baked goods and delis -- which dates back to 1912, when it when it catered primarily to the city's immigrants. ", "Today, you can also tuck into great Polish cuisine, like chicken paprikash, bratwurst, pirogues, and stuffed cabbage -- at Sokolowski's University Inn, a James Beard American Classic award-winner now in its third generation of family ownership. ", "Still, you don't get into the top 10 by living completely in the past; Cleveland also delighted readers with its trendy street food and bars (like Happy Dog, where hot dogs come with vodka sauerkraut or Bloody Mary ketchup) or upscale, New-American spots, like Lola Bistro, run by Iron Chef Michael Symon.\"", "\n\nOther cities edging out Cleveland included:\n\nNo. ", "6: Albuquerque, New Mexico.", "\n\nNo. ", "5: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota\n\nNo. ", "4: Atlanta, Georgia\n\nNo. ", "3: Kansas City, Missouri\n\nNo. ", "2: Providence, Rhode Island\n\nNo. ", "1: Houston, Texas." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nHow to understand this multiple regression question without having an example in the textbook?", "\n\nHow to understand this multiple regression question without having an example in the textbook?", "\nPlease briefly show how to do the final question and give the answer to the final question. ", "\n\nA:\n\nA point about the formula for $Y_i$: $u_i$ is the residual for case $i$ and is the difference between the observed and estimated values. (", "Diagnostics can be performed on the residuals to verify that a linear multiple regression is appropriate).", "\nFor the estimated value,\n$$\\tilde{y}=\\beta_0+\\beta_1 x_1 + \\beta_2 x_2$$\nand this equation is linear, so for changes in values $\\Delta \\tilde{y}=\\beta_1 \\Delta x_1 + \\beta_2 \\Delta x_2$.\nThen for (a)\n$$\\Delta\\tilde{y}=3\\beta_1$$\nand for (b)\n$$\\Delta\\tilde{y}=-5\\beta_2$$\nso by linearity, for (c):\n$$\\Delta\\tilde{y}=3\\beta_1-5\\beta_2$$\n\n" ]

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[ "Merchant Hotel (Belfast)\n\nThe Merchant Hotel is a five-star luxury hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ", "The hotel is situated on Skipper Street.", "\n\nHistory \nThe building was built in the mid-nineteenth century as the headquarters of the Ulster Bank, and was transformed into a hotel in 2006. ", "A modern extension was constructed as well.", "\n\nTyrone Crystal built the chandelier for the Great Room, the designer was Marcus Notley. ", "It is made out of embellished gold on metal and 2600 blown out crystal pieces. ", "With 4.5m in height, 2.9m in diameter and a weight of 400 kg, it is the largest chandelier in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland. ", "The chandelier was installed in 2006.", "\n\nIn July 2009, Merchant Hotel won the \"World's Best Hotel Bar\" competition. ", "In 2010, it was awarded World's Best Cocktail Bar at the Tales of the Cocktail awards.", "\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\n Official website\n\nCategory:Hotels in Belfast\nCategory:Grade A listed buildings" ]

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[ "A new species of Dipsas (Squamata: Colubridae) from Guyana.", "\nA new species of Dipsas is described from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana. ", "The new species is characterised by 15 dorsal scale rows with the middorsal row slightly enlarged. ", "four pairs of chinshields with the first pair elongate, elongate loreal entering orbit, one preocular, six upper labials, and head narrow anteriorly, increasing in width posteriorly. ", "It could not be determined to which of Peters' (1960) species groups the new species belongs. ", "The new species is known only from 1490 m elevation on Mount Ayanganna. ", "a tepui in the Guiana Shield, where it was found in high-tepui low-canopy habitat, in bromeliads or branches. ", "This is the first record of Dipsas as a member of the Guiana Shield high-tepui herpetofauna." ]

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[ "Comparative actions of substances affecting cyclic AMP metabolism on the isometric contractions of fast and slow skeletal muscle during single-pulse and subtetanic stimulation.", "\nIncreasing concentrations of isoprenaline (0.5-4 muM) produced a dose-dependent increase in both TD and dT/dtmax during direct single-pulse stimulation of hemidiaphragm of the rat. ", "The same drug during the same type of stimulation produced an insignificant change in these parameters of the isometric contraction of the isolated guinea-pig soleus muscle. ", "On the contrary, isoprenaline produced a dose-dependent decrease of the isometric contraction during subtetanic stimulation of the soleus muscle. ", "Contrary to the results obtained on hemidiaphragm, there was no interaction between halothane and aminophylline on the soleus muscle. ", "In the soleus muscle, aminophylline (0.3-3.2 mM) produced a dose-dependent increase in TD and dT/dtmax during single-pulse stimulation, whereas isoprenaline failed to do so under the same experimental conditions, in spite of the fact that both substances are activators of cyclic AMP system. ", "The beta2-selective adrenoceptor agonist terbutaline acted in the same way as isoprenaline. ", "During subtetanic stimulation aminophylline (0.3-3.2 mM) produced a dose-dependent decrease of both parameters of the isometric contraction of hemidiaphragm, which is opposite to the results obtained during single-pulse stimulation. ", "It is concluded that various types of electrical stimulation can produce different responses in slow and fast-contracting muscles, depending on the fundamental biochemical differences of two types of muscle, but some of these responses are the same irrespective of the method of muscle activation." ]

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[ "This month, the Supreme Court may well deliver a fatal blow to ObamaCare in King vs. Burwell, by ruling that the health insurance subsidies handed out through federal exchanges in 36 states are illegal. ", "Many liberals seem to think that the only thing preventing the president's crowning domestic achievement from becoming a rip-roaring success is this largely specious and semantic lawsuit. ", "But here's the thing: ObamaCare is teetering due to its own internal contradictions that have nothing to do with the lawsuit.", "\n\nObamaCare's supporters would like everyone to believe that with Healthcare.gov now functioning, everything is just fine and dandy. ", "Contrary to what the conservative press (which I guess would include me) has been saying about the many problems of ObamaCare, Vox's Ezra Klein declared last September that \"in the real world, it's working.\" ", "In February, his fellow Voxland inhabitant Sarah Kliff rattled off eight ways in which the law had proved its critics wrong.", "\n\nBut has it? ", "Not really.", "\n\nFor starters, the exchanges have enrolled about 3 million fewer people than the Congressional Budget Office projected in 2010. ", "And far fewer of the enrollees are from the ranks of the uninsured than hoped. ", "Medicaid enrollment is lower too, for the simple reason that states refused to expand the program.", "\n\nThe core of President Obama's sales pitch to America was that the program, which he called the Affordable Care Act, would \"bend the health care cost curve\" and save an average family $2,500 on their premiums each year. ", "How would it accomplish this feat? ", "Essentially, he said, by forcing uninsured \"free loaders\" who show up in the emergency room to obtain free care to either buy (subsidized) coverage on the insurance exchange or sign up for the expanded Medicaid program. ", "The point was that if they had coverage, they'd get cheaper care sooner in a doctor's office rather than more expensive care later in a hospital emergency room.", "\n\nThings don't seem to be working out that way. ", "ObamaCare is indeed bending the cost curve — but up, not down. ", "There is no better evidence of this than the recent rate filings by insurance companies.", "\n\nEvery year, companies selling coverage through ObamaCare's exchanges have to ask state regulators to approve their premiums for the following year — a practice more appropriate for the Soviet Union than an allegedly free-market economy. ", "And this year, according to several news reports, some are requesting increases of over 50 percent.", "\n\nIn New Mexico, market leader Health Care Service Corp. is asking for an average jump of 51.6 percent in premiums for 2016. ", "The biggest insurer in Tennessee, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, has requested an average 36.3 percent increase. ", "In Maryland, market leader CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield wants to raise rates 30.4 percent across its products. ", "Moda Health, the largest insurer on the Oregon health exchange, seeks an average boost of around 25 percent.", "\n\nSome states are even higher.", "\n\nNo doubt, these are just opening bids that regulators will bargain down. ", "And in some states (such as Michigan, where I live) the hikes are in the high single-digit territory (that this seems like good news is pretty sad in itself). ", "Still, it seems clear, many families are going to end up paying a lot more for their plans than their pockets can stand.", "\n\nWhy is this happening?", "\n\nThere are many reasons: One is that insurers are anticipating the cost of having to absorb pricey drug therapies such as Sovaldi, a new generation cure for Hepatitis C. There is also pent-up demand from the years of economic downturn when people were foregoing care because they couldn't afford the co-pays and deductibles.", "\n\nBut the biggest culprit by far that companies cite is that the exchange population is weighted too heavily toward riskier and older patients with multiple chronic conditions than what is needed to hold rates steady. ", "Washington Examiner's Philip Klein reports that carriers needed 40 percent of their enrollees from the crucial 18-to-34 demographic, but they have only 28 percent.", "\n\nWhat's more, these hikes are likely just a prelude to far bigger ones in future years. ", "Why? ", "Because two programs — risk corridor and reinsurance — that were meant to \"stabilize\" rates in ObamaCare's first few years so that insurers could obtain the right mix of enrollees are set to expire next year. (", "The risk corridor program slaps a fee on insurance companies that have lower-than-expected medical losses, and compensates those that have more. ", "The reinsurance program imposes a fee on insurance policies and funnels it to insurers with high-risk individuals.) ", "With these programs gone, the challenge of maintaining a balanced risk pool will become even harder.", "\n\nThe expanded Medicaid program is no picture of robust health, either. ", "It has produced no cost-saving decline in emergency room visits, nor has it contributed to hospital profitability, as was hoped.", "\n\nThree-quarters of ER doctors surveyed in March by the American College of Emergency Physicians said that ER visits to their hospitals had increased in the last year. ", "Why? ", "It could be that many hospitals have shut down (which itself would be a terrible sign), causing those still in business to pick up the slack. ", "But the bigger reason is that Medicaid reimbursement to physicians is so low that they turn away Medicaid patients, consigning them to ERs, just as before.", "\n\nBut that still at least means that hospitals seeing these new Medicaid patients are getting compensated, right?", "\n\nYes and no. ", "Their expenses due to uncompensated care have gone down 13 percent since last year, saving them a total of $9 billion. ", "But that doesn't seem to have much to do with ObamaCare. ", "Why? ", "Because that number has declined both in states that opted for a Medicaid expansion and those that didn't, according to a Moody's Investors study. ", "However, hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid also incurred $28 billion in added costs, of which only half was reimbursed — leaving them about $5 billion in the hole. ", "It's possible that the hole would be even bigger without Medicaid (because hospitals would have to swallow more uncompensated care costs) — or it's possible that because the previously uninsured now have coverage, they are even quicker to go to the ER.", "\n\nSo, to recap: ObamaCare has fallen short of its enrollment target, hiked insurance premiums, failed to cut down on ER visits, and flopped in its attempt to improve hospitals' bottom line.", "\n\nBut its real problem is the lawsuit? ", "Maybe treatment for delusions is covered under ObamaCare!" ]

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[ "Abwicklungsanstalt Deutsche Bank will Wertpapiere in \"Bad Bank\" auslagern\n\nDie Deutsche Bank plant laut einem Bericht der \"Financial Times\" eine \"Bad Bank\" und will dort Wertpapiere in Höhe von 50 Milliarden Euro auslagern. ", "Experten bezweifeln, ob das der Bank helfen wird." ]

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[ "Q:\n\nHow to beat Nano-virus without cheats?", "\n\nI'm stuck on Nano-virus at the moment. ", "Basically it's the one where the world automatically knows you're there since the virus escaped from a lab. ", "Is there a way to beat it easily without using cheats? (", "I don't have the full version)\n\nA:\n\nEven without the \"full\" version, I assume that you've unlocked several genes from your other playthroughs? ", "If you haven't unlocked any genes at all, I'd highly recommend completing the game with the other infection types first, so you have a more complete toolkit for killing the planet.", "\nNevermind - apparently the \"free\" version keeps these locked. ", "It will still be doable and the same tactic applies, just as you're missing the starting genes you'll need to go without the bonus DNA at the start, the additional infectivity and research against you will be slightly faster.", "\nKilling the planet as a nano virus\nThe overall aim is to infect everybody as quickly as possible while simultaneously slowing down the research against you.", "\nBefore starting the game\nYour ideal selection of genes is as follows;\n\nDNA gene - ATP boost\nThis gives you additional DNA points at the beginning.", "\n\nTravel gene - Aquacyte\nThe hardest part of infecting everybody faster than wiping them out is the remote islands. ", "If you become too lethal early on, countries will shut down their borders and this will make winning difficult.", "\n\nEvolution gene - Sympto-statis\nThis will keep the cost of purchasing symptoms low, since you're going to be spending a lot of points on abilities.", "\n\nMutation gene - Genetic mimic\nThis slows the cure progression, giving you more time to infect the planet.", "\n\nOnce you're in game, but before selecting a country, get some starting abilities like Code Fragment Interception (which further slows down the research against you) and some low level (not very scary) symptoms that aid infectivity - coughing, cysts and abscesses.", "\nNext, get Insomnia and Paranoia, as these further decrease research towards a cure (by making the infected unwilling to seek advice on their condition).", "\nChoosing a country of origin\nYour starting country is important. ", "The moment you select a country - work will begin on a cure.", "\nThe \"first world\" countries will have high quality medicines which will inhibit spread and slow you down and the \"third world\" countries do not have significant enough population density. ", "Your best bet is to start somewhere in the middle east or India, due to high population density and proximity in relation to China.", "\nIncreasing infectivity\nFrom here, it's really about the order you purchase your remaining abilities in. ", "You're definitely going to want to work on Code Segment Interception as this reduces the speed of research against you. ", "The same applies to Genetic Hardening and Drug Resistance although you're also going to want to keep increasing your infectivity through use of symptoms like vomiting and nausea.", "\nSlowing down global research\nThese symptoms make the cure more difficult, thus slowing down research time, and you should evolve them as soon as possible:\n\nHyper-sensitivity\nComa\nSeizures\nInsanity\nParalysis\n\nTransmission methods\nAs you progress through the game you will receive messages about various methods of transport being cleaned (air filters on planes and boats, etc). ", "When you receive these messages, act accordingly - if air is neutralized, evolve Water, if water is neutralized, evolve Air.", "\nBecoming resistant\nAmong the abilities, there are several that increase infectivity while also slowing down research against you. ", "These are important abilities and should be got as early as possible, most of the level one variants are quite cheap and will increase infectivity - especially in wealthier countries who have access to drugs.", "\n\nDrug resistance\nCold resistance\nRadical elements stabilized\n\nThese two are also important but when you get them is up to you, I would personally get more symptoms before spending the points on these but these will further decrease the research speed:\n\nEncryption breached\nDrug immunity\n\nMore symptoms\nBy now your virus should be spreading rapidly, it's time to start heading down the path of becoming lethal but without causing too much panic, in order to stop countries from closing their borders for as long as possible. ", "These abilities also increase infectivity:\n\nSneezing\nSweating\nAnemia\nDiarrhea\nSkin Lesions\nRash\nPneumonia\n\nKill all the things!", "\nOnce you've spread to every country in the world, evolve Replication Factory Overload. ", "This ability will dramatically increase your infectivity for a short period of time, before reverting your overall infectivity to a lower level than you had before you evolved this ability. ", "Therefore, only use it once you've spread to every country otherwise you could end up in a situation where you're cured before you've infected and killed everybody.", "\nEnsure that your virus doesn't become too lethal that is starts killing people faster than it's infecting them in countries where you haven't completely infected, otherwise you will end up wiping out everybody in that country that is currently infected, leaving an uninfected population that you probably won't be able to reinfect before the populations of the surrounding countries have died out.", "\nOnce the entire planet is infected, evolve every symptom.", "\n\nA:\n\nWell the strategy really depends on your playing style. ", "But if you're the kind that likes to be sneaky and infect half the world before setting off an alarm, you definitely won't like the Nano-virus.", "\nThe key thing to notice here is that the nano virus is highly unstable and will rapidly mutate (even more than the regular virus). ", "This means that investing in animal transmissions will only increase the rate of mutation. ", "You should use this to your advantage, but get the upgrades at the right time. ", "\nThe cure work will start pretty quick, so don't bother fretting about which symptoms you want to evolve to avoid a worldwide alert. ", "Just keep the lethality low until you've infected most of the islands in the world. ", "Begin somewhere in India or China to rapidly spread the infection. ", "IMO, genetic reshuffle is a waste of DNA points as it only pushes back research by 3-5 percent, so I recommend you spend points on genetic hardening (preferably level 2) instead. ", "Once the infection is spreading fast, get the bird transmission upgrade along with the rat one. ", "If you can manage to get level 2 on the bird one, it'll be great.", "\nDon't wait for everyone in the world to get infected before pushing down on the lethal symptoms. ", "Once the majority of the population on every island is infected, go for total organ failure. ", "You will start racking in some serious points now, and the mutations will help in adding new symptoms to your disease. ", "It won't be long before you destroy the world.", "\nJust remember that the trick here is to keep the right balance for mutation rates. ", "It's like fire - it can burn you if you don't handle it well, but it can guarantee victory if you use it right. ", "You don't want to become too lethal too quick or else the governments will deflate you as quickly as you grabbed their attention.", "\nP.S. I found the nano-virus to be the most interesting disease in the game.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "Violation of Laws in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Multicenter Study in Japan.", "\nAlthough violations of laws, such as shoplifting, are considered to be common in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, there have been few studies on this subject and the frequencies and types of such violations have not been clarified. ", "The objective of this study was to conduct a retrospective investigation of FTD patients in the psychiatry departments of multiple institutions to determine the types and frequencies of any law violations and compare them with those of AD patients. ", "All patients were examined between January 2011 and December 2015 at the specialized dementia outpatient clinics of 10 facilities (5 psychiatry departments of university hospitals, 5 psychiatric hospitals). ", "According to diagnostic criteria, 73 behavior variant FTD (bvFTD) patients, 84 semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) patients, and 255 age- and sex-matched AD subjects as the control group were selected. ", "The findings revealed a higher rate of law violations in the bvFTD and svPPA patients before the initial consultation as compared to the AD group (bvFTD: 33%, svPPA: 21%, AD: 6%) and that many patients had been referred due to such violations. ", "Laws had been broken 4 times or 5 or more times in several cases in the FTD group before the initial consultation. ", "Regarding rates for different types of violation, in bvFTD subjects, the highest rate was for theft, followed by nuisance acts and hit and run. ", "In svPPA, theft had the highest rate, followed by ignoring road signs. ", "There was no gender difference in law violations but they were more frequent when the disease was severe at the initial consultation in the FTD group. ", "As the rates of law violations after the initial consultation were lower than before it, interventions were considered to have been effective. ", "These findings may be useful for future prevention as well as to the legal system." ]

