Check In: Day 17

[glitteringstars]

Hello, everyone!!

How has writing gone today?

Comments

[igenlode]

I got horribly stuck on my antepenultimate (thank you for that useful addition to my juvenile vocabulary, Messrs Flanders & Swan) verse yesterday, for the usual reason that I simply couldn't find a translation that both rhymed and scanned, despite resorting to switching over the content of the first and second lines in search of a rhyme-scheme.

Then on my cycle ride home this afternoon I suddenly had the inspiration of using "illusion/confusion" rather than the "thought me/caught me" from which I'd originally started, and everything more or less fell into place... although I still had to switch 'Viola' from the end of the line to the beginning due to the unfortunate differing stress patterns in Russian and in English, which somewhat messes up the big reveal! It's mostly in there, though, apart from the differing words for 'naming', which don't really work idiomatically that way round in English, and didn't fit anyhow :-(

So I have one-and-a-half verses left, including the upcoming issue of how to translate the terribly culturally-specific concept of тоска, the melancholy that comes spontaneously over a Russian's soul without necessarily having a cause :-P

I cried out in shock as my heart filled with storm and confusion --
Stock-still, disbelieving, completely bereft of my voice:
"I'm Viola" -- thus ran the note -- "Victor's just an illusion...
Forgive the pretence, but for me there was no other choice!"

(Literally:
I cried out and stood as still as a statue [literally: bollard], and could not say a word...
Stood and did not believe, but in my heart there were typhoons and darkness/mist:
"I'm not called Vika [shortened form of Viktor]," it said -- "my name is Viola.
Forgive me, but," it said, "I could not act in any other way!")

Meanwhile I have written a couple of hundred words on my new presumably-one-shot... and received three hits on the chapter uploaded yesterday :-)

[fleetsparrow]

"how to translate the terribly culturally-specific concept of тоска, the melancholy that comes spontaneously over a Russian's soul without necessarily having a cause :-P"

What a wild moment to be reminded of a term I first learned what feels like a life cycle ago! And also, oof, I do not envy you the job of explaining *in verse!* But I have confidence! You can do it!!

[igenlode]

Oh, I'm not even going to try for an explanation (I've got about three syllables to play with).
I shall need to find a 'cultural translation' that will satisfactorily convey the idea that if a fine manly chap is seen quietly weeping into his rum it isn't necessarily because there is anything *actually the matter*, of course not :-p

[linaewen]

I didn't actually write but I did some research and some thinking, which was useful!

[fleetsparrow]

I wrote 86 words on the fic that's due... tomorrow midnight (well, actually Friday 1pm but I will be Fully At Work then so I darn well need to bus pass this thing by tomorrow!).

Send tots and pears, friends.

[dividedbyblue]

Doing some corrections to existing chapters. That's done now. I can start the third chapter of my fic.