I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to be wholly accurate to my time period. Therefore, I am opting to work on this project as a silent film. No high-falutin’ all-talkie like those saps at big picture companies, I’m going for authenticity.
With my writing, I have found that my attention to word usage has cost me a great deal of time. Whenever I think of a word or phrase or invention I want to use, I spend an inordinate amount of time looking up its origins to ensure that it is appropriate both in meaning and in time frame. I’ve been researching one red cent, kit bag, the water cooler, hosiery, Milk of Magnesia, hang gliding (it’s been around longer than one might think), Coney Island, the toaster, marathon dancing, Calvin Coolidge, flash photography, telephones, handsets, and paper cups (to name a few).
During my research I found that in “1919 AT&T conducted more than 4,000 measurements of people's heads to gauge the best dimensions of standard headsets so that callers' lips would be near the microphone when holding handsets up to their ears.” Who knew? And what did the people being measured for this crazy apparatus think about it at the time? Did their grandchildren later brag that, “If it wasn’t for my grandpa’s big melon of a head you wouldn’t be able to use that phone right now.” See? Answers only begat more questions…
Also, word to the wise. Once you dedicate a toothbrush to be used as a shiv DO NOT attempt to brush your teeth with it.
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