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[ "End Of The Rainbow\n\nIt’s 1968 and Judy Garland, a once-glittering star, is in London to make her explosive comeback. ", "But off stage, holed up in her hotel room, Judy is battling with her young new fiancé, her devoted accompanist, and her destructive reliance on drugs and alcohol. ", "Will she be able to conquer her demons and reclaim her crown as one of history’s great musical icons?", "\n\nFeaturing Garland’s most memorable songs The Man That Got Away, Come Rain Or Come Shine, The Trolley Songand of course Somewhere Over The Rainbow, End of the Rainbow is a fiercely funny and emotionally charged musical play filled with Garland’s legendary tenacity, razor-sharp wit and once-in-a-generation voice.", "\n\nEnd of the Rainbow stars Lisa Maxwell (Loose Women and The Bill), Gary Wilmot (Me and My Girl and Chicago) and Sam Attwater (EastEnders and Dancing on Ice)." ]

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[ "The major yolk proteins of higher Diptera are homologs of a class of minor yolk proteins in lepidoptera.", "\nIn most oviparous animals, including insects, vitellogenin (Vg) is the major yolk protein precursor. ", "However, in the higher Diptera (cyclorrhaphan flies), a class of proteins homologous to lipoprotein lipases called yolk polypeptides (YP) are accumulated by oocytes instead of Vg, which is not produced at all. ", "Lepidopterans (moths) produce Vg as the major yolk protein precursor, but also manufacture a class of minor yolk proteins referred to as egg-specific proteins (ESP) or YP2s. ", "Although the lepidopteran ESP/YP2s are related to lipoprotein lipases, previous attempts to directly demonstrate their homology with higher-dipteran YPs were unsuccessful. ", "In this paper, a multiple alignment of amino acid sequences was constructed using a shared lipid binding motif as an anchor, to demonstrate that lepidopteran ESP/YP2s, higher-dipteran YPs, and lipoprotein lipases are indeed homologous. ", "Phylogenetic analyses of the aligned sequences were performed using both distance-based and parsimony strategies. ", "It is apparent that the higher dipterans did not requisition a lipoprotein lipase to replace Vg as a yolk protein precursor, but instead utilize a class of proteins with an evolutionary history of use as minor constituents of yolk in other insects." ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }

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[ "822 F.2d 1095\nWilken (Michael C.)v.", "AT & T Technologies\nNO. ", "87-1067\nUnited States Court of Appeals,Eighth Circuit.", "\nJUN 17, 1987\nAppeal From: E.D.Mo., ", "632 F.Supp. ", "772\n\n1\nAFFIRMED.", "\n\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "FreeLaw" }

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[ "Q:\n\nC# Lerping from position to position\n\nI need to make a picture box to lerp from position to position (like you can do that in unity).", "\n\nHow can I do that , is there a built-in function?", "\n\nthanks :)\n\nA:\n\nLinear interpolation (lerp) is actually a pretty easy function to implement. ", "The equation is \nfloat Lerp(float firstFloat, float secondFloat, float by)\n{\n return firstFloat * (1 - by) + secondFloat * by;\n}\n\nA higher order Lerp just wraps lower order lerps:\nVector2 Lerp(Vector2 firstVector, Vector2 secondVector, float by)\n{\n float retX = Lerp(firstVector.x, secondVector.x, by);\n float retY = Lerp(firstVector.y, secondVector.y, by);\n return new Vector2(retX, retY);\n}\n\nThe DirectX SDK has all manner of math functions like Unity, but that's a lot of overhead to bring in just for Lerp. ", "You're probably best off just implementing your own.", "\n\nA:\n\nGreg Bahm wrote inverted lerp equation firstFloat * by + secondFloat * (1 - by), where firstFloat is the secondFloat and secondFloat is the firstFloat.", "\nIn fact, corrent lerp equation is:\nfirstFloat * (1 - by) + secondFloat * by\nBut the fastest way to linear interpolation is:\nfirstFloat + (secondFloat - firstFloat) * by\nThat's 2 additions/subtractions and 1 multiplication instead of 2 addition/subtractions and 2 multiplications.", "\nLerp for Vector2 is correct.", "\n\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }

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[ "Ideas, inspirations and trends for urban living.", "\n\nGuerrilla Bike Art, Seattle\n\nIn Seattle a suspect is wanted for renting, repainting, and then returning bikes from the City's bike share scheme.", "\n\nHere at TC we're wondering if it's art or vandelism, and if the police need to even pursue the matter? ", "Sounds a lot like a form of Tactical Urbanism to us!", "\n\nThe difference between sanctioned and unsanctioned works is often a fine line and one that SPD Graffiti Detective Chris Young says is \"all about permission\". ", "But in this instance perhaps permission has come from the public with the public 'owning' by the bike share?" ]

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[ "//metadoc CHash copyright Steve Dekorte 2009\n//metadoc CHash license BSD revised\n//metadoc CHash notes Suggestion to use cuckoo hash and original implementation by Marc Fauconneau \n\n#define CHASH_C\n#include \"CHash.h\"\n#undef CHASH_C\n#include <stdlib.h>\n#include <stdio.h>\n#include <string.h>\n#include <assert.h>\n\nCHash *CHash_new(void)\n{\n\tCHash *self = (CHash *)io_calloc(1, sizeof(CHash));\n\tCHash_setSize_(self, 8);\n\treturn self;\n}\n\nvoid CHash_copy_(CHash *self, const CHash *other)\n{\n\tio_free(self->records);\n\tmemcpy(self, other, sizeof(CHash));\n\tself->records = malloc(self->size * sizeof(CHashRecord));\n\tmemcpy(self->records, other->records, self->size * sizeof(CHashRecord));\n}\n\nCHash *CHash_clone(CHash *self)\n{\n\tCHash *other = CHash_new();\n\tCHash_copy_(other, self);\n\treturn other;\n}\n\nvoid CHash_setSize_(CHash *self, size_t size)\n{\n\tself->records = realloc(self->records, size * sizeof(CHashRecord));\n\t\n\tif(size > self->size)\n\t{\t\t\n\t\tmemset(self->records + self->size * sizeof(CHashRecord), \n\t\t\t0x0, (size - self->size) * sizeof(CHashRecord));\n\t}\n\t\n\tself->size = size;\n\t\n\tCHash_updateMask(self);\n\t//CHash_show(self);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_updateMask(CHash *self)\n{\n\tself->mask = (intptr_t)(self->size - 1);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_show(CHash *self)\n{\n\tsize_t i;\n\t\n\tprintf(\"CHash records:\\n\");\n\tfor(i = 0; i < self->size; i++)\n\t{\n\t\tCHashRecord *r = CRecords_recordAt_(self->records, i);\n\t\tprintf(\" %i: %p %p\\n\", (int)i, r->k, r->v);\n\t}\n}\n\nvoid CHash_free(CHash *self)\n{\n\tio_free(self->records);\n\tio_free(self);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_setHash1Func_(CHash *self, CHashHashFunc *f)\n{\n\tself->hash1 = f;\n}\n\nvoid CHash_setHash2Func_(CHash *self, CHashHashFunc *f)\n{\n\tself->hash2 = f;\n}\n\nvoid CHash_setEqualFunc_(CHash *self, CHashEqualFunc *f)\n{\n\tself->equals = f;\n}\n\nint CHash_insert_(CHash *self, CHashRecord *x)\n{\t\n\tint n;\n\t\n\tfor (n = 0; n < CHASH_MAXLOOP; n ++)\n\t{ \n\t\tCHashRecord *r;\n\t\t\n\t\t//pos = self->hash1(x->k) & self->mask;\n\t\t//printf(\"1 x->k = %p-> %i\\n\", x->k, pos);\n\t\tr = CHash_record1_(self, x->k);\n\t\tCHashRecord_swapWith_(x, r); //x ↔ T1 [h1 (x)] \n\t\tif(x->k == 0x0) { self->keyCount ++; return 0; }\n\n\t\t//pos = self->hash2(x->k) & self->mask;\n\t\t//printf(\"2 x->k = %p-> %i\\n\\n\", x->k, pos);\t\t \n\t\tr = CHash_record2_(self, x->k);\n\t\tCHashRecord_swapWith_(x, r); //x ↔ T2 [h2 (x)] \n\t\tif(x->k == 0x0) { self->keyCount ++; return 0; }\n\t}\n\t\n\tif(self->isResizing) \n\t{\n\t\treturn -1;\n\t}\n\t\n\tCHash_grow(self); \n\tCHash_at_put_(self, x->k, x->v);\n\treturn 0;\n}\n\nint CHash_insertRecords(CHash *self, unsigned char *oldRecords, size_t oldSize)\n{\n\tsize_t i;\n\t\n\tfor (i = 0; i < oldSize; i ++)\n\t{\n\t\tCHashRecord *r = CRecords_recordAt_(oldRecords, i);\n\t\t\n\t\tif (r->k)\n\t\t{\n\t\t\tif(CHash_at_put_(self, r->k, r->v)) return 1;\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\treturn 0;\n}\n\nint CHash_resizeTo_(CHash *self, size_t newSize)\n{\n\tunsigned char *oldRecords = self->records;\n\tsize_t oldSize = self->size;\n\n\tself->isResizing = 1;\n\n\t//printf(\"%p resizeTo %i/%i %i%%\\n\", (void *)self, self->keyCount, self->size, (int)(100.0*CHash_density(self)));\n\t\t\n\tdo\n\t{\n\t\tself->size = newSize;\n\t\tself->records = io_calloc(1, sizeof(CHashRecord) * self->size);\n\t\tself->keyCount = 0;\n\t\tCHash_updateMask(self);\n\t\tif(CHash_insertRecords(self, oldRecords, oldSize) == 0)\n\t\t{\n\t\t\tself->isResizing = 0;\n\t\t}\n\t\telse\n\t\t{\n\t\t\t//printf(\"%p grow collision %i/%i\\n\", (void *)self, self->keyCount, self->size);\n\t\t\tnewSize *= 2;\n\t\t\tio_free(self->records);\n\t\t}\n\t} while(self->isResizing);\n\t\n\tio_free(oldRecords);\n\treturn 0;\n}\n\nvoid CHash_grow(CHash *self)\n{\n\tCHash_resizeTo_(self, self->size * 2);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_shrink(CHash *self)\n{\n\t//printf(\"%p shrink %i/%i\\n\", (void *)self, self->keyCount, self->size);\n\t//CHash_resizeTo_(self, self->size / 2);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_removeKey_(CHash *self, void *k)\n{\n\tCHashRecord *r1 = CHash_record1_(self, k);\n\tCHashRecord *r2;\n\t\n\tif(r1->k && self->equals(k, r1->k))\n\t{\n\t\tr1->k = 0x0;\n\t\tr1->v = 0x0;\n\t\tself->keyCount --;\n\t\tCHash_shrinkIfNeeded(self);\n\t\treturn;\n\t}\n\t\n\tr2 = CHash_record2_(self, k);\n\t\n\tif(r2->k && self->equals(k, r2->k))\n\t{\n\t\tr2->k = 0x0;\n\t\tr2->v = 0x0;\n\t\tself->keyCount --;\n\t\tCHash_shrinkIfNeeded(self);\n\t\treturn;\n\t}\n}\n\nvoid CHash_clear(CHash *self)\n{\n\tmemset(self->records, 0x0, self->size * sizeof(CHashRecord));\n\tself->keyCount = 0;\n\tCHash_shrinkIfNeeded(self);\n}\n\nsize_t CHash_size(CHash *self) // actually the keyCount\n{\n\treturn self->keyCount;\n}\n\n// ----------------------------\n\nsize_t CHash_memorySize(CHash *self)\n{\n\treturn sizeof(CHash) + self->size * sizeof(CHashRecord);\n}\n\nvoid CHash_compact(CHash *self)\n{\n}\n\nfloat CHash_density(CHash *self)\n{\n\tfloat kc = (float)self->keyCount;\n\tfloat size = (float)self->size;\n\treturn kc/size;\n}\n\n" ]

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[ "Upload photo\n\nPhoto caption\n\nPhoto credit\n\nAugust is supposed to be a quiet time for state legislators. ", "After a rush of pushing budget bills and the like over to the governor’s desk in July, August is a time to spend “in the district,” as they say on Beacon Hill." ]

