Writing Blog Number 2

20241023 Technical Jargon (In Stories)

Technical Jargon (In Stories)

My last post was about using technology in a story. This is NOT that. This is using technical jargon in a story.

What is technical jargon?
Technical jargon is the use of words or phrases that are almost unique to an occupation, or have a different meaning inside an occupation to the rest of the world.
         Those in the occupation just accept it; those outside are confused by it. And that is the nature of technical jargon.
         For example, to an Australian police officer, a hi-cide is when a motorcyclist dies on the road because of excessive speed. No-one else would know that word.
         On the other hand, a word like duck means a water-bird that quacks… whereas to a cricketer it means getting a score of “zero” when batting.
         Technical jargon can also be a shorthand way of saying something long, using acronyms, abbreviations, etc. A doctor will say c.c.s instead of “cubic centimetres” because it’s quicker.

Why use technical jargon?
Technical jargon evolves over time inside occupations, or it can come from the same etymological base and just went on a different path.
         Using technical jargon can give a story a sense of realty. It makes the people seem more real. And that is the main reason to use it – it adds reality and can help the immersion and suspencion of disbelief.

Problems with technical jargon
There are two main problems.
         The first is that people will not understand it. And that is a huge issue in highly technical professions, like engineering, medicine, law, etc.
         As a writer, you cannot have a lawyer say, “This is a case of corpus delicti which, as you know, means. ‘the body of the case, that there is a case to be answered.’” That’s stupid. But the layperson is going to be slightly confused by this sort of language.
         The second is that the writer, being a writer, could use the terms wrong, or slightly wrong, just wrong enough for an expert (or an amateur aficionado) to be concerned. And if someone decides to look it up and sees the mistake, then they could well then doubt everything else about the story and what is being portrayed.

Avoiding problems in technical jargon
There are a few ways to avoid it.
         First, don’t use it. Full stop. I have read a lot of books with hospital scenes where the medical professionals don’t speak on camera (you get what I mean) and so their technical jargon is avided.
         Second is something that Michael Crichton wanted to do, but was vetoed by the publisher – include a glossary. A few stories do this, but not enough. I don’t see an issue; it is often used fr foreign languages (especially made yup ones) in books, so for technical jargon, why not? At the back, just a quick one.
         Third is to ignore the confusion, and let the context let the reader know what is going on, which is what John Grisham does. Lots of legalese, and yet he is so good at weaving it in and out of the story, it does not distract from the story at its core.
         Fourth, and this is to make sure you don’t use the jargon wrong, is to only use jargon you yourself use. For me, this would mean music, performing, teaching, palaeontology, sport, fitness, etymology, historical research and physical rehabilitation (yes, I’ve had a weird life). It also means I would have to avoid medicine, law, etc.
         Following on from that, fifth is to ask people who are in the field. Get them to read it and listen to them when they say something is wrong. Change it!
         Lots to consider, that’s for sure!

Conclusion
Should you use technical jargon? In my opinion – YES!
         It really does help in world-building and is a nice addition, and can even be an Easter Egg for those “in the know.” I would say only avoid it if you really have to, but otherwise, just make sure it is used correctly.
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