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Understanding a Bit

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
Title is somewhat misleading. I was searching for a pun hidden somewhere within, but that's the best I could do off the cuff.

Anyway, another question for the membership that comes from critique group responses. If you read this:
The arrow sliced through the air over her right shoulder, swallowed by the mist behind. Smirk still scrawled across her face, she straightened and slid two hatchets from the small of her back, forward on her belt. Her thumbs unhooked leather loops holding them in place.

Solid metal all the way through, worn, brown leather wrapped the handles and trailed beaded lanyards. Heads gleamed along sharpened bits and wicked, rearward spikes.

Would you think a "bit" is:
1. A small piece
2. The sharpened edge of an axe.
3. Other

The second definition is technically correct. However, the first also makes sense in context, but it is bland and vague if understood by the reader in that way. I don't want readers to need a proficiency with axe terminology to comprehend the narrative as intended. At the same time though, I don't want to write down to my audience. As they say, you should write to the top 5-10% of readers.

It has occured to me that regular fantasy readers may understand this term where readers outside of the genre may not. This particular critique group covers all genres and only has one dedicated reader of fantasy & SciFi.

Thoughts?
 
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Reaver

Staff
Moderator
To me, a bit is a small piece. Also a part that goes into a drill; as in a drill bit.

I didn't know that it referred to the sharpened edge of an axe. Now I do.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I'm with Reaver and XE.
From the description above I wouldn't at first think of an axe - some kind of weapon probably, but more like a club wrapped around with leather and where pieces of metal shone through between the straps.

I'm guessing "heads" is a reference to the head of the axe as well? Is the description of multiple weapons or one with many heads? I'm assuming that'll be clear from context.

---

I haven't heard this about writing for the top 5-10% of your readers. I can see where it's coming from but I'm uncertain about whether I agree or not. There's definitely a point to it, but it's a tricky balance to strike between that and maintaining clarity.
I try as much as possible to ensure that I use a language that's easily understood and easily readable. It's not that I doubt my readers' ability to understand, but that I want the barrier between the reader and the story (the text) to be as easily overcome as can be.
It's a tricky balance to strike I guess. You don't want the reader to feel like you're underestimating them, but you also don't want to confuse them.
 
Hi,

I would not have picked that you were describing an axe like the others - or indeed that you were describing just one thing at all. You talk about handles plural and lanyards plural. And the axe is solid metal allthe way through - you mean the handle too? That would make it incredibly heavy.

As for the bits I would have thought they referred to small pieces. The sharpened edge of an axe is a blade I think.

Cheers, Greg.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I know this isn't part of the original question, but the first sentence is a little bit unclear. I think that the comma after through kind of throws things off a bit. I'm thinking the intent is to separate Solid metal all the way through from worn, brown leather wrapped the handles and trailed beaded lanyards. - but the first time I read it, it came across as all the way through, worn, brown leather and that can't be the intent.

The confusion caused by the comma makes it a little unclear what's really going on in the sentence. That in turn makes the next sentence less certain and then the use of bit adds on to that.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
I suppose I trimmed the paragraph too short. The prior lines clearly state that the character is holding two axes.

I'll edit the original post for clarity.
 
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Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I suppose I trimmed the paragraph too short. The prior lines clearly state that the character is holding two axes.

That would have made a difference for sure. :)

Edit: Then again, I guess part of the exercise was to see how many people would associate the word bit with the edge of an axe.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
And the axe is solid metal allthe way through - you mean the handle too? That would make it incredibly heavy.

Not to go off track, but with hatchet-sized tools and weapons, a full metal tang is not uncommon.

I've edited the original quote to include the prior paragraph.
 
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Reaver

Staff
Moderator
Not to go off track, but with hatchet-sized tools and weapons, a full metal tang is not uncommon.

This is true. Hatchets are less than half the size of a standard axe. Also... for my benefit and hopefully others, I present the anatomy of an axe:


axe_anatomy.jpg
 

Pythagoras

Troubadour
While it is true that before reading this post I was unaware of this definition for bit, my initial impression upon reading the excerpt wasn't wrong. It's written well enough that I think the context speaks for itself, and to be honest, at the end of the day it's such a small thing that I personally wouldn't get hung up over it either way.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
Thanks all. The question has been answered. Since I want clarity above all, the term "bit" seems too technical and possibly less precise than other options, like "edge".

I appreciate all the responses.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
I read the excerpt in context, and when I read 'bit' I thought it was definition 1. I didn't know the blade of the axe was called a bit. Now I do. :D

My over all impression of the the excerpt is, yes, it's pulled a little too tight. I understood everything that was going on, but I had to slow myself down and wait for the information to parse.

The last sentence in particular, I had to figure out you were talking about axes, because "Heads gleamed along sharpened bits..." didn't register in my head as referring to the axes. And it goes right back to me not knowing that 'bit' was an axe blade.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
The last sentence in particular, I had to figure out you were talking about axes, because "Heads gleamed along sharpened bits..." didn't register in my head as referring to the axes. And it goes right back to me not knowing that 'bit' was an axe blade.
And that is exactly what I want to avoid.

Thanks.
 
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