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[ "The World Marathon Majors, which consist of Tokyo, London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, and New York, crown a champion every year based on overall placing during a two-year period. ", "It is as unintelligible and confusing as it sounds. ", "That being said, the WMM does dole out a half-million dollars to its two-year leader, and former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang of Kenya mathematically has a shot at winning the whole shebang when he toes the line on Sunday at the New York City Marathon.", "\n\n\nIf Kipsang, currently sitting third, wins NYC, he's $500,000 richer. ", "If he places second or lower, he gets a handshake.", "\n\nLeading the WMM standings right now is current world record-holder Dennis Kimetto. ", "His 75 points come from wins in Tokyo ('13), Chicago ('13), and his world record win in Berlin in September. ", "Three wins, 25 points each.", "\n\n\nSecond overall and already the prize boob of the two-year period is Tsegaye Kebede, who torpedoed his 2013-14 chances by finishing ninth in Berlin in September for zero points. ", "The 2012-13 WMM defending champion, Kebede earned his current 55 points the hard way, competing in five marathons in the past two years, which makes his Berlin debacle that much more difficult to swallow. ", "He will likely cry himself to sleep on a pile of money in his Ethiopian castle.", "\n\nKipsang's third place standing—51 points in the last two years—is comprised of his world record in Berlin last year—an overall win for 25 points—and a win in London this spring—another 25. ", "But his most important result heading into New York City is his fifth-place finish in London '13. ", "He received one (1) measly point, but that point could end up saving his ass.", "\n\nThe World Marathon Majors, unlike USATF, have clear tie-breaking contingencies in place. ", "But the last thing Kipsang wants is a tie, whether he knows it or not. ", "If Kipsang won NYC without that one measly point, tying with Kimetto:\n\nFirst, the two would have their head-to-head match-ups from the two-year window compared. ", "They never ran head-to-head. ", "Next, the athlete with the fewest number of races for his points would win. ", "Both athletes have raced four times in the qualifying period—Kimetto dropped out of the Boston Marathon this past April. ", "So no decision there. ", "The third contingency would award the win to the athlete with the most number of wins in the qualifying period. ", "Both would have three. ", "Before allowing race directors to pick an overall winner according to how they feel (contingency five, and likely going to WR-holder Kimetto), the overall winner would be decided by fastest average time of scoring races. ", "This would mean that Kipsang would have to run faster than 2:05:40 on Sunday to beat Kimetto's average of 2:04:31. ", "It's a tall order, considering only one runner in history has run NYC in the 2:05s.", "\n\n\nShould Kipsang finish any less than first, he'll at least have the consolation of the New York Road Runners' prize structure, which pays decent but nowhere in the neighborhood of a WMM title.", "\n\nBut really, World Marathon Majors, can we not come up with a better way to spend $500K? ", "You know, in a way that will actually align with your stated goal to \"advance the sport, raise awareness of its elite athletes, and increase of the level of interest in elite racing among running enthusiasts\"?", "\n\n\nh/t David Monti, Photo: AP Images" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }

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[ "Several extracorporeal renal replacement procedures, such as dialysis, hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, ultrafiltration, and plasmapheresis are used to provide replacement or supplementation of a patient's natural renal function in order to remove fluid and/or waste products from their blood. ", "The specific procedure is tailored to the specific needs of the particular patient. ", "For example, dialysis is used to remove soluble waste and solvent from blood. ", "Hemofiltration is used to remove plasma water and dissolved waste from blood while replacing the removed volume with replacement solution. ", "Hemodiafiltration is used to remove both unwanted solute (soluble waste) and plasma water from blood. ", "Ultrafiltration is a species of hemofiltration where only volume and dissolved components are released; and plasmapheresis is used to remove blood plasma by means of a plasmapheresis filter.", "\nFor certain patients, renal replacement procedures may extend over hours, days, months and even years. ", "In general, current systems for monitoring and controlling renal replacement procedures lack the flexibility and accuracy required to perform such procedures on neonates. ", "This is mainly due to the absence of a satisfactory automatic control of the pumps employed. ", "Because of the patient risk involved in using such equipment, health care personnel may measure the fluid removed from the patient on an hourly basis. ", "The continuing need to monitor the fluid removed and patient responses lead to a significant increase in nursing care and, thus, increases the cost of the therapy. ", "Therefore, there is a need to improve the level of autonomy for the systems such that the procedure is less time consuming for medical personnel, and consequently less costly. ", "However, the enhanced autonomy must not come at the expense of patient safety.", "\nDue to the time-varying nature of renal function replacement and supplementation systems, the dynamics of fluid pumping may change over time. ", "For example, the characteristics of system components such as tubing, filter, and connectors may vary slowly over time due to protein deposit or as occlusion of the path for fluid flow. ", "As the membrane changes, the pumping rate of the pump must be altered to compensate for the altered filter to maintain the same function. ", "Current systems for monitoring and controlling renal replacement procedures lack the ability to autonomously correct these time-dependent flow rate variations with high accuracy, rapid response, and minimal overshoot or transient variations following correction. ", "In one sense, most conventional systems, at best, tend to be reactive, rather than proactive, during a procedure.", "\nA particular need for the ability to control fluid pumping arises in patients undergoing hemodialysis. ", "During a hemodialysis procedure, dissolved materials are removed from the blood and added to the blood down their respective concentration gradients. ", "In addition, plasma water and dissolved content are removed through a porous membrane down a pressure gradient in a process known as ultrafiltration. ", "The clinical problem observed during hemodialysis is that, during the intrinsic dual treatment processes, replacement of renal function reduces the patient's intravascular or blood volume. ", "This impacts the heart's ability to pump blood to the tissues and causes many unwanted side effects including, but not limited to, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diaphoresis. ", "Such cardiac function compromises can also challenge blood flow to the heart itself and cause arrhythmia or even a heart attack.", "\nConventional solutions to these adverse side effects is to buffer the intravascular volume reduction with effecting a change in the osmotic fluid shift. ", "While some patients may respond, the effects are not very often consistent and, in particular, patients with intradialytic hypotension (IDH) continue to have problems. ", "The consequences of IDH may include pain, loss of functional days and death.", "\nAnother conventional approach is to monitor the patient's hematocrit on line and use the hematocrit measurements to monitor the blood volume. ", "The deficiency of this conventional approach is that, if one makes an adjustment based on the hematocrit, the system changes as the fluid removal rate also alters the cardiovascular physiology. ", "Consequently, the target for alleviating the heart's inability to pump blood to the tissues will continuously shift without control. ", "Merely reducing the fluid removal rate may paradoxially induce a state that could worsen the hypotension by interfering with the bodies physiologic response.", "\nTherefore, there is a need for an improved hemodialysis system that can overcome these and other deficiencies of conventional hemodialysis systems." ]

