tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post2674831651301282614..comments2016-12-14T15:07:17.543-08:00Comments on Inside a writer's mind -- enter at your own risk: Y'all Come Set a Spell - Accents/Slangd s saulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12788612729434162987noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-43118878020739615492012-11-23T12:13:10.870-08:002012-11-23T12:13:10.870-08:00Great advice about foreign words, Paula. For me, t...Great advice about foreign words, Paula. For me, the decision between using actual foreign words and using phoenetic variations depends on the general public familiarity with the language in question. For example, many people speak French and I would tend to use actual French spellings. But, if I am writing a Cajun French dailect, I am more likely to use transliterations or phonetic representations because their dialect is so localized. This is one of the many areas in creative writing where authors can distinguish their writing from that of their peers by creating a unique voice, both for their characters and for themselves.<br /><br />Excellent comment. Thank you...Deand s saulthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12788612729434162987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-62712877865838265492012-11-23T12:06:45.900-08:002012-11-23T12:06:45.900-08:00Terry, I use your formula, too. The only excpetion...Terry, I use your formula, too. The only excpetion is the first time I introduce a character's unique speech patterns. I may go a bit overboard for initial impact and then taper it back for the rest of the story.<br /><br />Thanks for your valuable input...Dean<br />d s saulthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12788612729434162987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-26482850250819399692012-11-23T12:04:15.597-08:002012-11-23T12:04:15.597-08:00Atty Eve, that's the theme of this post. Don&#...Atty Eve, that's the theme of this post. Don't give the reader any reason to stop reading. Slang punctuation can make or break a reader's experience.<br /><br />Thank you for posting...Deand s saulthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12788612729434162987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-32886206376904428342012-11-22T16:12:53.534-08:002012-11-22T16:12:53.534-08:00I include a few words in dialect or slang, to give...I include a few words in dialect or slang, to give the reader a sense of the way my characters speak, but try not to use many modified words. For characters with a foreign accent, I try to vary the rhythm of speech and the words used to create the sense of accent, rather than trying to "sound out" the words.<br /><br />Great post, Dean!Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04605965645142589898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-61801066479279588682012-11-22T14:34:38.399-08:002012-11-22T14:34:38.399-08:00Only including enough to give the flavor and allow...Only including enough to give the flavor and allow the reader to fill in the rest in their head.Terry W. Ervin IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561009802388207515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275407340772980947.post-72169714794366256042012-11-22T12:22:52.863-08:002012-11-22T12:22:52.863-08:00Love this, thank you. I have a few hillbillies wri...Love this, thank you. I have a few hillbillies written in my MS and i'd hate to pull the reader out by poorly scripted accents.Atty Evenoreply@blogger.com