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Question: Would it be annoying or reasonable to pepper my English character's dialog with slang!?
I have an English character!. (Do you think it's cliche to have the snobby character be English!? He's got more to him than that, but that is the first impression most people have of him)
On one hand, most readers probably won't understand it, and I'll have to rely on using context clues!. Plus, I'm an American, and English slang will seem awkward and phony in my hands!. On the other, it might be entertaining for the reader, and characters should have a dialect or certain way of speaking!.
If you think I should use the English dialect and slang, how often is too often!? Can you give me a few books in which just the right amount of dialect and slang is used!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
dialouge in dialect is tricky, especially if you don't know the dialect very well!.
" How can you augment that special character, you have so painstakingly developed, with the proper dialect to give him or her that final element of authenticity!?
Start with your ears!. Many beginning writers think that accents and dialects have to be phonetically rendered on the page to "sound" real!. The truth is that most dialects can be "heard" through the proper cadence, or rhythm inherent within perfectly pronounced words!.
Spend some time listening to accents!. If you don't live somewhere that provides you with that opportunity, rent some home videos with characters from places far from your home!. However you do it, use your ears to determine what truly makes an accent!. You might be very surprised to discover that it has more to do with timing and word placement than actual pronunciation!. That's why lyrics, when sung, tend to lessen the singer's accent!. In part, the timing of the music equalizes the cadence!. "
(That's from a website)!. I wouldn't overdo it!. and no, i don't think it's wrong to make the snobby one british, just don't overdo the emphasis on it!. work it in natrually!.
I would just start reading some british authors, any that you can find, watch british movies, etc!. Anything so you can hear the sound of the speech!. And assume your readers are intelligent and once they are aware that a character has an accent, they don't need to be beat over the head with the knowlege!. Good luck, I hope this helped!.
http://www!.fictionaddiction!.net/articles!.!.!.
http://www!.reflectionsedge!.com/archives/!.!.!.
http://bookswordswriting!.blogspot!.com/20!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I don't know if I'd called it slang, but if I were you, I'd use the English alternative to American words!. If he was talking about a truck, he should say 'lorry', and if he wants to go to the bathroom, he should mention the 'loo' (or is that second one Australian!?)!. If he's mad, he's gotta say 'bloody', and he's got to still like taking tea in the afternoons!. : )Www@QuestionHome@Com
This is one of the reasons teachers chant Write-What-You-Know!. Since you obviously don't know anybody who speaks like your English snob, the odds of you getting his dialogue right, with correct slang, are very poor!.
There are plenty of snobs in America!. I suggest you imagine one, then determine what slang he or she might use!. You're more likely to get it right!. Even if you don't know any snobs (lucky you!), you've seen them on TV and in movies!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Its ok, as long as you use english slang, not american!. We have two different languages!Www@QuestionHome@Com
The most recent example of someone ruining their books with this kind of thing is Kathy Reichs!. Her first books were good prose, factual and hard not to keep turning the pages!. She is now quite annoying throwing in inappropriate slang which she says her daughter provides for her!.
The characters in her books are of an age and education that they would not do this in real life and that is what you have to decide when writing yourself!. Would this person use such and such expressions in their social life, work, dealings with strangers etc!? If you doubt it don't do it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com