{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }

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[ "Introduction {#Sec1}\n============\n\nThe development of new energy conversion technologies is sought after to satisfy the enormous demands for electric power in our daily lives, from electronics to vehicles. ", "Abundant energy exists in available sources such as sunlight, wind, and water and can be used to produce electric power using solar cells, wind turbines, hydroturbines, etc. ", "Water-enabled energy harvesting systems arouse interest, since \\~ 71% of the surface of the Earth is covered by water. ", "In this regard, researchers have devoted great efforts to generate electricity by employing streaming potential^[@CR1]^, dragging potential^[@CR2]^, and waving potential^[@CR3]^ based on interactions between water and functional materials, relying on the interplay between the two. ", "Hygroelectricity, a type of energy-harvesting concept for tapping electric power from potential energy of spontaneous water molecules in air, is of interest due to copious water in the atmosphere^[@CR4],[@CR5]^. Recently, by using hygroscopic graphene oxide (GO), we have developed a series of hygroelectric generators (HEGs) that can directly produce electricity by absorbing abundant water molecules in air, showing excellent performance and environmental compatibility^[@CR6]--[@CR14]^.\n\nGenerally, a typical HEG is composed of a pair of electrodes and hygroscopic materials with a chemical-gradient structure (Fig.", " [1a](#Fig1){ref-type=\"fig\"})^[@CR6],[@CR15]^. When a HEG is exposed to air enriched with water molecules, spontaneous absorption and subsequent hydration of the hygroscopic materials result in plenty of free-charge carriers (e.g., protons) by an ionization effect^[@CR16],[@CR17]^. Then, the directional diffusion of charge carriers under the function of a gradient structure in the hygroscopic materials gives rise to the electric potential between two electrodes that induce a current flow in external circuit, thus outputting electric power. ", "The output voltage of developed HEGs has reached a considerable level (from 0.035 V to 0.7 V)^[@CR6],[@CR7],[@CR11],[@CR13]^ by the optimization of inner gradient materials of a HEG with a variety of strategies, such as chemical modification^[@CR7],[@CR8],[@CR13]^ and microstructure control^[@CR9],[@CR10]^. However, the generated voltage is still too low to meet the demand of commercial electronics (\\>1 V).Fig. ", "1Additional feed-layer enhanced hygroelectric generator. ", "Schematic of previous hygroelectric generator (HEG) composed of single gradient reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (**a**) and well-designed HEG (**b**) developed with heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GO) and well-matched electrodes. **", "a** Movable hydrated ions dissociate in gradient rGO with concentration difference and diffuse from high-concentration side to low-concentration side. ", "Induced free electrons in electrodes flow through both the external circuit and inner gradient rGO layer to balance the built-in electric potential. **", "b** Feed-layer with additional graphene oxide (GO) supplies the depletion of ions in gradient rGO, and special electrode/h-GO interface can form a well-matched space charge zone, which acts as a \"gate\" to block free electrons through h-GO and regulates its flow direction, largely promoting the electric output\n\nHere, by adopting an effective synergy strategy of heterogeneous reconfiguration of oxygen-containing functional groups on hygroscopic GO and mediation of electrodes/materials interfaces with well-designed Schottky junctions (Fig.", " [1b](#Fig1){ref-type=\"fig\"}), we develop a high-voltage HEG with output approaching 1.5 V. As shown in Fig.", " [1b](#Fig1){ref-type=\"fig\"}, the heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GO) has an integrated structure with a thick GO layer under the gradient-reduced GO (grGO) layer. ", "Compared with previous devices composed of single grGO, additional GO layers in the h-GO could supply more movable ions for feeding the vacancies within grGO induced by the directional migration of protons influenced by the gradient structure once hydrated with environmental water molecules in high humidity. ", "On the other hand, a well-matched space charge zone is formed by the regulation of the interface between h-GO and electrodes (a pair of Ag/Au electrodes) with rational work function, which could efficiently tailor the flow of free electrons in an external circuit to be consistent with the direction of proton migration in h-GO (Fig.", " [1b](#Fig1){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Thus, in comparison with previous devices, the output performance of this HEG reaches a high value of \\~1.5 V. Moreover, a voltage of 18 V is achieved by simple connection of 15 units in series, easily powering commercial electronic devices.", "\n\nResults {#Sec2}\n=======\n\nFabrication and characterization of a hygroelectric generator {#Sec3}\n-------------------------------------------------------------\n\nFirst, directionally controlled laser irradiation is employed on GO bulk for reconfiguration of inner oxygen-containing functional groups (Fig.", " [2a](#Fig2){ref-type=\"fig\"} and Supplementary Figs [1](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}, [2](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}). ", "Unlike the complete reduction of the whole GO bulk by other methods^[@CR16],[@CR18]--[@CR21]^, the directional laser irradiation is gradually weakened along with the depth increase of GO bulk^[@CR22]--[@CR24]^. Thus, the as-prepared h-GO has a thick unreduced GO layer under a thin grGO layer as the visible color difference indicated in the cross-sectional photo (inset Fig.", " [2b](#Fig2){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrates that the C/O atomic ratio for grGO on the top surface of h-GO is about 3:1, which is much higher than the value of its bottom GO side (2:1) (Supplementary Figs [3](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}, [4](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}). ", "Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectra further indicate that the C/O atomic ratio decreases gradually within a height range of \\~ 40 μm of grGO from the top to the bottom side, while the C/O atomic ratio almost remains unchanged in the unreduced GO section of h-GO (Fig.", " [2c](#Fig2){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Moreover, the interlayer spacing of h-GO increases from 6.7 Å (grGO) to about 7.6 Å (GO), verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns (Fig.", " [2d](#Fig2){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "All above results reconfirm the successful construction of the unique heterogeneous structure of h-GO.Fig. ", "2Preparation and characterization of heterogeneous graphene oxide. (**", "a**) Schematic illustration of the preparation process of heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GO)-based hygroelectric generator (HEG). ", "h-GO is composed of gradient reduced graphene oxide (grGO) with compact interlayer spacing and graphene oxide (GO). (**", "b**) Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of h-GO. ", "Inset b is the sectional-viewed optical image of h-GO. ", "Scale bars: **b**, 20 μm; inset, 0.2 mm. (**", "c**) Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) along the transversal direction of h-GO indicates a chemical C/O ratio gradient within the grGO, while a nearly constant C/O ratio through the GO region. (**", "d**) X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of top side (grGO) and bottom side (GO) of h-GO\n\nElectrical output performance of hygroelectric generator {#Sec4}\n--------------------------------------------------------\n\nBenefiting from the heterogeneous distribution of oxygen-containing functional groups when h-GO is sandwiched between a pair of Ag and Au electrodes, one HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) unit in which an Ag electrode is contacted with GO and an Au electrode is contacted with grGO produces an unprecedented high voltage of 1.25--1.52 V by absorbing water from an atmosphere with high relative humidity (RH) (variation in RH (ΔRH) of 80% at 25 °C, Supplementary Figs [5, 6](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}). ", "The voltage is higher than that produced by electricity generators that employ gaseous and even liquid water^[@CR1]--[@CR3],[@CR7],[@CR13],[@CR25]--[@CR28]^. The electrical signal raises up quickly within 2 s and gradually descends for about 600 s to its initial state (Fig.", " [3b](#Fig3){ref-type=\"fig\"}) with RH evolution (10%--90%--10%), which is consistent with the hydration and dehydration speed of h-GO (Supplementary Fig.", " [7](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}), indicating that electricity generation is originally induced by the water absorption from humid air. ", "Meanwhile, a considerable short-circuit current of 98--136 nA is generated and the power density reaches up to 32 mW cm^−3^ at the optimal resistance load of 10 MΩ (Fig.", " [3e, f](#Fig3){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Meanwhile, this HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) shows good stability after 50 cycling tests (Supplementary Fig.", " [8](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}), further indicating its excellent electric generation ability by absorbing water molecular from humidity air.", "Fig. ", "3Electric output performance of hygroelectric generator. **", "a**, **b** Voltage and current output cycles of HEG (Ag/graphene oxide (GO)--gradient reduced graphene oxide (grGO)/Au) in response to the intermittent and periodic relative humidity variation (△RH = 80%). ", "HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) is composed of a pair of Au, Ag electrodes, and heterogenous graphene oxide (h-GO) in which the Au electrode contacts with graphene oxide (GO) side of h-GO, while Ag electrode contacts with gradient reduced graphene oxide (grGO) side of h-GO. **", "c**, **d** A single and representative cycle voltage and current output of HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au). **", "e**, **f** Output voltage (black curve, **e**), current (blue curve, **e**), and power density (**f**) of the HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) with different electric resistors. ", "The inset is an equivalent circuit diagram\n\nWorking mechanism {#Sec5}\n-----------------\n\nIn the electricity generation process, positively charged protons could spontaneously diffuse from the GO side to the grGO side due to the hydration effect between h-GO and absorbed water molecules^[@CR6],[@CR7]^. In addition, the suitable electrodes configuration induces a Schottky barrier at the electrodes/h--GO interface that would match well with the direction of diffusion of positively charged protons in inner h-GO, greatly enhancing the final voltage output. ", "In the HEG system (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) shown in Fig.", " [4a](#Fig4){ref-type=\"fig\"}, Ag and GO has distinct work function that is about 4.26 eV and 4.9 eV^[@CR29]^, respectively, which demonstrates a prominent Schottky diode characteristic at the Ag/GO interface^[@CR30]--[@CR32]^. While the grGO/Au shows a typical Ohmic contact due to the high work function of Au (5.1 eV) than grGO (4.4--4.7 eV)^[@CR29],[@CR33],[@CR34]^, *I--V* curve on HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) further confirms the Schottky junction characteristic of this device. ", "On the other hand, a space charge zone will form at the Ag/GO interface, which would hold back the flow of negatively charged electrons from the Ag electrode to the GO layer, thus promoting charge separation in the whole h-GO. ", "In contrast, when alternating the electrodes to construct HEGs with a configuration of Au/GO--grGO/Au and Ag/GO--grGO/Ag, the final voltage output decreases to 0.82 V and 0.8 V (Fig.", " [4d](#Fig4){ref-type=\"fig\"}), respectively. ", "The HEG (Au/GO--grGO/Au) lacks Schottky junctions, in which the flow of electrons from electrodes to h-GO is short of management, resulting in recombination of the positive and negative charges (Fig.", " [4b](#Fig4){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "The HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Ag) has two opposite Schottky junctions that seriously weaken the diffusion of charges (Fig.", " [4c](#Fig4){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Moreover, the same output sequence also shows in the case of current (Fig.", " [4e](#Fig4){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "Therefore, the rational synergy strategy of unique asymmetrical structure of h-GO and well-mediated electrode/material interface within device leads to the highly electric performance of HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) in this study (Supplementary Figs [9](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}, [10](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}).Fig. ", "4Comparison of hygroelectric generators with different configurations. **", "a**--**c** Device structure (top), energy band diagram (middle), and corresponding current--voltage characteristic curve (bottom) of (**a**) HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) with a pair of Ag and Au electrodes, (**b**) HEG (Au/GO--grGO/Au) with two identical Au electrodes and (**c**) HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Ag) with two identical Ag electrodes. ", "The sandwiched heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GO) between two metal electrodes is composed of graphene oxide (GO) and gradient reduced graphene oxide (grGO) parts. *", "φ* indicates the barrier potential difference at the interface.", " Current--voltage curves show typical Schottky diode characteristic of HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au), Ohmic contact of HEG (Au/GO--grGO/Au) and two opposite Schottky contact of HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Ag). ", "The inset of current--voltage curve is the corresponding test circuit and equivalent circuit diagram. **", "d**, **e** Voltage and current output of above three hygroelectric generators with different device configuration\n\nAbove all, the directional migration of protons in h-GO and management on free electrons in the circuit are speculated to be beneficial to the charge partition in HEG. ", "Thus, the proposed operation principle of as-designed HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) could be depicted schematically in Fig.", " [5a](#Fig5){ref-type=\"fig\"}. ", "The two sections of h-GO, with thickness of *d*~1~ (GO) and *d*~2~ (grGO) and the relative dielectric constants *ε*~1~ and *ε*~2~, respectively, are sandwiched with a pair of asymmetrical Au and Ag electrodes. ", "At a given RH atmosphere, the positively charged protons induce charges of *Q*~1~, *Q*~2~, and *Q*~3~ at Au/grGO, GO/grGO, and GO/Ag interfaces, respectively. ", "The electric field built by charge partition can be illustrated using a plate capacitance model, since the area size (*S*) of h-GO is several orders of magnitude larger than its thickness (*d*~1~ + *d*~2~) in the present experiment^[@CR35]^. From the Gauss model, the induced electric field strength at each section is determined by$$\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\n \\usepackage{amsmath}\n \\usepackage{wasysym} \n \\usepackage{amsfonts} \n \\usepackage{amssymb} \n \\usepackage{amsbsy}\n \\usepackage{mathrsfs}\n \\usepackage{upgreek}\n \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\n \\begin{document}$${\\mathrm{Inside grGO}}:E_1 = \\frac{{Q_2 - Q_1}}{{S\\varepsilon _0\\varepsilon _1}}$$\\end{document}$$$$\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\n \\usepackage{amsmath}\n \\usepackage{wasysym} \n \\usepackage{amsfonts} \n \\usepackage{amssymb} \n \\usepackage{amsbsy}\n \\usepackage{mathrsfs}\n \\usepackage{upgreek}\n \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\n \\begin{document}$${\\mathrm{Inside GO}}:E_2 = \\frac{{Q_3 - Q_2}}{{S\\varepsilon _0\\varepsilon _2}}$$\\end{document}$$where *ε*~0~ is the vacuum permittivity. ", "The directional migration of protons and charge separation firstly occurs in grGO from high to low oxygen-containing functional groups, then resulting in the proton diffusion from GO to grGO and charge separation at GO region. ", "Thus, the generated voltage (*V*) of the whole device can be given by$$\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\n \\usepackage{amsmath}\n \\usepackage{wasysym} \n \\usepackage{amsfonts} \n \\usepackage{amssymb} \n \\usepackage{amsbsy}\n \\usepackage{mathrsfs}\n \\usepackage{upgreek}\n \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\n \\begin{document}$$V = E_1d_1 + E_2d_2 + V_{\\mathrm s}$$\\end{document}$$where *V*~s~ represents the Schottky barrier between GO and Ag electrode. ", "Finally, we can obtain$$\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\n \\usepackage{amsmath}\n \\usepackage{wasysym} \n \\usepackage{amsfonts} \n \\usepackage{amssymb} \n \\usepackage{amsbsy}\n \\usepackage{mathrsfs}\n \\usepackage{upgreek}\n \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\n \\begin{document}$$V = \\left( {\\frac{{\\left( {Q_2 - Q_1} \\right)d_1}}{{S\\varepsilon _0\\varepsilon _1}} + \\frac{{\\left( {Q_3 - Q_2} \\right)d_2}}{{S\\varepsilon _0\\varepsilon _2}} + V_s} \\right)$$\\end{document}$$Fig. ", "5Mechanism for the hygroelectric generator. **", "a** Theoretical model for the proposed working principle of HEG (Ag/GO-grGO/Au) in which the Au electrode contacts with graphene oxide (GO) side of heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GO) while Ag electrode contacts with gradient reduced graphene oxide (grGO) side of h-GO. ", "The h-GO is composed of grGO and GO with a thickness of *d*~1~ and *d*~2~, respectively. *", "Q*~1~, *Q*~2~, and *Q*~3~ represents the induced positively charge quantity at Au/grGO, GO/grGO, and GO/Ag interfaces, respectively. ", "The built-in electric field at grGO, GO and space charge zone is represented by *E*~1~, *E*~2~, and *E*~s~, respectively. **", "b**, **c** Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) images of graphene oxide (**b**) and in situ laser-induced reduced graphene oxide (**c**) sheets at low relative humidity. ", "The color bar represents the surface potential variation. ", "Scale bars: 1 μm\n\nEquation ([4](#Equ4){ref-type=\"\"}) means the voltage (*V*) is proportional to the difference of charge quantity (*Q*~2~--*Q*~1~) and (*Q*~3~*--Q*~2~), and inversely proportional to relative dielectric constants of GO (*ε*~2~) and grGO (*ε*~1~). ", "Firstly, the average surface potential of a single GO and grGO sheet is about −2 mV and −27 mV (EFM results in Fig.", " [5b, c](#Fig5){ref-type=\"fig\"} and Supplementary Fig.", " [11](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}), respectively, indicating an extremely remarkable difference of charge amount of h-GO bulk^[@CR36],[@CR37]^. Secondly, with the increase of RH, the charge amount of GO and grGO sheets presents an apparent increase as shown in Fig.", " [S9](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}, which couples with the decrease of relative dielectric constants of GO (*ε*~2~) and grGO (*ε*~1~)^[@CR38]--[@CR41]^, accounting for the great enhancement of output voltage according to Equation ([4](#Equ4){ref-type=\"\"}). ", "Thirdly, the Schottky barrier (*V*~s~) between GO and Ag electrode could be slightly enhanced ascribed to the increased work function of GO with rising RH^[@CR41],[@CR42]^. Finally, compared with previous devices that mainly relay on the first part $\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\n \\usepackage{amsmath}\n \\usepackage{wasysym} \n \\usepackage{amsfonts} \n \\usepackage{amssymb} \n \\usepackage{amsbsy}\n \\usepackage{mathrsfs}\n \\usepackage{upgreek}\n \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\n \\begin{document}$$\\left( {\\frac{{\\left( {Q_2 - Q_1} \\right)d_1}}{{S\\varepsilon _0\\varepsilon _1}}} \\right)$$\\end{document}$ of the speculated Equation ([4](#Equ4){ref-type=\"\"}), this HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au) generates a voltage of the highest value under the synergistic effect of three parts. ", "Moreover, a series of control experiments including environmental RH variation, sample thickness, device size, and laser irradiation time further confirm the proposed mechanism (Supplementary Figs [12](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}--[14](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}).", "\n\nDemonstration of application {#Sec6}\n----------------------------\n\nAdditionally, the output of the devices is further scaled up by simple series and parallel connections of HEG (Ag/GO--grGO/Au). ", "To realize a satisfying scaling performance on HEGs, the concurrent RH variation and simultaneously electrical response of each unit are significantly vital. ", "For this purpose, we herein develop a rather facial and highly efficient stacking method for devices integration. ", "Benefiting from the sandwiched structure, hygroscopic h-GO of each unit can easily adsorb water molecules from the environment at almost the same time due to the fully exposed active sites and superb water uptake ability (Supplementary Fig.", " [15](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}), leading to the synchronously charge separation and proton migration within different units. ", "As shown in Fig.", " [6a](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"}, 15 HEGs power units with layer-by-layer stacking strategy show remarkable 18 V output (Fig.", " [6b](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "To demonstrate the practical application of the HEG, a designed system is developed by integrating a power package containing ten HEGs units with an alternating current-to-direct current converting circuit and a commercial capacitor as shown in Fig.", " [6c](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"}. ", "The capacitor can be charged up to 4.5 V (1 µF) within 500 s or 2 V (10 µF) within 5000 s once exposing the HEG package to moisture. ", "It is sufficient to power a series of commercial electronics, such as a \"THU\" pattern containing 19 red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in series (Fig.", " [6d](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"} and Supplementary Movie [1](#MOESM4){ref-type=\"media\"}), commercial white LED with a working voltage of 2.6 V (Fig.", " [6e](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"} and Supplementary Fig.", " [16](#MOESM1){ref-type=\"media\"}), and nixie tube arrays showing \"3.1415926\" (Fig.", " [6f](#Fig6){ref-type=\"fig\"}).Fig. ", "6Demonstration of hygroelectric generator as practical power source. **", "a** Schematic of an assembled hygroelectric generator (HEG) package in which Ag and Au electrodes are used to construct Schottky and Ohmic contacts at the two ends of the heterogenous graphene oxide (h-GO), respectively. **", "b** Voltage output of HEG package with incremental device units in series. **", "c** Voltage--time curves of commercial capacitors charging by HEG package with 12 device units. ", "The inset is the charge storage circuit. **", "d**--**f** Various commercial electronics powered by the stored charge in 1 µF capacitor (**c**), such as (**d**) a \"THU\" pattern constructed by 19 red light-emitting diodes, (**e**) white light-emitting diode with a working potential of 2.6 V, and (**f**) eight-bit digital display tube showing \"3.1415926\"\n\nDiscussion {#Sec7}\n==========\n\nIn summary, we report a high-performance HEG based on h-GO bulk via directionally controlled laser irradiation method. ", "The HEG can generate remarkably high-voltage output that approaches 1.5 V, which is the highest value among HEGs reported previously to the best of our knowledge. ", "The electric output performance arises from the synergetic effect of a heterogeneous distribution of oxygen-containing functional groups and a well-matched interface system. ", "Furthermore, the HEG can be easily integrated with superior consistency using a simple and effective device stacking strategy, which delivers remarkable electric energy for powering a series of electronics including LED arrays and digital display tubes. ", "With this performance, we expect that the designed HEG could be applied not only as a portable power source for self-powered electronics, but also possibly in self-powered sensors for applications in the Internet of Things.", "\n\nMethods {#Sec8}\n=======\n\nPreparation of heterogeneous graphene oxide assembly {#Sec9}\n----------------------------------------------------\n\nGO was synthesized by oxidation of natural graphite powder using modified Hummers' method as reported previously^[@CR7]^. The porous 3D GO aerogel was prepared by freeze-drying of as-synthesized GO dispersions (5 mg ml^−1^, 5 ml) in a columnar polyethylene tube with a diameter of 20 mm for 3 days. ", "Further tableting process was conducted to enhance the mechanical properties of bulk GO under a press of 10 kN for 10 min. ", "The heterogeneous GO assembly was prepared via a 450 nm laser (15 W) with a 5 cm^2^ area at ambient condition.", "\n\nElectric measurements {#Sec10}\n---------------------\n\nThe h-GO assembly was sandwiched by a pair of Au and Ag electrodes and inserted to a test circuit in an enclosed container with a RH controlling system. ", "The circuit parameters of the open-circuit voltage test were current = 0 nA and step index = 10 points s^−1^. The circuit parameters of the short-circuit current test were voltage = 0 mV and step index = 10 points s^−1^.\n\nCharacterization {#Sec11}\n----------------\n\nThe morphology and composition of as-prepared samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM, FLexSEM 1000) and energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX, AZtec). ", "X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were recorded on a Bruker AXS D2 PHASER diffractometer with a Cu Kα irradiation source (*λ* = 1.54 Å). ", "X-ray photoelectron spectra were performed by a PHI Quantera II (Ulvac-Phi Incorporation) photoelectron spectrometer with Al Kα (1846.6 eV). ", "Raman spectra were carried out on a LabRAM HR Raman spectrometer (Horiba Jobin Yvon) with a 532 nm laser. ", "Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were collected by UATR Two FT-IR spectrometer. ", "Atomic force microscopic (AFM) and electrostatic force microscopic (EFM) images were taken using an Innova (Bruker) atomic force microscope. ", "The voltage and current signals were recorded in real time using a Keithley 2612 multimeter, which was controlled by a LabView-based data acquisition system.", "\n\nElectronic supplementary material\n=================================\n\n {#Sec12}\n\nSupplementary information Peer Review File Description of Additional Supplementary Files Supplementary Movie 1\n\n**Publisher\\'s note:** Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.", "\n\nDeceased: Gaoquan Shi.", "\n\nElectronic supplementary material\n=================================\n\n**Supplementary Information** accompanies this paper at 10.1038/s41467-018-06633-z.\n\nWe acknowledge the financial support from the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFB1104300, 2016YFA0200200), NSFC (No. ", "51673026, 51433005), NSFC-MAECI (51861135202), and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Z161100002116022).", "\n\nY.H., H.C., and L.Q. contributed to the project design. ", "H.C. and L.Q. elaborated the methodology and supervised the study. ", "Y.H. conceived and carried out the majority of experimental measurements. ", "C.Y., P.Z., Q.L., and H.Y. helped with the fabrication and characterization of materials and the devices. ", "Y.H., H.C., G.S., and L.Q. analyzed the data and discussed the results. ", "Y.H., H.C., and L.Q. wrote the paper.", "\n\nThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the authors upon reasonable request.", "\n\nCompeting interests {#FPar1}\n===================\n\nThe authors declare no competing interests.", "\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }

