Naming brands/models

[lovecraft68]

I have a character who drives my personal favorite car I ever owned, a 72 Nova SS with a 396 under the hood.

More than once I've thought "How many people under the age of even 40 would know that car unless they have a thing for classic muscle cars? I also had them driving a Oldsmobile 442...same thing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

My mother in law spent her entire life in East Boston, and they called soda "Tonic" She asked me to pass her the tonic once and I'm looking for water, and my wife whispers "She means the Pepsi."

I see that his thread is drifting into beverages, but okay. Try to order a seltzer in North Dakota or some such place and see if you are understood. "Soda water" will usually work. I don't know how far out of New York "the radius of seltzer' extends, but I have never tested it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Now I want to do that story I was riffing on above, the one about the BMW and the Nissan. The basic outline is already there. It's obviously going to be a very dark story.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Have you read J.G. Ballard's Crash? There is a movie version too, but I've only seen snippets of it. I believe he does mention the brands of cars involved.

I've seen the movie, but haven't read the book. The car fetishizing is wild, but on the whole, it wasn't to my taste...the injury porn element was a bit much for me!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Yes, it is. Yet I've read about what really happens to people who get hit with a bullet or grenade. One of these writers was a Marine who was wounded in Vietnam. What he saw in military hospitals - well, even the most "realistic" war films mostly pull their punches on that.

I Googled abdominal GSW for my story, very instructional. Made me realize why I’ve never handled a gun.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/mp-15-sbr-556-law-enforcement-only

Not an AR or AK guy, but that looks like a nice rifle!

The FMC is an LEO - as is the MMC, though of different types. He prefers a Remington 870.

Emily

 

[AlexBailey]

I have a character who drives my personal favorite car I ever owned, a 72 Nova SS with a 396 under the hood.

More than once I've thought "How many people under the age of even 40 would know that car unless they have a thing for classic muscle cars? I also had them driving a Oldsmobile 442...same thing.

4 barrel, 4 speed, dual exhaust.

 

[AlexBailey]

It might be a new kink or fetish?

There are lots of brand names that can add a tinge of kink, especially for esoteric interests.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I Googled abdominal GSW for my story, very instructional. Made me realize why I’ve never handled a gun.

Emily

I've never handled a gun because I didn't grow up in a gun culture. Now that I think about it, I wonder if West Side Story was accurate in that the "bad guys" (basically the entire cast) only used knives. The cops definitely had guns, but they almost all had revolvers.

Anyway, from the info I've picked up, getting hit in almost any body part by a bullet often leaves permanent injuries. That rarely makes it into the movies.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I have a character who drives my personal favorite car I ever owned, a 72 Nova SS with a 396 under the hood.

More than once I've thought "How many people under the age of even 40 would know that car unless they have a thing for classic muscle cars? I also had them driving a Oldsmobile 442...same thing.

Nice, but I heard it was hard to pay for insuring them. I guess you lived in a place where you could actually utilize all of that power? Usually one can't in most urban and even suburban locations. Even if you try it in the middle of the night, you could wind up like that BMW pictured above.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I've seen the movie, but haven't read the book. The car fetishizing is wild, but on the whole, it wasn't to my taste...the injury porn element was a bit much for me!

I don't think it was Ballard's true taste either, but he liked shocking the readers sometimes. An interesting but strange guy.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I've never handled a gun because I didn't grow up in a gun culture. Now that I think about it, I wonder if West Side Story was accurate in that the "bad guys" (basically the entire cast) only used knives. The cops definitely had guns, but they almost all had revolvers.

Anyway, from the info I've picked up, getting hit in almost any body part by a bullet often leaves permanent injuries. That rarely makes it into the movies.

The MMC didn’t have any major arteries severed, but had his bowel and intestines repaired in multiple places and had an emergency transfusion, followed by a lengthy convalescence.

I tried to make it realistic, I read three accounts from people who had been shot in the stomach and used what they had in common.

Oh and this was an LA hospital, not a field one.

Emily

 

[gunhilltrain]

The FMC is an LEO - as is the MMC, though of different types. He prefers a Remington 870.

Emily

Okay, Law Enforcement Officer. For a moment I thought you were referring to his astrology sign.

 

[gunhilltrain]

There are lots of brand names that can add a tinge of kink, especially for esoteric interests.

