Fanfiction Lounge

[DGexe]

Er... could be anything from a growing trend to a lack of "professional" writing skills (believe it or not-- as stated, since when do you see exact measurements in litterature?)

 

[Bay]

I've actually put the exact height of one of my characters, but in a police report, not narration. ^^; I think the reason for that is that's the easy way to say how tall that person is. *shrugs*

 

[JX Valentine]

What's up with so many fanfics giving their characters an exact height, right up to the inch? I've never seen measurements like that in literature. What could have inspired it?

Oddly enough, I wrote up a lengthy rant about this in a review I've yet to post. XD

In other words, thank God I'm not the only one who wants to take a two-by-four and smack half-foot-tall kittens whenever I see someone state their main character is exactly x-foot, x-inches tall.

...Or maybe I am.

 

[Sydian]

In other words, thank God I'm not the only one who wants to take a two-by-four and smack half-foot-tall kittens whenever I see someone state their main character is exactly x-foot, x-inches tall.

D:

I hate that. ;; It makes me...AGH. Just...want to jump in there and smack the author with a freaking raw steak.

 

[Dragonfree]

Ironically, since I live in a country that exclusively uses the metric system, giving a character's height in feet and inches is a good way to leave me almost completely in the dark about how tall they are. Unless I actually went and looked it up, which I generally can't be bothered to do.

 

[DGexe]

Ironically, since I live in a country that exclusively uses the metric system, giving a character's height in feet and inches is a good way to leave me almost completely in the dark about how tall they are. Unless I actually went and looked it up, which I generally can't be bothered to do.

Speaking of metic system.... if a book that writes measures in feet, inches, miles etc. (fictional story, and not an exact measurement; you know "he was about six feet tall" stuff), do the translators go ahead and change those measurements to the metric system for readers?

 

[An-chan]

Speaking of metic system.... if a book that writes measures in feet, inches, miles etc. (fictional story, and not an exact measurement; you know "he was about six feet tall" stuff), do the translators go ahead and change those measurements to the metric system for readers?

Not always. Most of the time they do (they do that also with subbed TV programs), but not every time. Guess how annoying it is to start counting? "Let's see, one inch is about 2,5 cm, and one feet is 12 inches, so this is... Wait, five times twelve times two point five is, uh..." Now, I don't have anything against maths - more like the opposite, actually. I like maths, but it's not the thing I want to do while I'm trying to get sucked in a story.

Speaking of getting sucked into a story, I just read Ender's Game a week ago, and I read it in ten hours or something. I like to read books from cover to cover all at once, and I don't really know why. It gives me one hell of a headache, really... Imagine the effect sudden multiplications have on that headache! Oh, and no wonder I have to wear glasses :laugh:

Hmm. As Dragonfree pointed out, we Scandinavian and other exclusively metric system-using people commonly have no idea of how long feet and inches are. I only know how much an inch is because I have a measurement tape that has inches on the other side (by the way, don't you seriously have a smaller unit than inch? Like, a milli-inch or something?). So, how well are you non-metric people informed about the metric system? If I tell I'm 160 cm tall, do you know whether I'm short or not?

It's the same with celsius versus Fahrenheit, really. I have absolutely and utterly no idea of how warm is 30 degrees Fahrenheit, for example. Or 90. Do you non-metric people know if it's cold here or not if I say it's 5 degrees outside? (actually, it's about 0 degrees here now...)

Subject on topic? Hell no!

 

[txteclipse]

If I tell I'm 160 cm tall, do you know whether I'm short or not?

I think that's short, but let me do the math real quick. 160 cm is roughly 65 inches, which would be five feet, five inches tall, which is short-ish.

 

[Sydian]

Ack. D: I cannot use the Metric or Celcius system to save my life. ;; It always confuses me when talking to people that live in those countries, because I'll always be lost on that subject. ;;

We could just use the greatest alternative to the measuring systems -- Jon Boy Jim Bob was short and it was REALLY hot outside.