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[ "Q:\n\nNumber of divisors of an integer of form 4n+1 and 4n+3\n\nSuppose $n$ is a large odd integer. ", "Let $D_1(n)$ be the number of divisors of $n$ of the form $4k+1$ and let $D_3(n)$ be the number of divisors of the form $4k+3$. I would like to compute $(D_1(n),D_3(n))$. \nAs Joe Silverman points out, the number of representations of $n$ as a sum of two squares of integers is $4(D_1(n)-D_3(n))$. For example, $D_1(225)=6$ and $D_3(225)=3$, so there are $4(6-3)=12$ lattice points on the circle of radius $\\sqrt {225}$ centered at the origin including $(0,15)$ and $(-9,-12)$.\n\nIs there a faster way to find $(D_1(n),D_3(n))$ than factoring $n$?", "\n\nOriginal:\nHi, one way to do so is to list all the divisors of the integer and check each if it is of the form $4n+1$ or $4n+3$. \nIs there any faster method to it, especially for large $n$?", "\n\nA:\n\nNot quite what you're asking, but an interesting theorem of Legendre's says that the number of ways of writing an integer $N$ as a sum of two squares is $4D_1(N)-4D_3(N)$, where $D_1(N)$ is the number of positive divisors of $N$ that are congruent to 1 modulo 4 and $D_3(N)$ is the number of positive divisors of $N$ that are congruent to 3 modulo 4. ", "There are undoubtedly also results proved via analytic methods that describe the distribution of $D_1(N)$ and $D_3(N)$. But I'd have to agree with the other posters that computing $D_1(N)$ and $D_3(N)$ for a specific $N$ sounds about as hard as factoring $N$. Indeed, if $N=pq\\equiv 1 \\pmod{4}$, computing $D_1(N)$ is equivalent to computing the first bit in the factors of $N$, which seems hard.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "This is a comprehensive depiction of Don Alan's theories, handling, and presentation of the Chop Cup. ", "It's his way of doing it, not merely a replication of a single performance.", "\nTHE REAL WORK on how Don loaded, got the laughs and set up for doing his classic routine. ", "This is the first time all the subtle work has been published.", "\nThe 28 pages, with fabulous photos and drawings of \"The Complete Don Alan Chop Cup\" is all you could ask for and MORE." ]

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[ "Q:\n\npush в приложении gitkraken\n\nчто именно вводить когда нажимаешь push в gitkraken?", "\n\nA:\n\nЗдравствуйте.", "\nЯ столкнулся с такой же проблемой, решить её в лоб не получилось, поэтому я воспользовался обходным путем. ", "Если еще актуально для Вас, то вот решение данной проблемы:\nДля того чтобы опция \"Push\" заработала, Вам нужен репозиторий на удалённом сервере (например на GitHub). ", "Репозиторий - это папка в котором будет храниться Ваш проект. ", "Репозиториев на сервере может быть много (под каждый проект своя папка).", "\n Cоздайте папку под Ваш проект на GitHub.com (иначе Gitkraken не понимает куда выгружать все изменения).", "\n Сразу после создания репозитория на GitHub (например) Вы увидете следующее сообщение внутри Вашего репозитория:\n …or create a new repository on the command line\necho \"# ProgrammingInLinuxBook\" >> README.md\ngit init\ngit add README.md\ngit commit -m \"first commit\"\ngit remote add origin https://github.com/имяПользователя/названиеРепозитория.git\ngit push -u origin master\n\n(Эти команды мы будем использовать.)", "\n\nДалее, зайдите в папку Вашего проекта на компьютере (не на GitHub).", "\nЯ работаю с Linux и у меня установлен Git. ", "В любом случае Вам нужно установить Git.", "\nЕсли у Вас Linux: зайдите в папку проекта и откройте Терминал (правой кнопкой мыши на пустом месте --> Open in Terminal)\nЕсли у вас Windows: откройте терминал (или что там устанавливается с Git) и перейдите в папку проекта командами CD...\nДалее введите в Терминале команду:echo \"# НазваниеПапкиВашегоПроекта\" >> README.md\nНазвание папки проекта должно быть таким же, как название репозитория на GitHub.", "\nДалее введите в Терминале команду: git init\nДалее введите в Терминале команду: git add README.md\nДалее введите в Терминале команду: git commit -m \"first commit\"\nДалее введите в Терминале команду: git remote add origin https://github.com/имяПользователя/названиеРепозитория.git \nДалее введите в Терминале команду: git push -u origin master\nВсё. ", "Теперь откройте GitKraken, там слева есть иконка ввиде облака, там появится Ваш удалённый репозиторий. ", "Попробуйте теперь нажать кнопку Push.", "\n\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }

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[ "Analysis of erythrocyte and platelet membrane proteins in various forms of beta-thalassemia.", "\nMajor membrane proteins have been quantitatively analyzed in erythrocytes and platelets from patients with homozygous (splenectomized and non-splenectomized) and heterozygous forms of beta-thalassemia depending on severity of clinical manifestation of this disease. ", "Quantitative analysis of erythrocyte membrane proteins revealed increase in alpha- and beta-spectrin. (", "In non-splenectomized patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia the amount of this protein was lower than in corresponding controls.) ", "Besides spectrin, the increase of 2.1-2.3 fractions of ankyrin, and the decrease of band 3 protein (anion-transport protein), 4.1, palladin, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were also found. ", "Analysis of major platelet membrane proteins revealed significant increase in gelsolin. ", "This increase was found in all forms of beta-thalassemia irrespective of gender. ", "Significant changes in platelet membrane protein fractions were found in patients (especially non-splenectomized) with homozygous beta-thalassemia. ", "These included significant decrease in myosin, profilin, and gamma-actin and increase in actin-binding protein in both male and female patients. ", "The content of other protein fractions (alpha-actinin, tubulin, tropomyosin) remained unchanged. ", "Changes in protein fractions of erythrocytes and platelets correlated with severity of clinical manifestation of the disease." ]

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[ "\n\nWhat’s new in Celery 3.1 - rbanffy\nhttp://docs.celeryproject.org/en/latest/whatsnew-3.1.html\n\n======\nyeukhon\nFor some strange reason whenever I wanted to download python-dateutil I am\nusing the owner's mirror - this was true a couple months ago, not sure if this\nis still the case and because we run CI on a remote service we used to get\npackage not available because labix couldn't serve the content. ", "This is just a\nside note but does PYPI has a resolution to enforce all package author to\nserve package from pypi mirrors?", "\n\nand I never knew about the extra option in pip. ", "Cool update btw.", "\n\n" ]

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[ "<?", "php\n/**\n * ALIPAY API: alipay.open.public.menu.create request\n *\n * @author auto create\n * @since 1.0, 2017-05-01 12:36:29\n */\nclass AlipayOpenPublicMenuCreateRequest\n{\n\t/** \n\t * 创建菜单\n\t **/\n\tprivate $bizContent;\n\n\tprivate $apiParas = array();\n\tprivate $terminalType;\n\tprivate $terminalInfo;\n\tprivate $prodCode;\n\tprivate $apiVersion=\"1.0\";\n\tprivate $notifyUrl;\n\tprivate $returnUrl;\n private $needEncrypt=false;\n\n\t\n\tpublic function setBizContent($bizContent)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->bizContent = $bizContent;\n\t\t$this->apiParas[\"biz_content\"] = $bizContent;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getBizContent()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->bizContent;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getApiMethodName()\n\t{\n\t\treturn \"alipay.open.public.menu.create\";\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setNotifyUrl($notifyUrl)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->notifyUrl=$notifyUrl;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getNotifyUrl()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->notifyUrl;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setReturnUrl($returnUrl)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->returnUrl=$returnUrl;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getReturnUrl()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->returnUrl;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getApiParas()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->apiParas;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getTerminalType()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->terminalType;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setTerminalType($terminalType)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->terminalType = $terminalType;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getTerminalInfo()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->terminalInfo;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setTerminalInfo($terminalInfo)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->terminalInfo = $terminalInfo;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getProdCode()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->prodCode;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setProdCode($prodCode)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->prodCode = $prodCode;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function setApiVersion($apiVersion)\n\t{\n\t\t$this->apiVersion=$apiVersion;\n\t}\n\n\tpublic function getApiVersion()\n\t{\n\t\treturn $this->apiVersion;\n\t}\n\n public function setNeedEncrypt($needEncrypt)\n {\n\n $this->needEncrypt=$needEncrypt;\n\n }\n\n public function getNeedEncrypt()\n {\n return $this->needEncrypt;\n }\n\n}\n" ]

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[ "As a High Church Anglican who climbed fairly high up the candlestick, I developed a great appreciation for the ancient Church at prayer. ", "It was catechism by incense, rood screens, gorgeous vestments and ad orientem Masses chanted from high altars that scrape the heavens.", "\n\nWhat a shock, then, when I was finally received into the Catholic Church in 2011 and discovered that, in the Latin Rite, this patrimony had been discarded and was viewed with suspicion. ", "While studying for ordination to the priesthood, I was told to stop wearing a cassock, denied the opportunity to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (I learned it later on my own) and warned against the clericalism of traditional worship. ", "Those were fraught times.", "\n\nNow, only a few years later, the climate has shifted. ", "As the administrator of a parish, I regularly wear a cassock and no one blinks an eye. ", "In fact, many parishioners thank me for it. ", "I use incense and chant the Mass on Sundays. ", "I wear a biretta and have introduced an Extraordinary Form Mass to our regular schedule. ", "There have been a few complaints, yes, but these have been far outweighed by the large number of life-long parishioners and new families who have become quite devoted to our beautiful and reverent worship. ", "With very little prompting, the parishioners are forming a schola to chant in Latin and a number of women are now wearing chapel veils.", "\n\nNeither my parishioners nor I have any agenda when it comes to the intersection of Church politics and the liturgy. ", "We simply desire to offer worship pleasing to God, in communion with the Holy Father, and in accord with the prescriptions of the Second Vatican Council. ", "Our parish, Epiphany of Our Lord, is a typical, ordinary parish in a typical, ordinary diocese in St Louis, Missouri. ", "My experience is not unusual: even bishops are now introducing ad orientem to entire dioceses.", "\n\nTraditional worship is no longer controversial among the faithful. ", "Quite the opposite: they are eager for it and will support any priest willing to help them restore beauty and sacredness in their parish. ", "I first began exploring this thesis several years ago after being warned that any attempt to restore our Catholic heritage in a parish would cause a riot in the pews. ", "I wasn’t so sure about that, so I began forming impromptu focus groups.", "\n\nAt the pub after evening Mass, I asked the young adults how they would react to an ad orientem Mass. The responses ranged from highly enthusiastic to, at worst, a shrug of the shoulders which indicated that they would be fine with it. ", "There was not a single negative response. ", "I’ve asked this question to other groups of all ages, and with only a few exceptions the responses have been the same.", "\n\nThe Catholics I’ve queried have no experience of ad orientem worship and no experience of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Yet, they are instinctively attracted to beautiful, challenging worship that makes full use of the treasures of our patrimony. ", "There’s a sense among them that something has been missing from the parishes they have grown up attending, as if a hand has closed over a precious gem and hidden it from sight. ", "For them, incense, chanting and ad orientem are not sentimental nostalgia or retrograde political statements. ", "It isn’t a conservative protest against the Church, quite the opposite – traditional worship is seen to be the living, breathing lifeblood of a modern, relevant Church.", "\n\nIf it is true that battles over the liturgy in recent memory functioned as a proxy for theological and political battles among various interest groups in the Church, that is no longer the case. ", "The vigour for the battle has petered out: new generations of Catholics have lost interest in partisan warfare under the guise of prayer. ", "They are simply hungry for beauty and in search of authenticity.", "\n\nThe Mass has shaken free from artificial constraints. ", "No more politics, no more emotional baggage, no more divisiveness, only a people encountering a wonderful discovery. ", "Traditional ritual mediates the unnamed desire to connect with our ancestors, see the face of the divine through beauty, feel the weight of a veiled mystery as the next world presses down upon this one, and embark on a heroic journey to find our way home. ", "Here, finally, in a world that is worn and weary, is something that cannot be consumed. ", "It must be encountered. ", "It must be wrestled with and contended for. ", "The Mass, in all its sacred glory, is an ark.", "\n\nThe Church’s mystery is her strength, her traditions a luminous glow, her ancient beauty a calm place in the midst of a whirlwind. ", "If the Eucharist is the one great love worth giving our lives to, would we expect the Mass to be any different?", "\n\nFr Michael Rennier is associate editor of Dappled Things, a quarterly of ideas, art and faith (dappledthings.org)" ]

