Is technology deficient a bad thing when writing novels?

SpookyWriter · May 31, 2007

I hadn't thought about it much until recently because most of my work doesn't have a particular scene or instance where I need to introduce an IPOD or some other technical device.

Since I write horror/suspense, most of my scenes to date are people orientated and not geared toward the technology around us today. I imagine I can have a scene where a character needs to make a call from a remote location. Okay that's easy. The character picks up (reaches for) a cell phone and places the call.

Only problem is that I never owed a cell phone, so I don't know the first thing about using one.

I don't have any of the technical devices many people take for granted. So how will this affect my scene? Heck, I guess if I need to I'll go borrow a cell phone or IPOD to find out how it works.

Do you think my technological deficiencies will be a hindrance or does it matter at all?

Just curious.

Side note: I'm a programmer with over twenty years experience, have my BSCIS, and have written advanced technology in many areas. I just choose not to have our use most modern contraptions.

veinglory · May 31, 2007

Thinking it over I realise that all my writing contains only one instance of using a cell phone, and the hero had to borrow it from a bystander.

Make of it what you will...

TheIT · May 31, 2007

My first instinct is to say, no, it shouldn't be a problem if a contemporary story doesn't incorporate modern technology. Why add bells and whistles if the story doesn't need it?

That said, the only thing I think might be a problem is if part of the story hinges on a lower-tech solution, but the reader sees a higher-tech solution. For example, let's say one of the characters gets into trouble in some odd location. A reader might say, "Well, why doesn't the character pull out a cell phone and call for help?" If the story doesn't at least address why a cell phone isn't used, the reader might be pulled out of the story.

Even if a technology exists, there are lots of ways for gadgets to break so that the characters are forced to resort to more primitive means. In the case of the cell phone: the battery could be dead, the phone could break, might be out of range, etc.

veinglory · May 31, 2007

...A lot of people still don't have one.

SpookyWriter · May 31, 2007

TheIT said:
Even if a technology exists, there are lots of ways for gadgets to break so that the characters are forced to resort to more primitive means. In the case of the cell phone: the battery could be dead, the phone could break, might be out of range, etc.

That's an interesting point. So someone should at least know the various problems a character could face with a specific type of technology. Would an IPOD work under a bridge?

TheIT · May 31, 2007

veinglory said:
...A lot of people still don't have one.

True, but a lot of people do have cell phones so an average reader might think it odd if the character doesn't. A simple throwaway line about how the character never got a cell phone or doesn't have the phone on him would be sufficient to explain away why he didn't call for help and would get the story back on track.

TheIT · May 31, 2007

SpookyWriter said:
That's an interesting point. So someone should at least know the various problems a character could face with a specific type of technology. Would an IPOD work under a bridge?

I don't own an iPod, but as far as I know, it's basically a playback device for music stored in the iPod itself. I think some of them have built in radio receivers, too, so a bridge might interfere with radio reception. If the character is just listening to recorded music, then I think that could be done anywhere.

ETA: For simple questions, your local Circuit City or Best Buy equivalent would be a good place to start.

scarletpeaches · May 31, 2007

But for god's sake don't have the mobile's battery going dead; that's been done to death.

Danger Jane · May 31, 2007

iPods are a work of God.

They store the music inside them--they'll work under a bridge or underground, it doesn't matter. Cellphones should also work under a bridge, unless the service provider isn't very good or if the area has poor service (or if the bridge is lead-plated...).

Joe270 · May 31, 2007

My cell phone goes dead every day, Peaches, it's just a fact of life. I don't think it qualifies as cliche if it happens regularly.

But it is more fun to have the darn things run over by a truck or steamroller.

Anyone else see your cell phone as your wife's personal remote control for you?

SpookyWriter · May 31, 2007

Joe270 said:
Anyone else see your cell phone as your wife's personal remote control for you?

I don't have a wife, or a girlfriend, or a dog, or a cat, and so I'm thinking how lucky I am. Yep.

justpat · May 31, 2007

SpookyWriter said:
I don't have a wife, or a girlfriend, or a dog, or a cat, and so I'm thinking how lucky I am. Yep.

You'd be better of with an IPod or a cell phone, instead of a wife, anyway.

SpookyWriter · May 31, 2007

justpat said:
You'd be better of with an IPod or a cell phone, instead of a wife, anyway.

Just so long as I can name it "Doris" because I never let a day go by without thinking of the first woman who made me tingle whenever she showed up.

Danger Jane · May 31, 2007

You can actually. When the iPod shows up in the sidebar on iTunes, you can double click the name and rename it. Mine is called Nancy Owns Your Soul Machine.

