Dialect in fiction serves a purpose. It conveys the character’s attitude, education, and society. It creates a sense of place and background, and provides sound and texture for the reader. But dialect has major drawbacks.
The Problem with Dialect
Good dialogue should sound real, but not truly be real, and that’s even more the case for dialect. When dialect is written as it sounds, it is difficult to read. Consider this example from Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
“You wants to keep 'way fum de water as much as you kin, en don't run no resk, 'kase it's down in de bills dat you's gwyne to git hung."”
It’s a story with great characters and plot, and if read aloud with care, it sounds authentic. But the dialect complicates and slows down the story, if it doesn’t turn the reader away completely.
Here’s a 20th century example from DH Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, which characterizes just as well, but still creates the same problems for the reader:
“‘I've bin 'elpin' Anthony, an' what's think he's gen me? Nowt b'r a lousy hae'f-crown, an' that's ivry penny—’”
Neither editors nor readers care for dialect today, so what’s the answer?
Alternatives to Writing Phonetic Dialect
There are several devices a writer can use to re-create the sound of a character without resorting to apostrophes and strange spellings.
Grammar
The socio-economic status of a character is often reflected in their education, and therefore in their speech. Grammar can easily take the place of phonetically spelled dialect. “I don’t got no car so I ain’t going” creates the character and situation much easier than “I kint git dere wifout no car tuh drive.”
Regional phrases
Speech is tied closely to place as well as status, so writers must keep their ears open for phrasing and idioms. Outsiders to Idaho call the long, low barns “potato barns,” while long-time residents refer to them as “spud cellars.” Some people refer to a front porch, while others call it a stoop. Does a character “ret up” the kitchen or do the dishes? Does “call” mean to telephone or to stop by?
Readers get distinct impressions of characters who say “Ring the cinema and see what’s on,” as opposed to “Girl, what you think you’re doing?” Then fill this out with description and tag lines to complete the characterization.
Slang
Slang can do a great job of characterization, and if a story is set in the past, it’s great as long as it’s not overused. But using modern slang can easily create a story that’s dated soon after it appears, if not before. Groovy, Neat-o, and Rad are long gone. Awesome, Totally, and No Way! are out as well.
And today’s phrases of Hook-up, Ho, or My bad? It’s up to each individual writer (and editor), but for adult characters, it may be better to stick with regional phrases. For characters who are children, try creating their own slang that they carry through the story.
It takes a different type of word-work, but writers who find ways around the hard-to-read phonetic spelling of dialect will have a work that is just as rich but eminently more readable.
For more, read "Characters Need Unique Dialogue."
Jennifer Jensen - Jennifer Jensen is an Indiana writer just returned from a lovely few years in County Cork, Ireland. She has been the Feature Writer for ...
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