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[ "1. ", "Introduction {#sec1-sensors-19-01406}\n===============\n\nDuring data acquisition using ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) in shallow water, it is usually necessary to locate a large number of submarine seismometers \\[[@B1-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "There are two traditional methods for locating the position of seismometers, one of which is the first break secondary positioning (FBSP) method \\[[@B2-sensors-19-01406],[@B3-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "The positioning accuracy of this method is generally meters (3\\~10 m), and higher positioning precision for a large number of seismometers within the sub-meter level is a challenge. ", "The other method combines the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the acoustic ranging technique, and provides important positioning measurements for underwater objects \\[[@B4-sensors-19-01406],[@B5-sensors-19-01406],[@B6-sensors-19-01406],[@B7-sensors-19-01406],[@B8-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "This method is able to utilize low-cost underwater transponders, which are small and lightweight, and are easily attached to the seismic cable or OBS. ", "This technique can get the position of OBS more accurately than FBSP in shallow water, and has been proved to satisfy the requirements of oil exploration \\[[@B6-sensors-19-01406],[@B7-sensors-19-01406]\\].", "\n\nThe Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GNSS technique is always employed for GNSS/acoustic surveys, which achieve a 2--3 cm positioning accuracy and provide a stable absolute position reference \\[[@B9-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "However, the position of exploration vessel is usually far from land for oil exploration and can only be estimated with an accuracy at the decimeter level utilizing Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) technology (e.g., StarFire, VeriPos and Marinestar) based on the communication data link of Inmarsat \\[[@B6-sensors-19-01406],[@B7-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "In contrast to the electromagnetic ranging technique, the acoustic range is the product of sound speed and travel time in the case of ignoring the sound refraction. ", "As a development of the underwater acoustic ranging technique, time delay errors caused by system hardware are effectively controlled and eliminated. ", "Although the speed of sound in the ocean can be directly measured by a conductivity temperature depth gauge (CTD) or sound speed profiler (SSP) gauge, the errors induced by the inaccuracy of SSP and sound refraction are the main factors affecting underwater acoustic ranging. ", "The acoustic ranging is directly affected by the variation of sound speed along the trajectory \\[[@B10-sensors-19-01406],[@B11-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "When the incidence angle is greater than 85 degrees, the bending error of the sound line can reach more than 0.15 m in 100 m of water.", "\n\nQuite a few studies have measured and analyzed SSP with different techniques to reduce the errors caused by sound speed and sound ray bending (SRB) \\[[@B12-sensors-19-01406],[@B13-sensors-19-01406],[@B14-sensors-19-01406],[@B15-sensors-19-01406],[@B16-sensors-19-01406],[@B17-sensors-19-01406],[@B18-sensors-19-01406],[@B19-sensors-19-01406],[@B20-sensors-19-01406],[@B21-sensors-19-01406],[@B22-sensors-19-01406],[@B23-sensors-19-01406],[@B24-sensors-19-01406],[@B25-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "Previous methods, such as the epoch difference method \\[[@B12-sensors-19-01406]\\] and the time model \\[[@B15-sensors-19-01406],[@B17-sensors-19-01406]\\], are usually used under conditions with long observation times, where the SRB changes more significantly over time, and are not convenient during shallow water oil exploration. ", "During OBS acoustic positioning, all the transponders only obtain a small amount of the observed data, and SRB with a high incidence angle has a great effect on positioning. ", "The effect of an inaccurate stochastic model on the underwater positioning accuracy in shallow water has been analyzed \\[[@B21-sensors-19-01406]\\], and the incidence angle segmented cosine form was used to improve positioning accuracy. ", "This was an empirical approach, and did not analyze the function relation between the SRB and the incidence angle in detail. ", "From the perspective of position accuracy and scientific research, it is more meaningful to explore the relationship between acoustic bending and incidence angle.", "\n\nTherefore, the inaccurate sound speed and the SRB become the major factors influencing the accuracy of acoustic OBS positioning. ", "The traditional estimated model without sound speed is usually adopted when the sound speed is inaccurate \\[[@B17-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "However, the OBS acoustic data of single transponders are not enough to correct for inaccurate sound speed. ", "As hundreds of transponders hang on an underwater cable, they can provide an abundance of acoustic observations to model the acoustic refraction and estimate the SRB correction. ", "In this research, the Ocean Bottom Cable (OBC) positioning system is introduced, and a relevant method for positioning single transponder is given. ", "Then we analyze the characteristics of the SRB in shallow water based on the sound ray tracing (SRT) method. ", "With the above analysis, we present a new segment incidence angle (SIA) model in shallow water. ", "In the new method, the SRB correction can be divided into groups based on the incidence angles, and the position parameters and model parameters can be estimated together using the Sequence Least Square (SLS) method. ", "Simulation and testing experiments in the South China Sea are used to verify and evaluate the new method.", "\n\nThis paper is organized as follows. [", "Section 2](#sec2-sensors-19-01406){ref-type=\"sec\"} introduces the OBC measurement system in shallow water and provides details about the estimation method for survey vessel position and transponders. ", "The SRT method, SRB correction and mathematical formulations used for the estimation of each position of seafloor transponders will be described in [Section 3](#sec3-sensors-19-01406){ref-type=\"sec\"}. ", "This section also presents a new SIA model, and describes the new approach to positioning multiple transponders. [", "Section 4](#sec4-sensors-19-01406){ref-type=\"sec\"} introduces the simulation and experiments. ", "Finally, [Section 5](#sec5-sensors-19-01406){ref-type=\"sec\"} presents the conclusions of the study.", "\n\n2. ", "Ocean Bottom Cable Measurement System and GNSS/Acoustic Technique {#sec2-sensors-19-01406}\n====================================================================\n\n2.1. ", "Ocean Bottom Cable Measurement System {#sec2dot1-sensors-19-01406}\n------------------------------------------\n\n[Figure 1](#sensors-19-01406-f001){ref-type=\"fig\"} illustrates the ocean bottom cable positioning system for shallow water oil exploration. ", "This system includes a sea floor cable with hundreds of transponders attached, a deck unit with a GNSS antenna, and a dunking transducer on a rigid pole. ", "The global differential GNSS technology can be utilized far away from the mainland, and the level of positioning accuracy (Veripos) is better than 30 cm \\[[@B26-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "The relative displacement between the GNSS antennas and the transducer can be calculated using attitude angles. ", "The survey ship sails along the survey line after the cable has been deployed, and the transducer will interrogate the sea floor transponders. ", "A deck unit commands the transducer, which transmits and receives acoustic signals and measures the travel times from the transducer to the seafloor acoustic transponders. ", "The number of acoustic observations for a transponder will typically be less than one hundred, and some of them have large incidence angles.", "\n\nThe SSP can be obtained by SSP gauge or CTD, and the mean speed can be calculated using the weighted or equivalent SSP method \\[[@B22-sensors-19-01406],[@B26-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "The sampling rate of kinematic GNSS is generally 1Hz, and the acoustic system is usually near 10 s, so the position of GNSS at the acoustic sampling time is usually obtained through the Lagrange interpolation method. ", "The survey vessel surveys in a circle in the process of exploration and positioning to reduce the ray bending error with parallel and symmetrical observation structures. ", "The acoustic transmission source level is 185 dB and the receiver sensitivity is 110 dB. This can be well applied in the acoustic environment of shallow water, and the ranging accuracy is better than 0.5 m at a range of 100 m \\[[@B3-sensors-19-01406],[@B4-sensors-19-01406],[@B5-sensors-19-01406],[@B6-sensors-19-01406]\\].", "\n\n2.2. ", "The Positioning of the Survey Vessel {#sec2dot2-sensors-19-01406}\n-----------------------------------------\n\nThe relationship of coordinates between the GNSS antenna and the reference point can be expressed by \\[[@B5-sensors-19-01406]\\]:$$\\begin{bmatrix}\nx \\\\\n\\begin{matrix}\ny \\\\\nz \\\\\n\\end{matrix} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix} = \\begin{bmatrix}\nx_{gps} \\\\\ny_{gps} \\\\\nz_{gps} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}R(h)R(p)R(r)\\begin{bmatrix}\n{\\Delta x_{1}} \\\\\n{\\Delta y_{1}} \\\\\n{\\Delta z_{1}} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}$$ $$R(h) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n{\\cos h} & {\\sin h} & 0 \\\\\n{- \\sin h} & {\\cos h} & 0 \\\\\n0 & 0 & 1 \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix},R(p) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n{\\cos p} & 0 & {\\sin p} \\\\\n0 & 1 & 0 \\\\\n{- \\sin p} & 0 & {\\cos p} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix},R(r) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n1 & 0 & 0 \\\\\n0 & {\\cos r} & {\\sin r} \\\\\n0 & {- \\sin r} & {\\cos r} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}$$ where $\\left( {x_{gps},y_{gps},z_{gps}} \\right)$ represents the coordinates of the GNSS antenna, and $h$, $p$ and $r$ represent the attitude measurements of heading, pitch and rolling angles, respectively. ", "This can be measured by an electrical gyrocompass and an attitude sensor, or by GNSS attitude determination. ", "$\\left( {\\Delta x_{1},\\Delta y_{1},\\Delta z_{1}} \\right)$ represents the baseline between the GNSS antenna and the reference point, which is defined as the origin of the body-fixed coordinate frame. ", "$\\left( {x,y,z} \\right)$ represents the coordinates of the reference point.", "\n\nThe position of transponders can also be computed using the following formulation:$$\\begin{bmatrix}\nx \\\\\n\\begin{matrix}\ny \\\\\nz \\\\\n\\end{matrix} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}_{T} = R(h)R(p)R(r)\\begin{bmatrix}\nx \\\\\n\\begin{matrix}\ny \\\\\nz \\\\\n\\end{matrix} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}_{T_{0}}$$ where $\\left( {x,y,z} \\right)_{T}$ denotes the coordinates of the transducer in the navigation coordinate system with the transformation of ship attitude, and $\\left( {x,y,z} \\right)_{T_{0}}$ represents the original coordinates of the transducer in the ship coordinate system and can be directly measured by a total station instrument while the ship is in dry-dock. ", "The main function of the total station instrument is to survey the relative coordinates.", "\n\n2.3. ", "Calculation of Transponder Positions {#sec2dot3-sensors-19-01406}\n-----------------------------------------\n\nGenerally, the time delay can be measured and corrected by the instrument manufacturer, and the observation equation can be expressed as \\[[@B12-sensors-19-01406]\\] $$\\rho(i,k) = f\\left( {\\mathbf{X}(i,k),\\mathbf{X}_{T}^{}(k)} \\right) + \\delta\\rho_{v}(i,k) + \\varepsilon(i,k)$$ $$f(\\mathbf{X}_{T}^{}(k),\\mathbf{X}(i,k)) = \\sqrt{{(x_{T}^{}(k) - x(i,k))}^{2} + {(y_{T}^{}(k) - y(i,k))}^{2} + {(z_{T}^{}(k) - z(i,k))}^{2}}$$ where $\\rho(i,k)$ represents the acoustic ranging at time $i$. $k$ represents the transponder mark, and $f(\\mathbf{X}_{T}^{}(k),\\mathbf{X}(i,k))$ represents the geometric distance between the transducer and the transponder. ", "$\\mathbf{X}$ and $\\mathbf{X}_{T}^{}$ represent the coordinates of the transducer and the transponder, respectively. ", "$\\delta\\rho_{v}(i,k)$ represents the systematic error due to the refraction of sound rays, and $\\varepsilon(i,k)$ represents the Gaussian noise.", "\n\nThe mean sound velocity (MSV) can be measured and calculated, or determined based on experience, and the linearized observation equation is as follows:$$\\rho_{o}^{}(i,k) - f\\left( {\\mathbf{X}(i,k) - \\mathbf{X}_{T}^{}(k)} \\right) = a_{o}^{}(i,k)dx + \\delta\\rho_{v}(i,k) + \\varepsilon(i,k) + b_{o}^{}(i,k)\\varepsilon_{p}(i,k)$$ where $\\rho_{o}^{}(i,k) = C_{e} \\cdot t(i,k)$, $C_{e}$ represents the MSV, and $t(i,k)$ represents the travel time; $a_{o}^{}(i,k) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n\\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial x} & \\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial y} & \\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial z} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}$ is the Jacobian matrix of the measurement equation, and $\\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial x} = \\frac{x_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - x(i,k)}{f_{o}(i,k)}$, $\\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial y} = \\frac{y_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - y(i,k)}{f_{o}(i,k)}$, $\\frac{\\partial f_{i}^{k}}{\\partial z} = \\frac{z_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - z(i,k)}{f_{o}(i,k)}$, $f_{o}(i,k) = \\sqrt{{(x_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - x(i,k))}^{2} + \\left( {y_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - y(i,k)} \\right)^{2} + \\left( {z_{T_{o}}^{}(k) - z(i,k)} \\right)^{2}}$. $b_{o}^{}(i,k)$ represents the first partial derivatives with respect to $\\mathbf{X}$, and $\\varepsilon_{p}$ represents the GNSS antenna error at the position $\\mathbf{X}$. If the impact of sound speed variation is small, the $\\delta\\rho_{v}$ can be ignored. ", "$dx$ represents the position correction of the transponder. ", "The position correction can be estimated by the least squares method. ", "This estimation method will subsequently be represented by LS1 in the experiment.", "\n\nIn shallow water, the SRB changes sharply with the incidence angle for one transponder. ", "When the incidence angle is greater than 65 degrees, the SRB curvature is obvious. ", "In practice, the observation data are selected according to the cut incidence angle, which can generally reduce the influence of the bending error. ", "This method will later be represented by LS2 in the experiment.", "\n\nIf the SSP is not measured, we can give an initial value of sound speed and estimate its correction. ", "The observation equation can be expressed as \\[[@B17-sensors-19-01406]\\] $${\\widetilde{\\rho}}_{o}(i,k) - f\\left( {\\mathbf{X}(i,k) - \\mathbf{X}_{To}^{}(i)} \\right) = a_{o}(i,k)dx + t(i,k)dc + \\delta\\rho_{v}(i,k) + + \\varepsilon(i,k) + b_{o}(i,k)\\varepsilon_{p}(i,k)$$ where ${\\widetilde{\\rho}}_{o}(i,k) = C_{o}^{} \\cdot t(i,k)$, and $C_{o}^{}$ can be set to 1500 m/s. This method is usually used in the absence of correct MSV, and it will later be represented by LS3 in the experiment.", "\n\n3. ", "New Approach to Positioning Multiple Transponders {#sec3-sensors-19-01406}\n====================================================\n\n3.1. ", "The Effect of SRB in Shallow Water {#sec3dot1-sensors-19-01406}\n---------------------------------------\n\nThe SRT method with constant gradient is introduced in this section. ", "If the sound speed changes little or uniformly, then we can consider the sound speed gradient to be a constant. ", "As shown in [Figure 2](#sensors-19-01406-f002){ref-type=\"fig\"}, $C_{j}$ represents the sound speed in water layer $j$, and $z_{j}$ represents the depth of the water. ", "The travel of sound in water follows Snell's law \\[[@B10-sensors-19-01406],[@B11-sensors-19-01406]\\] $$\\sin\\theta_{j}/C_{j} = P$$ where $\\theta_{j}$ represents incidence angle, and $P$ is a constant. ", "In each layer, we assume that the medium changes uniformly. ", "In other words, the sound speed has a constant gradient, and the track of the ray is a continuous arc. ", "The radius $R_{j}$ of the arc can be expressed as \\[[@B27-sensors-19-01406]\\]:$$R_{j} = - 1/Pg_{j}$$ where $g_{i}$ represents the sound speed gradient. ", "The horizontal distance of the sound ray $x_{j}$ can be computed as follows $$x_{j} = \\frac{\\left\\lbrack {1 - \\left( {PC_{j - 1}} \\right)^{2}} \\right\\rbrack^{1/2} - \\left\\lbrack {1 - P^{2}\\left( {C_{j - 1} + g_{j}\\Delta z_{j}} \\right)} \\right\\rbrack^{1/2}}{Pg_{j}}$$ where $\\Delta z_{j}$ represents the length of layer $j$. In general, the interval between layers is wide if the variation of sound velocity between layers is small. ", "The length of arc $S_{j}$ in layer $j$ can be computed by \\[[@B28-sensors-19-01406]\\] $$S_{j} = R_{j}\\left( {\\theta_{j - 1} - \\theta_{j}} \\right)$$\n\nThus, the travel time is estimated by $$t_{j} = \\frac{\\theta_{j - 1} - \\theta_{j}}{Pg_{j}^{2}}\\ln\\left\\lbrack \\frac{C_{j}}{C_{j - 1}} \\right\\rbrack = \\frac{\\arcsin\\left\\lbrack {P\\left( {C_{j - 1} + g_{j}\\Delta z_{j}} \\right)} \\right\\rbrack - \\arcsin\\left( {PC_{j - 1}} \\right)}{Pg_{j}^{2}}\\ln\\left\\lbrack {1 + \\frac{g_{j}\\Delta z_{j}}{C_{j - 1}}} \\right\\rbrack$$\n\nIn OBS underwater acoustic positioning, a fixed weighted mean sound velocity (WMSV) is usually used in the calculation, and the WMSV can be calculated by \\[[@B29-sensors-19-01406]\\] $$C_{w} = \\frac{1}{H}{\\sum\\limits_{j = 1}^{N}{w_{j}\\frac{\\left( {C_{j - 1} + C_{j}} \\right)\\left( {\\Delta z_{j}} \\right)}{2}}}$$ where $H$ represents the depth of water; $w_{j}$ is the weight of each water column related to the incidence angle, sound speed structure and other factors. ", "If $w_{j} = 1$, the $C_{w}$ represents the MSV.", "\n\nThe MSV assumes a single sound speed value for the entire localization area. ", "In fact, the calculated MSV is different due to the incidence angles and sound ray, and can cause the SRB error. ", "The SRB correction $\\delta\\rho_{v}$ can be modeled and absorbed by the MSV in many forms, such as a constant, 1st- or 2nd-degree polynomial with a time series \\[[@B15-sensors-19-01406]\\] as $${C_{e} = a_{0}}{,C_{e} = a_{0} + a_{1}(t_{i} - t_{0})}{\\ {or}\\ C_{e} = a_{0} + a_{1}(t_{i} - t_{0}) + a_{2}{(t_{i} - t_{0})}^{2}}$$\n\nThe SRB correction $\\delta\\rho_{v_{}}$ can also be modeled directly \\[[@B17-sensors-19-01406]\\] as $$\\delta\\rho_{v_{}}(i) = a\\left( {t_{i} - t_{ma} \\cdot \\cos\\lambda_{ma}} \\right)$$ where $a$ is the coefficient to be estimated, and $t_{i}$ represents the travel time. ", "$t_{ma}$ represents the minimum travel time among the measured epochs. ", "$\\lambda_{ma}$ represents the incidence angle according to the calculation of the position of the transducer.", "\n\nThe above methods are usually used under conditions where there is a long observation time, and the SRB varies with time more significantly. ", "Based on the above methods, we can analyze the SRB in shallow water, which helps us to find some useful models to describe it quantitatively.", "\n\nThe relationship among the horizontal distance (HD), geometrical distance (RD) and sound ray trace (SD) is shown in [Figure 3](#sensors-19-01406-f003){ref-type=\"fig\"}. ", "According to the analysis of the above, the acoustic ranging is usually treated as a straight line, while the real sound track is a curve in inhomogeneous water. ", "In this research, we ignore the complexity of the top surface sound speed, and consider the analysis of the steady acoustic environment in small areas within a short period, as the OBS measurement area is only a few hundred square meters, and a single operation period is not usually more than an hour. ", "We temporarily ignore the complexity of those short sound speed changes, and combine all the observation data to estimate the SRB error in this region. ", "We only consider the commonness between these observation data; for example, under the same incidence, the SIB error is approximately equivalent. ", "We use these characteristics and combine all the observation data to estimate the bending error of the acoustic line in this region.", "\n\nBased on the above equation, the SRB can be simulated using the measured SSP. ", "Assuming that the coordinates of the transponder and the transducer are known, the beam incidence angle and travel time, as unknown parameters, can be solved by Newton iteration or other secant methods using the SSP.", "\n\nAs shown in [Figure 4](#sensors-19-01406-f004){ref-type=\"fig\"}, we can get some information from the above figures. ", "The $HD$, $RD$, $SD - RD$ and $SD - C \\cdot t$ increase significantly with the increase of incidence angle and water depth, and show little change when the incidence angle is smaller than 60 degrees in shallow water. ", "The effect of SRB can reach 0.18 m at a depth of 100 m. The largest $HD$ can reach 450 m when the incidence angle is 80 degrees, and this determines the measured horizontal range.", "\n\nFrom the above analysis ([Section 3.1](#sec3dot1-sensors-19-01406){ref-type=\"sec\"}), the SRB correction can be modeled approximately according to incidence angle at the same depth.", "\n\n3.2. ", "A Segmented Incidence Angle (SIA) Model {#sec3dot2-sensors-19-01406}\n--------------------------------------------\n\nIn this research, we assume that the SSP is inaccurate or the CTD has not been calibrated; thereby, the MSV and the SRB become the major factors affecting the accuracy of the acoustic positioning. ", "This problem is also the most common for processing acoustic ranging data. ", "In order to build an accurate fitting model, the parameters of SRB correction are divided into different groups by the incidence angles, and we can find a model through many simulation experiments. ", "A new model is proposed to estimate the SRB correction according to the incidence angles $$\\delta\\rho_{v}(i) = w_{M}{/\\left( ( \\right.