Eagles Over the Kennebec

Edited to Add:  I'm seeing people volunteering (thank you!) and asking questions.  I also see that we may have a list already to work from.  I'm going to be in and out for the rest of the day; I'll try to keep up with the question-answering part and get back to the larger discussion tomorrow morning. So -- not ignoring you if I don't answer right away.  Thanks again!

OK.  It seems to me, from perusing the previous discussions, that we have lots of volunteers for Harvesting, but not so many folks want to Wrangle.  No blame to any of us — you see me saying I got no time to Wrangle Weird Words, right? — it’s a massive job.

Which means that we will need to go, with Great Trepidation on the part of the Luddite Writer, to a software sort.  We had several volunteers for this — if whomever is still interested in playing would shout out again, in response to this message, we can all put our heads together to see how best to split up the books.

I will still need at least one, and preferably three Wranglers, because, let’s face it, that’s a BIG pile o’novels over there, and some — I’m looking at you, Crystal books — are harder going than others.

The Wish List now looks like this:

1.  Automagicians

2.  Wranglers

3.  Cabana boy

The goal, one more time:  A list of Weird Words (including all “foreign” words, be they Liaden, Terran, Delgadan, Vandese, or etc.), and  Names (including ship names, planet names, city names, personal names) for each book.  One book = One list. In the order the words appear.

Someone had asked if I also wanted odd combos, such as “brother-cousin” or “close-kin” or “Silain-luthia”.  Of the examples given, the only pairing I would want would be “Silain-luthia” because Silain has the possibility of becoming I-dare-not-guess and luthia — is an invented word.

Why do I want this?  You guys have been so good about putting up with my fidgeting and fussing over this, you deserve the straight dope.

I want these lists, and in this particular format, for two reasons.

Reason One:  The Liaden Pronunciation Guide Steve and I have been talking about Forever.

Reason Two:   A bunch of Liaden books are going to be produced as audiobooks, RSN.  We have promised — actually, given what happened with poor Mr. Shanks — we have insisted that we will provide pronunciation assistance.  It is Reason Two that produces the deadline.

Worries:  I am particularly concerned that names stay together — Val Con yos’Phelium, Shan yos’Galan and etc.  This is the major need for the Word Wranglers.  I’m not so worried about bizarre English words sneaking into the list, because, if they’re that bizarre, they belong on the list.

. . .I think that’s it.

OK — who’s in?

OK, I don’t have much experience coordinating a project this big. My general approach, when confronted with an Enormous Project is to break it down into bite-sized pieces, but! I’m not a project manager and have none of that Foo.

Below, is what I’ve got — comments and advice welcome. I’ll also be looking for volunteers, but that’ll come later.

I’m soliciting ideas on how to implement in order to achieve the goal without loss of life, and without anyone having to bear an enormous burden of work.

The Goal:  A list, for each novel, of all the Liaden-and-other-Weird-Words that appear in that novel, AND a list of Liaden-and-other-Weird-Names that appear in that novel.

What the lists would look like:

1. Title of Book, Edition
a. Word One, Page Number
b. Word Two, Page Number
Lather, rinse, repeat

2. Title of Book, Edition
a. Name One, Page Number
b. Name One, Page Number
Lather, rinse, repeat

I’m guessing that there ought to multiple eyes on each novel, in order to make sure that the maximum number of Weird Words (henceforth WW) are captured. Some of the WW will be English words (we use a smattering of obsolete English words, Just Because), some of the WW will be Terran slang, Delgadan words, and the ever-popular etcetera.

For the names — I’m guessing another buncha eyes for each book, so that the maximum number are captured.

Question: Planet and ship names — Different lists? Or folded into the Names List?

Also needed, someone or someplace to receive, and coordinate, the lists.

Ultimately, the lists will be used by Lee and Miller for Something Really Cool, and will play an important role in the Web Pronunciation Guide Project.

There is some time limitation on getting this together, but at the moment, the deadline is squishy.

So! What’s the best way to set this up?