That should clear the air for us now. <3

 

[An-chan]

Yeah, I was jut curious ^-^

txteclipse: Indeed I am short-ish, but because people women in Finland are generally rather tall (the average height of a Finnish woman is 170 cm and for a man it's 179 or so), I'm simply short without the "ish".

I think the worst outcome of the system differences will be seen in traffic :laugh: I mean, if I had a driving license and was to drive in, say, the US, I would have absolutely no idea how fast I was allowed to drive xD Because unfortunately, for some reason, they don't have signs that say "fast" or "slow".

But yeah, in literature, I prefer when things are described in words rather than numbers. Of course, it greatly depends on the style, but using the characters exact height when describing said character might come off a bit dry. When it's done well, then of course there's no problem with it, but my general guideline would be not to use numbers.

She was exactly 155,34 centimeters tall, she weighted 49 kilograms, which is approximately 490 Newtons, and her glasses were minus two point five. Her shoes were the size 37...

That reminds me. Clothing sizes: why are they different? Why are American versions of T-shirts in sizes S, M, L, XL etc. different from European ones? I can understand it in the case of Japanese and Chinese people, because they are generally smaller than Americans, for example. But Americans and Europeans are about the same size. Why the difference? Why the different shoe sizes? Why can't the world just unite to prevent my head from exploding when I try to buy stuff online? Why?

 

[DGexe]

When someone says "such-and-such meters" I go "eh, wha'?". I can mentally guess, but the accuracy varies a lot. ><;

As for anything smaller than an inch... I don't think so. I can visualize millimeters and centimeters, but that's because those are on the measuring tapes here. Even then... well, I'm measuring-challenged either way! *shot*

 

[Dragonfree]

Speaking of metic system.... if a book that writes measures in feet, inches, miles etc. (fictional story, and not an exact measurement; you know "he was about six feet tall" stuff), do the translators go ahead and change those measurements to the metric system for readers?

Well, I don't remember a lot of books using exact measurements, but in the only one I remember (the first Harry Potter book, where Ollivander is describing the sizes of all the wands), the translator converted it all to centimeters. Movies usually tend to do that too in the translations; miles get turned into kilometers, pounds to kilograms, etc.

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

Uwaaaah! That American thingomabobby system annoys me. xP I live in a country that it would be weird to say "inches" in so, well, it leaves me in the dark completely when people talk about inches and feet. Although I can still tell 5'5" is...uh...30 times 5 plus 2.5 times 5 is...uh...157.5cm, I still suck at distance estimation, so I can't really guess how tall that is. Alright, I CAN guess that as I'M 150-something, but other than that, not really... I dun' liek how us peoples can't even agree on how long a basic distance is. :\

 

[Buoysel]

(by the way, don't you seriously have a smaller unit than inch? Like, a milli-inch or something?). So, how well are you non-metric people informed about the metric system? If I tell I'm 160 cm tall, do you know whether I'm short or not?

We divide the inch all the way down to 1/32" , or 0.079375 cms but most people strugle with the fractions beyond 1/4"

It's the same with celsius versus Fahrenheit, really. I have absolutely and utterly no idea of how warm is 30 degrees Fahrenheit, for example. Or 90. Do you non-metric people know if it's cold here or not if I say it's 5 degrees outside? (actually, it's about 0 degrees here now...)

Being the weather gooruo of the section, I can half ass the Celsius side, I know that 0^oC is the point at which water freezes, and 100^oC is the temp at which water boils. I know that 30^oC is pretty warm.

Now for the Fahrenheit explanation. I know off the top of my head why the temps where set where they are at; anyway, water freezes at 32^oF, and it boils at 212^oF.

30^oF is really cold, it's about -1, or -2 ^oC, and 90^oF is hot, (about 32^oC)

But 90^oF is not that hot to some people in the USA, expecialy in the southwest (where I'm from), I can remeber the tempature being 115^oF at times, uh 46.5^o C

That reminds me. Clothing sizes: why are they different? Why are American versions of T-shirts in sizes S, M, L, XL etc. different from European ones? I can understand it in the case of Japanese and Chinese people, because they are generally smaller than Americans, for example. But Americans and Europeans are about the same size. Why the difference? Why the different shoe sizes? Why can't the world just unite to prevent my head from exploding when I try to buy stuff online? Why?