}\\cos(\\theta_{i}))^{N} + b_{M}\\begin{matrix}\n\\begin{matrix}\n & {N = 3} & {or} \\\\\n\\end{matrix} & 4 \\\\\n\\end{matrix}$$ where $\\theta_{i}$ represents the incidence angle, and $w_{M}$ represents the coefficient of the model. ", "$b_{M}$ represents the constant deviation due to inaccurate MSV. ", "$N$ represents the cosine of the incidence angle to the N. When the incidence angle is less than 60°, the SRB correction can be neglected according to the analysis in the previous section.", "\n\nAs shown in [Figure 5](#sensors-19-01406-f005){ref-type=\"fig\"}, the new SIA model can fit well with the SRB correction by selecting the parameters. ", "The new model is used to fit the SRB correction, and N is selected as 3 or 4, corresponding to segments 60--70° or 70--80°, depending on the rising trend.", "\n\nIn shallow water OBS acoustic positioning, the area of multiple transponder positioning is normally small (one square kilometer). ", "All transponders are located on the shallow and flat seabed (most shallow sea exploration terrain meets this condition); then, the water depth of the area can even be used as a fixed value. ", "Assuming that the effect on SSP caused by the non-barotropic tidal flow or internal gravitational wave in a short time is small, the observation environment will be similar for all transponders within a short time. ", "There are reasons to believe that the same incidence angles of acoustic ranging have the same SRB, which increases with the increase of the incidence angle. ", "Naturally, the key issue is to select correct parameters, and the next section focuses on this problem. ", "A high-precision underwater positioning algorithm for multiple targets with regard to acoustic line bending error is presented.", "\n\n3.3. ", "Calculation Method of Multiple Transponders with Sequential Least Square {#sec3dot3-sensors-19-01406}\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nFor a single transponder, it is easy to cause ill-posed problems due to the introduction of many model parameters. ", "From the above analysis, if the observations of different transponders have the same incidence angle, the same SRB correction can be estimated together. ", "A large number of observations will place a huge burden on the computer. ", "Based on the Sequential Least Square (SLS) method and the matrix orthogonal principle, a convenient solution is given in this research.", "\n\nWe first use the LS1 method or the LS2 method to calculate the initial transponder coordinates, and the observed values can be categorized according to the threshold values and incidence angles. ", "Then, the unknown parameters $dX_{T}^{}(k) = \\left\\lbrack {dx_{T}^{}(k),dy_{T}(k),dz_{T}^{}(k),\\underset{dc}{\\underbrace{w_{1}^{},\\ldots,w_{m}^{}}}} \\right\\rbrack$, and the new observation equation can be expressed as $$L_{a}(k) = B_{a}(k)dX_{T}^{}(k) + \\Delta(k)$$ where $\\Delta$ represents the sum of random errors and modeling errors, and $B_{a} = \\left\\lbrack {B_{1},B_{2}} \\right\\rbrack$. $L_{a}$ represents the linearized observation. ", "$$\\begin{matrix}\n{B_{1}(k) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n{a_{o}(1,k)} \\\\\n{a_{o}(2,k)} \\\\\n \\vdots \\\\\n{a_{o}(n,k)} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}_{n \\times 3}} \\\\\n{B_{2}(k) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n\\mathbf{0}_{n_{2} \\times 1} & \\mathbf{0}_{n_{2} \\times 1} & \\mathbf{0}_{n_{2} \\times 1} & \\mathbf{0}_{n_{2} \\times 1} \\\\\n{1{/\\left( ( \\right.}\\cos(\\theta(1,k)))^{N}} & 0 & 0 & 0 \\\\\n0 & {1{/\\left( ( \\right.}\\cos(\\theta(2,k)))^{N}} & 0 & 0 \\\\\n0 & 0 & \\ddots & 0 \\\\\n0 & 0 & 0 & {1{/\\left( ( \\right.}\\cos(\\theta(m,k)))^{N}} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}_{n \\times m}} \\\\\n\\end{matrix}$$ $$L_{a}(k) = \\begin{bmatrix}\n{{\\widetilde{\\rho}}_{o}(1,k) - f\\left( {X(1,k) - X_{To}^{k}} \\right)} \\\\\n{{\\widetilde{\\rho}}_{o}^{}(2,k) - f\\left( {X(2,k) - X_{To}^{k}} \\right)} \\\\\n \\vdots \\\\\n{{\\widetilde{\\rho}}_{o}^{}(n,k) - f\\left( {X(n,k) - X_{To}^{k}} \\right)} \\\\\n\\end{bmatrix}$$ and $B_{1}$ represents the Jacobian matrix after linearization. ", "$B_{2}$ represents the coefficients of sound correction, and $p_{1} + p_{2} + \\cdots + p_{m} = n_{1} = n - n_{2}$. $m$ represents the number of groups. ", "$n_{1}$ is the number of observations where the incidence angle is larger than 65 degrees, and $n$ is the number of all transponder observations. ", "According to the matrix orthogonal principle, the simplification of (17) is as follows $$R_{B1}B_{2}dc = R_{B_{1}}L_{a}$$ where $R_{B_{1}} = I - B_{1}{(B_{1}^{T}\\sum_{l}^{- 1}B_{1})}^{- 1}B_{1}^{T}\\sum_{l}^{- 1}$, and $I$ represents an identity matrix. ", "$\\sum_{l}^{}$ represents the covariance of observation $L_{a}$, and $dc$ represents the SIA parameters.", "\n\nThen the SLS method can be used to estimate the SIA parameters \\[[@B30-sensors-19-01406]\\]. ", "$$\\left\\{ \\begin{array}{l}\n{{\\hat{X}}_{1} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{1}}^{- 1}A_{1}^{T}L_{1}} \\\\\n{{\\hat{X}}_{2} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{2}}^{- 1}\\left( {A_{2}^{T}P_{2}L_{2} + P_{{\\hat{X}}_{1}}^{- 1}{\\hat{X}}_{1}} \\right)} \\\\\n \\vdots \\\\\n{{\\hat{X}}_{k} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k}}^{- 1}\\left( {A_{k}^{T}P_{k}L_{k} + P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}}^{- 1}{\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}} \\right)} \\\\\n\\end{array} \\right.$$ $$\\left\\{ \\begin{array}{l}\n{P_{{\\hat{X}}_{1}} = A_{1}^{T}P_{1}A_{1}} \\\\\n{P_{{\\hat{X}}_{2}} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{1}} + A_{2}^{T}P_{2}A_{2}} \\\\\n \\vdots \\\\\n{P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k}} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}} + A_{k}^{T}P_{k}A_{k}} \\\\\n\\end{array} \\right.$$ where $k$ represents the transponder ID, and $A_{k} = \\left( {R_{G1}B_{2}} \\right)_{k}$. ${\\hat{X}}_{k} = \\hat{d}c$, and its variance-covariance matrix can be expressed by $${\\hat{\\sigma}}_{0_{k}}^{2} = \\frac{V_{k}^{T}P_{k}V_{k} + \\left( {{\\hat{X}}_{k} - {\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}} \\right)^{T}P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}}\\left( {{\\hat{X}}_{k} - {\\hat{X}}_{k - 1}} \\right)}{n_{k}}$$ $$\\mathsf{\\Sigma}_{{\\hat{X}}_{k}} = Q_{{\\hat{X}}_{k}}{\\hat{\\sigma}}_{0_{k}}^{2} = P_{{\\hat{X}}_{k}}^{- 1}{\\hat{\\sigma}}_{0_{k}}^{2}$$\n\nAs shown in [Figure 6](#sensors-19-01406-f006){ref-type=\"fig\"}, for the final transponder, SIA parameters and variance-covariance matrix can be calculated by solving Equations (21) and (22). ", "When the final new model parameters of the SRB correction are solved, they are brought into Equation (17). ", "Thus, the coordinates and incidence angles can be estimated at this time using the LS1 method again. ", "The new results are brought into the sequential least squares algorithm and iterated until there are few differences from the previous results.", "\n\nIf the effect on SSP caused by the non-barotropic tidal flow or internal gravitational wave in a short time cannot be ignored, the new model parameters can be remodeled and estimated for sections of time. ", "Only some new modeling parameters are added and estimated here. ", "Certainly, we could also use the other models (see Equation (14) or Equation (15)) to reduce the impact of this change on positioning. ", "Real-time and high-precision SSP is difficult to obtain in OBC positioning, and it is usually measured before or after positioning. ", "The method proposed in this research is another way of improving its accuracy based on estimating the parameters of the acoustic bending model.", "\n\n4. ", "Simulation and Experiment in the South China Sea {#sec4-sensors-19-01406}\n===================================================\n\n4.1. ", "Case 1: Simulation {#sec4dot1-sensors-19-01406}\n-----------------------\n\nThis experiment is designed to verify the accuracy attainable using the new methods for multiple transponders. ", "As shown in [Figure 7](#sensors-19-01406-f007){ref-type=\"fig\"}a, 20 transponders are simulated at depths of 100 m, 200 m and 300 m, and their horizontal distances shrunk from the surveying trajectories are 150 m, 250 m and 350 m. As shown in [Figure 7](#sensors-19-01406-f007){ref-type=\"fig\"}b, since the environments are similar within a short period (for example, 1 h), we will obtain the round-trip times using Snell's law of refraction with 12 months' SSP of the same region. ", "The positioning errors of the transducers are 10 cm in the horizontal direction and 30 cm in the vertical direction, and the random errors in travel time are 10 µs. ", "The incidence angles range from 40° to 80°, which correspond to the underwater acoustic data in the process of offshore oil exploration. ", "The speed of the ship is 3 knots, and the sampling period of the transducers are 10 s and 45 s, which correspond to good and bad observation conditions. ", "At the same time, in order to approximate the actual situation, the distribution of the transponder was arranged in the form of cosine curve in the bad case to simulate the asymmetry of observation.", "\n\nAs shown in [Figure 8](#sensors-19-01406-f008){ref-type=\"fig\"}a, the SRB correction is related to the incidence angles, depth and time, and increases sharply with the increase of incidence angle and depth. ", "From the histogram of the incidence angle as shown in [Figure 8](#sensors-19-01406-f008){ref-type=\"fig\"}b, we can find that there are many incidence angles greater than 65°, and the problem of SRB must be taken into consideration.", "\n\nFour methods are used to calculate the coordinates of the transponders, including:\n\n\\(1\\) The Least Squares solution with average sound speed is abbreviated as LS1. (", "2) The Least Squares solution with the cutoff angle (cutoff angle = 65°) is abbreviated as LS2. (", "3) The Least Squares solution without the average sound speed (cutoff angle = 65°) is abbreviated as LS3. (", "4) The new method for multiple transponders is abbreviated as SLS.", "\n\nIn particular, the SLS algorithm reordered the data according to the incidence angle for grouping calculation, so the epoch ([Figure 9](#sensors-19-01406-f009){ref-type=\"fig\"}) does not have the significance of the time sequence. ", "As shown in [Figure 9](#sensors-19-01406-f009){ref-type=\"fig\"}, the SRB correction for 20 transponders can be calculated using the SLS method. ", "The true SRB correction can reach up to 0.35 m at a depth of 100 m. Comparing the estimated correction with the true SRB, the fit validity of the SLS method for estimating SRB correction can be proved. ", "The observation epochs of the 20 transponders are counted and the position bias of the three directions is calculated. ", "The effectiveness of the new algorithm is also verified by the final positioning results. ", "The mean position bias (MPB) is used to evaluate the accuracy of the different methods, and is defined by $${incidence}{MPB} = {{\\sum\\limits_{i = 1}^{n}{{norm}({(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})}_{i} - {(x,y,z)}_{i})}}/n}$$ where $(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})$ represent the estimated transponder coordinates and $(x,y,z)$ are the true transponder coordinates. ", "$norm(.)$ represents modulus operation, $n$ represents the number of transponders.", "\n\n[Table 1](#sensors-19-01406-t001){ref-type=\"table\"} shows the MPB of horizontal and vertical coordinates calculated using the above methods under good observation conditions. ", "Each table includes three parts, corresponding to water depths of 100 m, 200 m and 300 m. As a result, even though the errors of SRB in the original ranging measurements are very large, the new method (SLS) is more effective at reducing the effect of the errors of SRB. ", "We find that the new method can improve the results with centimeter-level accuracy in the horizontal and vertical components at depths of 100 m, 200 m and 300 m, respectively. ", "The LS3 method can cancel the effect of SRB by estimating the sound speed, and the average positioning accuracy of transponders is higher than 10 cm in the horizontal direction. ", "However, unlike the other methods, the new method is able to calculate the vertical components with centimeter-level accuracy as well, and the average accuracy of the vertical components is better than 4 cm. ", "The actual observation conditions are worse than the above experiments; for example, the number of observations is insufficient and the observation structure is asymmetric. ", "To investigate the effect of sampling period (good or bad observational conditions) on multiple transponders by different methods, the sampling rate is changed from 15 s to 45 s.\n\nWe find that the accuracy of the horizontal and vertical components tends to decrease with the decrease in the sample rate under bad conditions (see [Table 2](#sensors-19-01406-t002){ref-type=\"table\"}). ", "In this case, the SRB correction is difficult to eliminate using a symmetrical structure, but the new SLS method can also improve the accuracy of the positioning. ", "When the depth of the transponders reaches 300 m, the average accuracy of the horizontal components is better than 10 cm.", "\n\nFor one transponder (depth = 300), the number of observations is about 1600/20 = 80, and most of the data have large incidence angles (see [Figure 8](#sensors-19-01406-f008){ref-type=\"fig\"}b). ", "To analyze the effect of observation structure on positioning accuracy, the mean position dilution of precision (MPDOP) (this is a measure of X, Y, Z position geometry) can be calculated by $${MPDOP} = {{\\sum\\limits_{i = 1}^{n}\\sqrt{(q_{x_{i}}^{2} + q_{y_{i}}^{2} + q_{z_{i}}^{2})}}/n}$$ where $q_{x_{i}}^{2}$, $q_{y_{i}}^{2}$ and $q_{z_{i}}^{2}$ are the elements of the covariance matrix of the estimated parameters, and $n$ represents the number of transponders. ", "The MPDOP (depth = 100 m, 200 m and 300 m) is as follows.", "\n\nAs shown in [Table 3](#sensors-19-01406-t003){ref-type=\"table\"}, LS1 is a more robust algorithm than the other three methods, and the MPDOP is minimal. ", "The LS1 method is better than the LS2 method for taking full advantage of all the data, and the system is more stable. ", "The stability of the SLS method is reduced with increasing model parameters. ", "Although this may lead to a certain amount of instability in the solution, the actual positioning accuracy is improved with the more refined solution of SRB correction.", "\n\n4.2. ", "Case 2: Experiment in the South China Sea {#sec4dot2-sensors-19-01406}\n----------------------------------------------\n\nAs shown in [Figure 10](#sensors-19-01406-f010){ref-type=\"fig\"}, the ship is equipped with GNSS, a transducer, a transponder SSP, and so on. ", "The experiment area was on the east of Hainan Island in the South China Sea ([Figure 11](#sensors-19-01406-f011){ref-type=\"fig\"}). ", "The position of the ship was measured by a kinematic VeriPos DGNSS system. ", "Once the transponders had been sunk in the sea, the exploration ship surveyed around them twice. ", "The ship's heading was recorded with an electric gyrocompass, and four GNSS antennas fixed around the ship were used to measure the ship's roll and pitch \\[[@B31-sensors-19-01406]\\], and the positioning of the transceiver on the bottom of the ship can be calculated using ship's attitude data and DGNSS measurements. ", "The mean sound speed measured by SSP is 1534 m/s. The water depth at the experiment site was approximately 100 m, and the acoustic ranging system included a transducer and 30 transponders. ", "The acoustic positioning system included two types, an OBC acoustic positioning system developed by UK Sonardyne Company (Yateley, UK), and the China BPS acoustic positioning system; the sea trial was roughly 40 min. ", "In this experiment, some BPS transponders had an electrical failure. ", "Two trajectories were completed successively in the same day. ", "For the first trail, the OBC acoustic system and the BPS acoustic positioning system were tested together. ", "For the second trail, only the OBC acoustic system was tested.", "\n\nThe observation number of each transponder is shown in [Figure 12](#sensors-19-01406-f012){ref-type=\"fig\"}a, and the average number of acoustic measurements of a transponder is about 40. ", "No. ", "1 and No. ", "3 transponders responded so frequently because the ship began sailing with a time measurement near the first transponder for a long time. ", "The dotted line of incidence angles with epochs is shown in [Figure 12](#sensors-19-01406-f012){ref-type=\"fig\"}b. ", "Nearly half of the observation data have an incidence angle greater than 65 degrees, and abandoning these observations could cause serious ill-posed problems and damage the positioning accuracy. ", "As the number of observations of each transponder is not enough, acoustic observations with high incidence angle are necessary.", "\n\nTo estimate the absolute position of the seafloor transponders, we evaluate the positioning accuracy according to the mutual deviation of the two kinds of transponders. ", "The positioning accuracy will increase, while mutual deviation decreases. ", "Two different mean position biases (MPB1 and MPB2), using above approaches, are defined as $${{MPB}1} = \\left. {", "\\sum\\limits_{i = 1}^{n}{{norm}({(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})}_{OBC}{}_{i} - {(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})}_{BPS}{}_{i})}}/n \\right.$$ $${{MPB}2} = \\left. {", "\\sum\\limits_{i = 1}^{n}{{norm}({(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})}_{1i} - {(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})}_{2i})}}/n \\right.$$ where $(\\hat{x},\\hat{y},\\hat{z})$ are the estimated transponder coordinates and $(x,y,z)$ are the true transponder coordinates. ", "MPB1 represents the first trail result using the OBC and BPS systems, and the ${MRMS}2$ is calculated using the OBC acoustic system only.", "\n\nThere are many outliers in the BPS observations, the BPS positioning results are not satisfactory, and only five transponders were chosen for investigation. [", "Table 4](#sensors-19-01406-t004){ref-type=\"table\"} provides the absolute deviation of the four methods using the BPS acoustic system and the OBC acoustic system. ", "Inaccurate sound speed measurements also affect the final positioning accuracy. ", "The accuracy of the SLS is better than the other three methods, and the MPB1 in the horizontal direction is 0.54 m.\n\nTwo repeated observations of MPB2 on 30 transponders using the four methods can also show the performance of different algorithms. [", "Table 5](#sensors-19-01406-t005){ref-type=\"table\"} provides the MPB2 of the LS2 and LS3 methods with different cut angles. ", "As the cut angle increases, the positioning accuracy of the LS2 solution is improved, with the positioning accuracy reaching as high as 0.52 m and 0.64 m in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, when the cut angle was 75 degrees. ", "Since a transponder has fewer observations, the accuracy of LS3 was lower than that of LS2, and the positioning accuracy was 0.64 m.\n\nIn [Table 6](#sensors-19-01406-t006){ref-type=\"table\"}, we have listed the horizontal and vertical MPB2 using the four methods. ", "It can be seen that the SLS method can also improve the positioning accuracy more significantly than the other methods. ", "The performance difference between SLS and the other methods is also clearly noticeable in favor of the SLS method, which can also be seen in [Table 4](#sensors-19-01406-t004){ref-type=\"table\"}. ", "Experimental results show that the MPB2 of SLS method in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, are about 30 cm and 25 cm.", "\n\n5. ", "Conclusions {#sec5-sensors-19-01406}\n==============\n\nThe SRB error is an important factor influencing underwater positioning. ", "In this study, the effect of SRB has been taken into account, and we have constructed a new SIA model to estimate the SRB correction. ", "The new method differs from the three conventional methods, and all acoustic data are fully utilized to estimate the parameters of the SRB model. ", "Although high-incidence data will introduce SRB errors, these observations are highly conducive to the stability of the model. ", "In the acoustic data procedure, we adopt a new method that yields beneficial results.", "\n\nSimulation and experimental tests were carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the new method. ", "The simulation results show that the average horizontal positioning accuracies of the new method at different depths are all better than 10 cm, even in the case of a poor positioning environment. ", "Without being restricted to strict symmetrical observations, the other advantage of the new method is that it can effectively improve the accuracy in the vertical direction, and the vertical positioning accuracy can be substantially improved, from 0.8 m in the LS scheme to 0.03 m. The performance of the new method was also validated by experiments in the South China Sea, and the results show that the positioning accuracy can be substantially improved from 0.5 m in the LS scheme to 0.3, based on the SLS and SIA model. ", "It is obvious that the novel method can perform better than the conventional single transponder positioning model, according to both simulation and experimental results. ", "Further experiments and verification by means of deep sea data will be carried out in the future.", "\n\nFurther studies will include the following:\n\nThe stochastic model can be considered based on incidence angle or other factors (e.g., travel time and residual). ", "When the observed data are insufficient, the equation can easily lead to ill-posed problems. ", "The regularization or ridge estimation methods could be used to solve these problems.", "\n\nThanks to the Ou Jikun (Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics. ", "Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the Bureau of Geophysical Prospecting (China National Petroleum Corporation) for providing the suggestion and data used in this study. ", "We would also like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and comments.", "\n\nH.L. did the analysis and wrote the original draft. ", "Z.W. verified the analytical methods, and reviewed and edited the manuscript. ", "S.Z. and K.H. were involved in planning and supervised the work. ", "S.Z. helped review and edit the manuscript.", "\n\nThis study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No.2016YFB0501700, No.2016YFB0501705), Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology Foundation (No. ", "QNLM2016ORP0401), General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41374008).", "\n\nThe authors declare no conflict of interest\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f001}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f002}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f003}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f004}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f005}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f006}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f007}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f008}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f009}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f010}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f011}\n\n{#sensors-19-01406-f012}\n\nsensors-19-01406-t001_Table 1\n\n###### \n\nThe MPB and epoch by using the four methods under good conditions (m).", "\n\n Method LS1 LS2 LS3 SLS \n ---------------- ----------- ------ ------ ------- ------\n **100 m** **Epoch** 1865 791 791 1865\n **Horizontal** 0.06 0.09 0.09 0.06 \n **Vertical** 0.10 0.04 0.09 0.03 \n **200 m** **Epoch** 3024 1676 1676 3024\n **Horizontal** 0.10 0.06 0.06 0.05 \n **Vertical** 0.48 0.04 0.12 0.03 \n **300 m** **Epoch** 3200 2402 2402 3200\n **Horizontal** 0.57 0.05 0.05 0.050 \n **Vertical** 0.51 0.05 0.26 0.028 \n\nsensors-19-01406-t002_Table 2\n\n###### \n\nThe MPB and epoch by using the four methods under bad conditions (m).", "\n\n Method LS1 LS2 LS3 SLS \n ---------------- ----------- ------ ------ ------ ------\n **100 m** **Epoch** 925 381 381 925\n **Horizontal** 0.13 0.16 0.16 0.09 \n **Vertical** 0.13 0.09 0.16 0.08 \n **200 m** **Epoch** 1297 612 612 1297\n **Horizontal** 0.15 0.15 0.10 0.06 \n **Vertical** 0.50 0.12 0.12 0.04 \n **300 m** **Epoch** 1536 777 777 1536\n **Horizontal** 0.15 0.09 0.09 0.08 \n **Vertical** 0.89 0.16 0.23 0.03 \n\nsensors-19-01406-t003_Table 3\n\n###### \n\nThe MPDOP by using four methods in the good and bad condition (m).", "\n\n Method LS1 LS2 LS3 SLS \n ----------- ---------- ------ ------ ------ ------\n **100 m** **Good** 0.41 0.43 0.64 0.43\n **Bad** 0.69 0.82 1.14 0.75 \n **200 m** **Good** 0.34 0.37 0.47 0.35\n **Bad** 0.53 0.61 0.78 0.57 \n **300 m** **Good** 0.30 0.33 0.45 0.32\n **Bad** 0.45 0.51 0.64 0.48 \n\nsensors-19-01406-t004_Table 4\n\n###### \n\nThe MPB1 of the positions with different cut angles using the four methods (m).", "\n\n Method LS1 LS2 LS3 SLS\n ---------------- ------ ------ ------ ------\n **Horizontal** 0.66 0.97 0.56 0.54\n **Vertical** 0.83 1.09 0.84 0.77\n\nsensors-19-01406-t005_Table 5\n\n###### \n\nThe MPB2 of the positions with different incidence angles using the LS2 and LS3 methods.", "\n\n Incidence Angle/° 60 65 68 70 75\n ------------ ------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------\n **LS2(m)** 0.77 0.66 0.60 0.52 0.53 0.52\n **LS3(m)** 2.48 1.24 1.11 0.80 0.65 0.64\n\nsensors-19-01406-t006_Table 6\n\n###### \n\nThe MPB2 of the positioning with four methods in horizontal and vertical direction (m).", "\n\n Method LS1 LS2 LS3 SLS\n ---------------- ------ ------ ------ ------\n **Horizontal** 0.52 0.51 0.56 0.30\n **Vertical** 0.36 0.42 0.96 0.25\n" ]