Would you tell us some that you know about, or maybe I shouldn't have asked that question?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Okay, Law Enforcement Officer. For a moment I thought you were referring to his astrology sign.

I’ve gone cop native

 

[Writer61]

Given the international nature of the readership here, I would be cautious about using brands in case they are not known elsewhere. Thingummybob might be a household name for a doofer in your country, but that is not necessarily true elsewhere.

Granted some brands/products are probably safe to use but why take the risk? Unless it needs to be an iPhone why not refer to a mobile phone?

 

[StillStunned]

Given the international nature of the readership here, I would be cautious about using brands in case they are not known elsewhere. Thingummybob might be a household name for a doofer in your country, but that is not necessarily true elsewhere.

Or if the brand is known for another signature product in a different part of the world. Like Durex: condoms in Europe, sticky tape in Australia.

 

[lovecraft68]

Nice, but I heard it was hard to pay for insuring them. I guess you lived in a place where you could actually utilize all of that power? Usually one can't in most urban and even suburban locations. Even if you try it in the middle of the night, you could wind up like that BMW pictured above.

Back when I owned the first Nova and the 442 it was in the mid to late 80's insurance wasn't the huge scam it is now. The only drawback was if you put money into fixing up the car and it was totaled you only received book value and it wasn't a lot so you needed additional coverage.

Now a car like that is a "classic' and a much higher rate. I found that out when I picked up another Nova 10 years ago as a project car....that my wife keeps reminding me is a still a project

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Given the international nature of the readership here, I would be cautious about using brands in case they are not known elsewhere. Thingummybob might be a household name for a doofer in your country, but that is not necessarily true elsewhere.

Granted some brands/products are probably safe to use but why take the risk? Unless it needs to be an iPhone why not refer to a mobile phone?

I think 'mobile phone' is reasonably understood by Americans now, but I recall when 'call my cell' caused confusion to Brits. Was she planning to be arrested?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I think 'mobile phone' is reasonably understood by Americans now, but I recall when 'call my cell' caused confusion to Brits. Was she planning to be arrested?

It would be understood by Americans, but it would sound odd. These days why specify mobile? Unless you specify a landline the assumption will be it's a cellphone.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Given the international nature of the readership here, I would be cautious about using brands in case they are not known elsewhere. Thingummybob might be a household name for a doofer in your country, but that is not necessarily true elsewhere.

Granted some brands/products are probably safe to use but why take the risk? Unless it needs to be an iPhone why not refer to a mobile phone?

Because it isn't a risk. I fully expect a British writer to use terms like lorry and biscuit where appropriate, it adds flavor to the writing.
We shouldn't make our writing generic because we don't have faith in our readers. They can either figure it out from the context or open a new tab and Google it.
We had a discussion here about vocabulary, and using words that aren't in common usage, and it really isn't any different.
One of my FMCs drives a McLaren. I doubt if anyone got offended and stopped reading the story because they weren't familiar with that particular make.

 

[Writer61]

Or if the brand is known for another signature product in a different part of the world. Like Durex: condoms in Europe, sticky tape in Australia.

I nearly mentioned that one myself.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Back when I owned the first Nova and the 442 it was in the mid to late 80's insurance wasn't the huge scam it is now. The only drawback was if you put money into fixing up the car and it was totaled you only received book value and it wasn't a lot so you needed additional coverage.

Now a car like that is a "classic' and a much higher rate. I found that out when I picked up another Nova 10 years ago as a project car....that my wife keeps reminding me is a still a project

You just need specialty coverage now. Unfortunately that limits how many miles you can drive.

 

[Writer61]

It would be understood by Americans, but it would sound odd.

Fair comment.

These days why specify mobile? Unless you specify a landline the assumption will be it's a cellphone.

That is fine if the story is set in the present day, but the difference could be relevant if set in the past.

 

[Writer61]

Because it isn't a risk. I fully expect a British writer to use terms like lorry and biscuit where appropriate, it adds flavor to the writing.
We shouldn't make our writing generic because we don't have faith in our readers. They can either figure it out from the context or open a new tab and Google it.
We had a discussion here about vocabulary, and using words that aren't in common usage, and it really isn't any different.
One of my FMCs drives a McLaren. I doubt if anyone got offended and stopped reading the story because they weren't familiar with that particular make.

If the brand is important then refer to it.