What is the clothing measurements in Europe?

I can tell you that our shoe size is all ****ed up, I mean come on, it goes 1-12 or 14 I think, and then starts over again, so it starts out in infants 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,1,2,3,4... untill you get to adults, and then it just keeps going and going and.... I knew a guy who had 16 1/2 shoe size. I have heard that the tallest guy in the world wore size 26, sorry no conversion there.

EDIT: Ninjia Caterpie, I can tell you that 1 mile is 1.6 KM, what really throws me off is the conversion of KMh to mph, I know it, but when someone says that they are doing 60kmh sounds fast over here, but in realty is just under 35mph, or the average speed though towns.

 

[DGexe]

We divide the inch all the way down to 1/32" , or 0.079375 cms but most people strugle with the fractions beyond 1/4"

OOh yeah, that's right, forgot 'bout that. *usually doesn't use anything smaller than an inch... mwhaha?*

And I'm simple: I have a 7 shoe size, with a quad-A, quin-A heel... or is that my mother's foot?
{To the Quads and quins... in simple terms, I have a freakin' NARROW shoe; most shoe stores don't carry the kinds of shoes I need, my feet are that narrow; it's my mother's fault! I got her genes! D: *sobs*)

 

[Rabbit]

I know off the top of my head why the temps where set where they are at;

Did I hear you right? You know why they're set there? Could you tell me? I've been wanting to know for ages. None of my American friends can tell me. I always figured this Fahrenheit guy was just messing with everyone.

 

[Konekodemon]

A New Trainer In Town

Info: Ok, this story is based on the RPG 'A New Professor In Town'. But this is based on what happens to my character after the RPG. See the owner didn't want to continue the roleplay to other regions after Kanto, so I thought I'd write a story on it. But I can't write it yet not until I get permission to use Professor Maple from the owner. I know FlareonFan probabbly wouldn't mind me having Sean in this, but I need permission to use Professor Maple.

Different looks for different Regions(My character)

Orange Islands:

Johto:

Hoenn:

Sinnoh:

Ok, I have gotten permission from slls81 to use Professor Maple. I will be starting the story later on today.

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

EDIT: Ninjia Caterpie, I can tell you that 1 mile is 1.6 KM, what really throws me off is the conversion of KMh to mph, I know it, but when someone says that they are doing 60kmh sounds fast over here, but in realty is just under 35mph, or the average speed though towns.

:\ KM to M is easy, it's KM to M that's hard. I get confused. xP

 

[The Dark Knight]

Hi guys, I'm new to writing fan-fics, and I've started the prologue of a Metroid one. What do you think? It's attatched as a .txt file.

 

[Buoysel]

Did I hear you right? You know why they're set there? Could you tell me? I've been wanting to know for ages. None of my American friends can tell me. I always figured this Fahrenheit guy was just messing with everyone.

Oh yeah its easy, For Fahrenheit

Spoiler:

I can't tell you why he set out to make a new temp system, but here is what I know...

For 0 degrees, He was going to put it at the temperature at which water freezes, except he acdiendly use sea water, which contains salt. Salt water does not freeze at the same temperature as fresh water. As you have probably guess by now, it freezes 32 degrees colder.

For 100 degrees, the guy was going to put it at the human body temp; but un announced to him, his assistant was sick that day, and running a fever. Which is why the the normal human body temperature is 98.7^oF, instead of 100 degrees.

The Fahrenheit guy made a lot of mistakes.

Celsius

Spoiler:

This one is really simple, water freezes at 0, and boils at 100.

:\ KM to M is easy, it's KM to M that's hard. I get confused. xP

I have to use a calculator for both, but I do know that 1mph is 1.6 kmph.

So if you have kmph, and you want to convert it, you divide it by 1.6.

If you have mph, and you want to convert it, you multiply it by 1.6