{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }

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[ "The dark, sensual aroma\nof chocolate assails the\nsense the moment a\nperson enters The\nBelgian Chocolate Box.", "\nFirst comes the\nrich aroma and then the\neye is drawn to the\ngleaming display of\nchocolates.", "Burning\ndisplay with chilli in\nmilk chocolate,\nAftershock cinnamon,\nmarzipan, cherries on a\nbed of vanilla,\nAbsinthe, Grand Marnier,\nmint, orange crème,\norange peel dipped in\nchocolate, crystallized\nginger, butter crème,\npraline, almond,\npistachio, and so the\nprovocative list goes\non. ", "This season the\nlatest addition are, the\never-popular\nmelt-in-the-mouth\nmacaroons and the\namazing Explosion\nChocolate of the Year\nwith almond paste,\napricot and honey nut\ncrunch.", "\n\nChocolatier Beatrix\nDetroy makes all the\nchocolates by hand and\nthe passion for her art\ncan be tasted in her\ncreation. ", "Treat yourself\nwith something special\nfrom The Belgian\nChocolate Box and come\nback next holiday to see\nwhat new flavors are in\nthe store." ]

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[ "Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)\n\nClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)\n\n'Idiot' Donald Trump Protesters Can't Even Explain Why They're Angry! ", "Watch as they're put on the spot about their beliefs — and fail miserably!", "\n\nA lot of people are angry with Donald Trump — but some of them can’t even explain why!", "\n\nVice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes interviewed several Trump protesters at the recent Trump rally on Long Island and sought specifics as to why people were so against the presidential candidate.", "\n\n“What’s your biggest problem with Trump?” ", "McInnes asked. ", "One protester, sporting a shirt that said “America Was Never Great,” responded by vaguely claiming he was protesting “all” of Trump’s views. ", "McInnes then posed a hypothetical abortion statistic, but the protester wanted to see actual statistics, refusing to answer the question. ", "After the protester left the interview, McInnes went on to call the protester “a brave idiot.”", "\n\nOne of the main arguments the protesters used against Trump was his claim that Mexicans could be brining rapists into the country.", "\n\n“He insinuated that Mexico is sending their rapists,” one woman said. ", "But McInnes then cited a statistic claiming that 80 percent of women and girls crossing into the U.S. by way of Mexico are raped.", "\n\nThe woman then misinterpreted what McInnes meant when he used the term “coyotes,” mistaking the Mexican men who take illegal immigrants over the border for the animal. ", "Here is the exchange below:\n\n“80 % of young women who cross the border get raped,” McInnes said.", "\n\n“By Illegals?” ", "the protester asked.", "\n\n“Yes, by coyotes and illegals.”", "\n\n“By coyotes? ", "Goodbye.”", "\n\nOne of the best moments of the video came when McInnes interviewed a Trump protester who asked why right-wingers don’t love ISIS. ", "The protestor confusingly claimed, “If the Right hates Muslims and ISIS kills Muslims, you hate Muslims, so you love ISIS!”", "\n\n“You’re the one assuming that we hate Muslims,” McInnes said.", "\n\nThe protester then said people like McInnes were “a cancer to society.”" ]

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[ "Frank Butler (cricketer)\n\nFrank Butler (13 November 1889 – 8 May 1965) was an Australian cricketer. ", "He played one first-class match for Canterbury in 1914/15 and three matches for Tasmania between 1921 and 1924.", "\n\nSee also\n List of Tasmanian representative cricketers\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n\nCategory:1889 births\nCategory:1965 deaths\nCategory:Australian cricketers\nCategory:Canterbury cricketers\nCategory:Tasmania cricketers\nCategory:Cricketers from Melbourne" ]

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