English as your second language?

[Svetamethyst]

Hi to everyone..

It's my first post here...And this forum is the first writing forum I've ever visited ... even though writing isn't new to me... A little about me: I'm 24 and have been writing in my journal forever, but I'm now ready to take my writing to a higher level...
Writing requires so much discipline and I admire writers for that... discipline is so hard to learn.

On to my question :) (Does anyone else feel this way?)

Russian is my native tongue, and English is my second... I write grammatically better in English, but I prefer writing in Russian because then my soul just flows onto the page, if you know what I mean! I live in USA so it makes more sense to write in English, although I love writing in Russian. So how do you choose your primary path of writing......has anyone else ever found themselves in this situation?

Much respect,
Svetlana

[mammamaia]

welcome, svetlana!

as for your question, it will depend on your intentions, i should think... if you want to be published in american venues, then american english will have to be your 'primary' path... that said, if you can leak some bits of that wonderfully deep and emotional russian soul into your writing, it will be a plus, imo...

i work with a lot of ESL writers from all parts of the world, so if i can be of any help, please let me know...

love and hugs, maia

[ElonnaT]

Welcome Svetlana.

I am not an expert by any means, but you might consider writing your first draft in Russian so you can get the emotions and "soul" into the work. Then translate it to English as you revise. Would be a lot of extra work, but might be worth it if you think that writing it in Russian will overall produce a better quality work.

Just my .02 worth :)

Glad you are here.

[maestrowork]

Hi Svetlana, and welcome.

English is my second language as well, although I've spoken and written in it since childhood. I've done a fair amount of writing (and published) in my native language but now I find myself writting better in English -- I think in English too, and sad to say, my command in my native language is deteriating fast.

I don't write much in my native language anymore, except for letters to my friends and family. I write mostly in English now -- still lots to learn. English is a difficult language.

I agree with Elonna. If you find yourself do better in Russian, maybe you should try writing in it. Then you can edit and translate it back to English if you want.

But if you really want to become a writer in the US, you probably need to do it in English more often. Practice makes perfect. The only way to master the language is to learn from your mistakes. Do you have a mentor? It would be a great thing to have.

One good thing... when the cops pull me over I can always say, "I no speak good english." It doesn't really work, but at least I can try (sometimes I like to go to a restaurant and pretend that I don't speak English -- fun to watch how the waiters react).

[LiamJackson]

Greetings! English is my second language, too with Texan being my primary language. (A little AW humor for you, though more truth than joke.) AW offers tremendous resources and I'm certain you'll find most any professional assistance you need, here. Maia is an excellent source of information.

And, Ray, you're right. The "I no speak english" doesn't work with cops. We're convinced traffic citations are a unversal language.

[littlecupofjoe]

Hi!

Welcome to the board! :hug

This is a great place to meet friendly cyberpeople and learn all kinds of stuff!

As a newbie, I find this board invaluable. And yes, Maia is a great source of info and encouragement as well.

I have been away so I would have commented earlier.

My native language is French, so I do know what you mean when you talk about soul flowing on the page. IMHO, French is a much more poetic language, so the little fiction I have written has been in French. But, I am a freelance fiction writer, and because the English language market is much larger in North America than the French one, I write in English, which means more sales. It is as practical as that for me.

So voila, my deux cennes.

Littlecupofjoe :coffee

[Cate]

Oooh! I love Russian! What a beautiful language!

So many good writers too--
I am happy to welcome you, and hope you can find an answer to your question.

Nice to meet you
Cate

[Writing Again]

Remember that American classic Lolita was written by a Russian, Vladimir Nabokov, while he was still mastering the English language.

[Fresie]

Hi Sveta,

Sorry I couldn't answer earlier because my modem was broken and I didn't have Internet access for almost three weeks, which was terrible!:bang

Anyway, I'm Russian, too, based in France, and just like you, I mainly write in English. It's great to see so many people here who can identify! Elonna's right when she suggests writing the first draft in Russian, but I personally find that I write differently in English and Russian. I just think in a different way, and the imagery is different, too.

So if you could find a moment and tell us what you're working on, it would be great. In all my writing experience, I've only met two aspiring Russian writers, of which one was born in the USA (so English was his first language), and the other, Russia-based, was very talented indeed but made all the typically Russian mistakes in grammar and usage. So it's very refreshing to meet a colleague. Good luck to you!

Cheers,

Fresie Grant