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What counts as an 'undertaker'

Printed From: NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting
Category: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Forum Name: Creative Writing Corner
Forum Description: Discuss NYC Midnight Creative Writing Competitions or Creative Writing in general.
URL: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14798
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Topic: What counts as an 'undertaker'
Posted By: sinister
Subject: What counts as an 'undertaker'
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 12:55am
Wikipedia says that undertaker is an archaic term in the US, and the preferred term is 'funeral director,' so that's what I used.  What say you?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_director" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_director



Replies:
Posted By: JanesDragon
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 1:15am
I think it's the same. 
Also, hello fellow Portland area finalist person!
Tualatin here.


Posted By: LyndaD
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 1:17am
I took 'undertaker' to mean a person who prepares a body for burial.  
I just realized that, while my MC works with the dead and mentions cleaning up and preparing bodies, the actual word 'undertaker' never appears. I hope that's okay....


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Posted By: sinister
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 2:11am
Originally posted by JanesDragon JanesDragon wrote:

I think it's the same. 
Also, hello fellow Portland area finalist person!
Tualatin here.
Hallo from the far reaches of East Portland.  How about this sunshine, am I right?  Cheers and good luck! :)


Posted By: Scarlet Screenwriter
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 5:40am

I had "Mortitian" as a character a few years ago in Screenplay ... same difference ...






Posted By: Tricksie
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 9:03am
No sense worrying about it now!! I think any character related to preparing dead bodies or funerals works. 

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Posted By: Imaginative Insanity
Date Posted: 07 May 2017 at 12:12pm
Originally posted by LyndaD LyndaD wrote:

I took 'undertaker' to mean a person who prepares a body for burial.  
I just realized that, while my MC works with the dead and mentions cleaning up and preparing bodies, the actual word 'undertaker' never appears. I hope that's okay....

For round 2, my character assignment was a 40-year-old unemployed man. I never directly mentioned that he was 40, only that he graduated high school 22 years ago. And I never directly said he was unemployed either, just that he worked somewhere until his previous boss suffered an untimely accident.

Apparently they thought that was acceptable, so I think you should be more than fine. Smile



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Posted By: BlackGate
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 9:59am
For me an undertaker is anyone who's role is to prepare and convey the remains of a deceased person (or entity) to the grave.

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Posted By: patsy
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 11:51am
From good old Merriam-Webster:

Definition of undertaker

  1. 1:  one who  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertakes" rel="nofollow - undertakes  :  one who takes the risk and management of business :   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur" rel="nofollow - entrepreneur

  2. 2:  one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

  3. 3:  an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries



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Posted By: BlackGate
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 12:00pm
Originally posted by patsy patsy wrote:

From good old Merriam-Webster:

Definition of undertaker

  1. 1:  one who  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertakes" rel="nofollow - undertakes  :  one who takes the risk and management of business :   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur" rel="nofollow - entrepreneur

  2. 2:  one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

  3. 3:  an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries


Employing definitions 1 and 3 would have taken some bravery! Not sure the judges would have been tuned in to those.

BG


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Posted By: readingrid
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 1:28pm
From what I've observed, creative interpretations are welcome (assuming the story is also well-written). I don't think the story would be disqualified if your undertaker were not a literal undertaker. After the 30th story or so, I'm sure the judges are tired of reading about the funeral biz at dawn and would give anything to read about the WWF champ The Undertaker sipping a tequila sunrise or something. ;) 


Posted By: DocDrummer
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 1:34pm
I would say I definitely used some creative license in my interpretation of the character Undertaker. I am hoping it pays off.

And it's not a wrestler! Although that thought did cross my mind when I was brainstorming.

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Thanks for reading!


Posted By: readingrid
Date Posted: 09 May 2017 at 1:41pm
(I should've added: not that literal interpretations are NOT rewarded or can't be just as creative [or more so] than some wild reading of the prompt! It's really all in how it's written, isn't it?)

 


Posted By: patsy
Date Posted: 16 May 2017 at 7:41pm
Originally posted by BlackGate BlackGate wrote:

Originally posted by patsy patsy wrote:

From good old Merriam-Webster:

Definition of undertaker

  1. 1:  one who  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertakes" rel="nofollow - undertakes  :  one who takes the risk and management of business :   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur" rel="nofollow - entrepreneur

  2. 2:  one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

  3. 3:  an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries


Employing definitions 1 and 3 would have taken some bravery! Not sure the judges would have been tuned in to those.

BG

I ALMOST tried 3 just for the heck of it!Big smile



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Posted By: Scarlet Screenwriter
Date Posted: 16 May 2017 at 8:14pm

Wow, Patz and BG ... taking a risk ... pushing the envelope ... pissing against the wind ... I got mortician once ... should I have considered a bricklayer?  Good Luck!





Posted By: shevitee
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 6:01pm
Originally posted by patsy patsy wrote:

Originally posted by BlackGate BlackGate wrote:

Originally posted by patsy patsy wrote:

From good old Merriam-Webster:

Definition of undertaker

  1. 1:  one who  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertakes" rel="nofollow - undertakes  :  one who takes the risk and management of business :   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur" rel="nofollow - entrepreneur

  2. 2:  one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

  3. 3:  an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries


Employing definitions 1 and 3 would have taken some bravery! Not sure the judges would have been tuned in to those.

BG

I ALMOST tried 3 just for the heck of it!Big smile



Same! Until I realised it would take more the 24 hours to achieve a good enough understanding of 16th century Irish political history to be able to write a decent story. Hahaha.



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