Hello! So, as the title says, I just have a quick question. When writing dialogue, are you allowed to misspell certain words, or write it with certain phrases that might not be gramatically correct, to make the distinguishment between different characters voices more noticeable?
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Quick Q about Grammars In Dialogue
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Yes - but please think twice, nay, three times, about misspelling - it can be confusing and can also look as if it's carelessness on the writer's part. Careful word choice is more preferable.
Dialogue is privileged.
You write it the way your characters would say it. But remember the reader has to understand it, so aim for clarity.
Check how others have dealt with dialogue in books similar to the one you wish to write.
Dialogue is privileged.
You write it the way your characters would say it. But remember the reader has to understand it, so aim for clarity.
Check how others have dealt with dialogue in books similar to the one you wish to write.
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Yes, not all of my characters know the difference between 'who' and 'whom'.
I also want to second Bufty; misspelling should be done with caution. The fact that my character doesn't know how to spell (or even write) a word, doesn't mean I need to misspell it. Of course, if you misspell it to denote a different pronunciation, that's something else.
When people are speaking, they almost never misspell anything they say -- they aren't spelling it at all.
When you, the writer, report as dialog the speech of your characters, why would you want to insert misspellings for them?
The only excuse is to indicate a non-standard pronunciation. And trying to use spelling to show pronunciation is a much-discussed topic on this board, with the overall conclusion being that it's a bad idea for a large number of reasons. (For example, the way English-readers interpret spelling into sounds is based on their own individual background & education, and you have no way to control how any reader will "hear" something you deliberately misspelled -- odds are, their version and yours are not the same.)
Short answer -- don't get creative with spelling even in dialog unless you have a really really good reason and master-level writing skills. Which most of us don't.
When you, the writer, report as dialog the speech of your characters, why would you want to insert misspellings for them?
The only excuse is to indicate a non-standard pronunciation. And trying to use spelling to show pronunciation is a much-discussed topic on this board, with the overall conclusion being that it's a bad idea for a large number of reasons. (For example, the way English-readers interpret spelling into sounds is based on their own individual background & education, and you have no way to control how any reader will "hear" something you deliberately misspelled -- odds are, their version and yours are not the same.)
Short answer -- don't get creative with spelling even in dialog unless you have a really really good reason and master-level writing skills. Which most of us don't.
Sorry to hijack your question, OP, but I have a question along the same lines.
One of my characters is a young girl who emulates an older, well-spoken friend. She occasionally tries to talk in the same way but will say things like 'emasculate', instead of 'emulate'.
Would this be as annoying as misspelling, or do you think I can get away with that? =/
One of my characters is a young girl who emulates an older, well-spoken friend. She occasionally tries to talk in the same way but will say things like 'emasculate', instead of 'emulate'.
Would this be as annoying as misspelling, or do you think I can get away with that? =/
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My opinion, no, because it's a literary device, a malapropism, and it's funny, so, no, it's good.
Read Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. She has a character who does this hilariously, saying things like "That's why it's called monotony" when she means monogamy.
I have a scene, two actually, in which a ransom note is shown. It is poorly written and I want it to stay that way. The recipient of the letter is an English teacher, and at one point remarks on the poor grammar. Editors, however, insist on correcting it.
I assume you mean a built-in writing program 'editor'. I don't believe any professional editor would insist on correcting the grammar in a written ransom note.
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I still don't believe a professional editor would do that unless they felt they had good reason to do so.
You mentioned Editors - in plural.
And a belated Welcome-
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Well actually it's two. One who was 'helping me out' and, bless her, proved not to that good. The other, who is good, but meticulous, did include the letter in the edit.
I really only posted this in support of the idea that misspelling and errors can be an important part of the narrative. I am sure that when I explain why I want the letter the way it is they will understand. What worries me is that it did not stand out, and that the rest of my writings were not that much better. ��
I really only posted this in support of the idea that misspelling and errors can be an important part of the narrative. I am sure that when I explain why I want the letter the way it is they will understand. What worries me is that it did not stand out, and that the rest of my writings were not that much better. ��
IMO misspelling and slang in dialogue is a bit of a balancing act. I need to show my character's personality, yet at the same time I don't want the reader to struggle. If I were to write phonetically something spoken in a cockney, Irish, or Scottish accent it would be practically unreadable.