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English is a language invented by humans, for humans. Which means some words don't fit well when you're writing about characters who aren't human. For example: Suppose I write "The demon tiptoed a...
#4: Attribution notice removed
by
System
·
2019-12-14T20:45:27Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/44046 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T11:31:12Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/44046 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
English is a language invented by humans, for humans. Which means some words don't fit well when you're writing about characters who _aren't_ human. For example: Suppose I write " **The demon tiptoed across the room.**" My inner nitpicker complains that demons don't have toes. But if I try to replace "tiptoed" with "tiphoofed" (tip-hoofed?), it just looks weird. Are there any guidelines for dealing with this sort of situation, or do I just have to play it by ear? **Edit:** Two of the POV characters are demons - the word choice needs to work for a demon's perspective. And they're _obsessed_ with correctness. **Edit #2:** The demons have had billions of years to figure out how to walk on their hind legs. They're perfectly capable of tiptoeing/tiphoofing.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2019-03-26T12:43:23Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 27