These difficulties of communication are brilliantly reasoned and clearly explained, logical and compelling. However, for a science fiction writer, I fear it's a case of 'letting the facts get in the way of a good story.' I love the idea of referencing these communication problems in a book/story, but I don't see how they can be more than background to the story itself. Can you help me out here, please?
Thank you for the thoughtful response—I truly appreciate your engagement with the piece. I agree that in many stories, communication breakdowns serve best as background texture rather than a driving force. But part of my journey as a writer is exploring the idea that the breakdown is the story—that misunderstanding (or the attempt to bridge it) can be as suspenseful, meaningful, and strange as any alien encounter itself. Not every story will lean that way, of course, and not every song is for every ear. But I’ll keep tuning my signal, and trust it’ll reach the readers meant to hear it.
I was under the impression that what you were doing in these posts is more of a sharing of your world-building and "thinking through" the logicial implcations of things, not the story itself? As to miscommuncation being more than background: many comedies of errors build the entire plot around miscommunication.
Indeed, you are most perceptive. This Whale's Song Series has been a way for me to articulate some of my creative process. I admittedly get swept up in researching possibilities, but for me, half (if not more) the joy of writing is the joy of discovery, learning, and what-if-ing. My current (larger) WIP absolutely arises from the idea that miscommunication, or moreover 'lack' of communication, may one day be our downfall - certainly not a new idea, but one that deeply resonates with my personal observations or anecdotal evidence, whatever that may be. :-)
For example, the Southern phrase "Bless your heart" has a number of meanings from "oh you poor thing" to "go to hell Bitch."
Well, didn't I just learn something new?! :-)
These difficulties of communication are brilliantly reasoned and clearly explained, logical and compelling. However, for a science fiction writer, I fear it's a case of 'letting the facts get in the way of a good story.' I love the idea of referencing these communication problems in a book/story, but I don't see how they can be more than background to the story itself. Can you help me out here, please?
Thank you for the thoughtful response—I truly appreciate your engagement with the piece. I agree that in many stories, communication breakdowns serve best as background texture rather than a driving force. But part of my journey as a writer is exploring the idea that the breakdown is the story—that misunderstanding (or the attempt to bridge it) can be as suspenseful, meaningful, and strange as any alien encounter itself. Not every story will lean that way, of course, and not every song is for every ear. But I’ll keep tuning my signal, and trust it’ll reach the readers meant to hear it.
I was under the impression that what you were doing in these posts is more of a sharing of your world-building and "thinking through" the logicial implcations of things, not the story itself? As to miscommuncation being more than background: many comedies of errors build the entire plot around miscommunication.
Indeed, you are most perceptive. This Whale's Song Series has been a way for me to articulate some of my creative process. I admittedly get swept up in researching possibilities, but for me, half (if not more) the joy of writing is the joy of discovery, learning, and what-if-ing. My current (larger) WIP absolutely arises from the idea that miscommunication, or moreover 'lack' of communication, may one day be our downfall - certainly not a new idea, but one that deeply resonates with my personal observations or anecdotal evidence, whatever that may be. :-)