Contractions only in dialogue?

K. Taylor · Jul 11, 2009

A friend and I were having a discussion this morning, and she posed a question:

I've heard that you only are supposed to use them in dialogue.
I'm looking through some of my books, and the rule seems to hold.
Have you heard or read anything in that regard?

I hadn't heard it. Anyone else?

Avoiding contractions would look appropriate in historical work, but I would find it stuffy in contemporary. People talk with them all the time.

firedrake · Jul 11, 2009

K. Taylor said:
A friend and I were having a discussion this morning, and she posed a question:

I hadn't heard it. Anyone else?

Avoiding contractions would look appropriate in historical work, but I would find it stuffy in contemporary. People talk with them all the time.

That's exactly my POV. I avoided contractions in the WW1 book and let them stay in the Contemporary book and the WW2 book, because it makes more sense. It flows better and fits better with the overall 'feel' of the books.

I guess I'll only know if I buggered it up when the rejections start gathering in the in-box.

RG570 · Jul 11, 2009

I think this is one of those things people hear and spread that no longer has any basis. It makes no sense.

maestrowork · Jul 11, 2009

Read more. There are plenty of contractions in narrative in contemporary books, especially those written in 1st person. In 3rd person, it does seem more "natural" to not use contractions, but that's hardly a rule. More like a stylistic choice.

hughhowey · Jul 11, 2009

My editor and publisher are both making me use contractions outside of dialog. I disagreed at first, but it does read a lot better. The only time I leave them apart is often IN dialog, when the reader is naturally stressing the individual words. "I am helping." "Do not say that." Etc.

Lady Cat · Jul 11, 2009

I think I have to agree with RG570, it makes no sense.

For me it really depends on the flow of words. Sometimes the flow calls for a contraction, and other times it makes for better emphasis if I don't use a contraction.

e.g. I couldn't see where this was leading.
I could not see where this was leading.

Poor examples, but you get the idea.

ChristineR · Jul 11, 2009

This is one of the many arbitrary rules which somebody somewhere wrote down sometime, but which serves no clear purpose.

Caramia · Jul 11, 2009

I'm writing without using them. Primarily due to the annoying Word 2007 habit of underlining the word when I do type it as a contraction. I figure I can modify later if I don't like it. Honestly, think I'm starting to grow fond of the feel it gives half the time, other half of the time it feels sterile.

K. Taylor · Jul 11, 2009

I've always added them into Word so it'll shut up about them.

The Lonely One · Jul 11, 2009

Well first off, if you're in 1st person and it's natural to the character, of course you'd use contractions if they appeared outside of dialog, because it's the same person talking! Why change his or her voice outside of quotes? It would be unnatural and jolting.

I think more what you're getting at here, though, is 3rd person narrators that don't use contractions.

To me it would give a certain overbearance (why is spellcheck saying that isn't a word?) that might better suit fairy tales or like, epic hero stories or something.

Contractions are a tool, and it seems silly not to use them. Especially when one of our household tasks is to ratchet up sentence rhythms.

ORION · Jul 11, 2009

Normally in academic writing and essays contractions aren't used. In literature however anything goes-
In Lottery I used contractions in the dialogue but not in the narrative --(since it's first person) I opted to use 'did not' 'could not' 'am not' for example because I wanted to create an awkward choppy rhythm so a reader could believe the narrator was mentally challenged. These kind of literary strategies are mindful and useful depending on what the author wants to accomplish...

bagels · Jul 11, 2009

Personally, I hate contractions outside of dialogue in third person. To be fair, part of that is just my own writing background. That said, I really do think that contractions are a fantastic way to give a character a voice within dialogue (and give different characters different voices by varying contraction use, among other things), and using them throughout the book cheapens the result.

But I also use a cell phone that does not take pictures or get on the Internet, so I may not be the best person to ask.

Birol · Jul 11, 2009

Oh, please. Contractions, like everything else, are merely a tool in the writer's arsenal. They lend informality to the narrative. Use them or not as the story dictates.

Kurtz · Jul 11, 2009

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, or at least the translation I read, was littered with contractions, colloquialisms (which must have been murder to translate) and slang. Like hopefully every word in your writing it serves a literary purpose, in this case making us feel like we are inside Ivan Denisovich's head.

dawinsor · Jul 11, 2009

I write in close third and try to cast even the parts outside of dialogue in my character's voice. So I use contractions.

James D. Macdonald · Jul 11, 2009

Don't let silly rules bind you. Be entertaining and don't confuse the reader. Let your narrative voice be what you want it to be.

scarletpeaches · Jul 11, 2009

I never used to use contractions outside of dialogue and it did nothing to improve my writing. It read stilted and just...blech. Course, that could have been the utter badness of my writing at the time, but nowadays I use contractions outside of dialogue and my writing flows a lot better.

Alan Yee · Jul 11, 2009

I frequently use contractions outside of dialogue in my modern-day pieces. It works for me because it fits with the overall style of most of my stories.

RunawayScribe · Jul 11, 2009

I think that's more a rule for formal essays than for fiction. In writing fiction, stay consistent with the voice and tone of the narration. If that means contractions, go for it. Leaving them out might make a modern piece and/or average character seem stiff and stuffy. Of course this would depend on your unique story - so you be the judge.

seun · Jul 12, 2009

A lot of these 'rules' seem to come from people who consider themselves writers but apparently don't know that their rules are complete crap.

Libbie · Jul 12, 2009

I write historicals, and I certainly don't avoid them in non-dialogue places. My setting may be ancient, but I have modern readers.

C.M.C. · Jul 12, 2009

I tried to limit contractions to sections of dialog as much as possible. I like the idea of separating the narrative from the characters as much as possible, especially if you're going for a formal tone.

Kalyke · Jul 12, 2009

I've considered avoiding "to be" verbs when possible-- eliminating the largest sub-set of contractions. Passive voice consists of the to be verb followed by the past participal (she was interested in cooking) as well as the reversal of the subject and object (the decision was made). They do not express action, they just tell someone something exists, and in the second example, hide the actor.

Any time you see a to be verb you should ask if there is a stronger way to write the sentance.

Other contractions depend on who is speaking, and if they would use contractions.

Mr Flibble · Jul 12, 2009

Depends on the tone of the story

I don't in my 'faux mediaeval' fantasy, because it fits the tone.

In other stories, set in other places, I do. Because it fits the style I'm trying to get across.

SJAB · Jul 12, 2009

I tend to use them only in dialogue, mainly because it fits my style of story telling. (And it is the way my generation was taught back in the dark ages)

Contractions only in dialogue?

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