Southern_girl29 · May 31, 2007

In my novel, I have a scene where the characters are in a car and being chased by the killer. One of the characters suggested the mother call the police. She says she doesn't own a cell phone, so she can't call. I don't have a cell phone either. We got rid of ours when my DH lost his job last year. His company now provides one for him, and I don't really think I have to have one.

blacbird · May 31, 2007

Mdlle. Nancy said:
iPods are a work of God.

iPods are a work of Satan. Cell phones too.

caw

SpookyWriter · May 31, 2007

blacbird said:
iPods are a work of Satan. Cell phones too.

caw

Of course one would come in handy if a stray bear came into your backyard by accident.

You could either listen to your favorite tunes while the bear ate you or call for help while it's chasing you.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 1, 2007

Technology

Unless it's important to the story, you don't have to know how something works, you only have to know what it does.

It's like a car. Just because a car is in a scene doesn't mean you have to know anything about the technology involved. You don't have to know it has electronic ignition, etc. The character just drive sit.

Same with a cell phone or an iPod. Just saying a character used his cell phone to call someone is almost always enough, and just saying a character is listening to some song on his iPod is usually enough. You don't have to explain how.

SpookyWriter · Jun 1, 2007

That's what I thought. Thanks

tjwriter · Jun 1, 2007

SpookyWriter said:
I imagine I can have a scene where a character needs to make a call from a remote location. Okay that's easy. The character picks up (reaches for) a cell phone and places the call.

TheIT said:
Even if a technology exists, there are lots of ways for gadgets to break so that the characters are forced to resort to more primitive means. In the case of the cell phone: the battery could be dead, the phone could break, might be out of range, etc.

The only thing that sets off my alarms, Spooky, is the fact that you have your character being in a remote location and just, Poof!, making a cell phone call. I know it's just an example, but let me give you an example.

A few years ago, when AT&T Wireless was its own company, we had service through them. The town we live in sits in a depression and is not so populated. If we wanted to use our cell phones, we had to go out on the porch as service was sketchy at best in the house.

In fact, when we went to switch service later, Verizon told us up front that they don't have good range were we live. In fact Cingular was the only one that had an agreement to use the closest tower, and therefore provide a decent service.

But you know, it's all FYI...

Dave.C.Robinson · Jun 1, 2007

Another little fact about cell phones: AT&T (inc. Cingular) and T-Mobil use one kind of technology while Sprint and Verizon use another. It's not too important most of the time but a general rule is that AT&T and T-Mobil phones are more likely to have similar coverage areas than either is with Sprint or Verizon.

Nextel uses something completely different so they have yet a third coverage map.

Chumplet · Jun 1, 2007

When we rented a cottage in Haliburton, we had no cell service from our location, and it was only twenty minutes from the nearest town. Hilly terrain might have been the culprit.

My WIP involves a lot of running around in the Pyrenees, so if they had a cell phone, it probably wouldn't work.

veinglory · Jun 1, 2007

Every time I really need (broken down in the middle of nowhere) my phone the battery is dead. It should be a horror movie staple...

benbradley · Jun 1, 2007

tjwriter said:
The only thing that sets off my alarms, Spooky, is the fact that you have your character being in a remote location and just, Poof!, making a cell phone call. I know it's just an example, but let me give you an example.
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A few years ago, when AT&T Wireless was its own company, we had service through them. The town we live in sits in a depression and is not so populated. If we wanted to use our cell phones, we had to go out on the porch as service was sketchy at best in the house.

In fact, when we went to switch service later, Verizon told us up front that they don't have good range were we live. In fact Cingular was the only one that had an agreement to use the closest tower, and therefore provide a decent service.

But you know, it's all FYI...

If you really want "full coverage" wherever you go, you can get it with satellite phone service, but it's really expensive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_(satellite)
It looks like they don't even make the phones for it anymore, you can only buy used satellite phones. But this could be an essential service and worth the price for the adventurous who know they'll be out of "traditional" cellphone tower service, such as small plane pilots and mountain climbers.

What is it with us nerds? I have a two-plus decades career as an embedded software/hardware designer, and I don't use a cellphone either. But I still have a landline and I know it's 5-nines reliable, and I'm sure cellphones are not. Don't have an ipod or other mp3 player (not counting desktop computers!) either.

Jedi Dad · Jun 1, 2007

veinglory said:
...A lot of people still don't have one.

Just a funny note, on my way to work this morning I saw a homeless man pushing his shopping cart full of stuff down the sidewalk. he had a cell phone on his belt.

Is technology deficient a bad thing when writing novels?

SpookyWriter

veinglory

volitare nequeo

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

veinglory

volitare nequeo

SpookyWriter

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

scarletpeaches

Danger Jane

Joe270

SpookyWriter

justpat

QueryTracker

SpookyWriter

Danger Jane

Southern_girl29

blacbird

SpookyWriter

Jamesaritchie

SpookyWriter

tjwriter

Emerging Anew

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

Chumplet

This hat is getting too hot

veinglory

volitare nequeo

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

Jedi Dad

Writing with Force