In 7th grade, I got a typewriter for Christmas (because my handwriting was so bad and a teacher told my parents I should have a typewriter).
I was out of school for Christmas vacation and had a new typewriter. So I wrote a short story. I put the story in one of my dresser drawers after it was done, and forgot about it.
In 12th grade, I took a Creative Writing course. One of the requirements was to write 3 short stories. I thought I would get the old one out of my drawer and rewrite it for my class. When I was rewriting it, new ideas kept coming and I soon realized it would no longer be a short story. So I put the new version aside and wrote a completely different story for my class. After I graduated, I started working on the story again. In college, I didn't have a lot of spare time, but when I did, I continued working on the story and basically finished it.
I went into the Air Force after college, and bought a computer. Over a couple of years, I typed all my handwritten work into the computer. Not just that story, but other things I had written over the years in notebooks.
Once the story was in digital form, I found it easy to share it with others and get their feedback. One lady was adamant that no one could learn a language as fast as Jim and Dale were doing. I decided to test her assertion, and went on a camping trip with a friend who had never tried to learn a second language. The rule for the weekend was that we would speak no English. I had my dictionary (since I was not yet fluent with my own language). After about two hours, he had gotten to the point where he could ask "what is - " questions. From that point on, he picked up the language fairly well. Then I took a camping trip with a different friend who already spoke 3 languages. Same rule - no English. He was asking "what is - " questions in less than an hour and by the end of the weekend was as fluent as I had become.
So the first friend represented Jim, and the second one represented Dale, and of course I represented Quanto. And over the course of a weekend we showed that it was in fact possible to learn Unawinald very quickly.
It is intentionally a logical, simple language. It's writing system is equally logical. I haven't had occasion to speak it in years now, but I can quickly come up to speed if I need to using the dictionary I made.
As far as inspiration, with the exception of actually going to another universe, the story elements came directly from my life experience. I have always loved camping and canoeing and backpacking. I have been a Ham Radio operator since I was 17, and electronics was my special interest since I was 6 years old.
I was out of school for Christmas vacation and had a new typewriter. So I wrote a short story. I put the story in one of my dresser drawers after it was done, and forgot about it.
In 12th grade, I took a Creative Writing course. One of the requirements was to write 3 short stories. I thought I would get the old one out of my drawer and rewrite it for my class. When I was rewriting it, new ideas kept coming and I soon realized it would no longer be a short story. So I put the new version aside and wrote a completely different story for my class. After I graduated, I started working on the story again. In college, I didn't have a lot of spare time, but when I did, I continued working on the story and basically finished it.
I went into the Air Force after college, and bought a computer. Over a couple of years, I typed all my handwritten work into the computer. Not just that story, but other things I had written over the years in notebooks.
Once the story was in digital form, I found it easy to share it with others and get their feedback. One lady was adamant that no one could learn a language as fast as Jim and Dale were doing. I decided to test her assertion, and went on a camping trip with a friend who had never tried to learn a second language. The rule for the weekend was that we would speak no English. I had my dictionary (since I was not yet fluent with my own language). After about two hours, he had gotten to the point where he could ask "what is - " questions. From that point on, he picked up the language fairly well. Then I took a camping trip with a different friend who already spoke 3 languages. Same rule - no English. He was asking "what is - " questions in less than an hour and by the end of the weekend was as fluent as I had become.
So the first friend represented Jim, and the second one represented Dale, and of course I represented Quanto. And over the course of a weekend we showed that it was in fact possible to learn Unawinald very quickly.
It is intentionally a logical, simple language. It's writing system is equally logical. I haven't had occasion to speak it in years now, but I can quickly come up to speed if I need to using the dictionary I made.
As far as inspiration, with the exception of actually going to another universe, the story elements came directly from my life experience. I have always loved camping and canoeing and backpacking. I have been a Ham Radio operator since I was 17, and electronics was my special interest since I was 6 years old.
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