Regarding contractions...

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Eowen

Last night, I was working on a short story that insisted upon being written down before I could get any work done on my main project. In the process, I noticed myself doing something I was taught never to do: using contractions anywhere besides dialog. However, since I was taught this in classes that taught you how to write essays that would get good grades when graded by people who grade essays for a living, I'm not sure how this applies to fiction writing.

So, is it appropriate to say the character didn't do something, as opposed to saying the character did not do something? I do not want to use the antonym; the point of using the negative verb is later in the scene he will do what he is not doing at the beginning of the scene.

I can post the paragraph in question if people need more clarification.

Eowen

(For more about me, read my introduction in the Newbie Forum.)
 

Fresie

contractions

So, is it appropriate to say the character didn't do something, as opposed to saying the character did not do something?

Of course it is!! I didn't even understand what you were talking about at first. Essays--yeah, maybe, although I would still disagree. It's a school rule, meant to make life easy for teachers. That's all it is, IMHO.

In fiction, it differs. Sometimes full forms add to the rhythm of the phrase, and then I use them. And also, when my speaker or POV character is a "formal" person with stilted speech patterns--say, an army officer or a school teacher :eek

But of course, I try to avoid negative forms whenever I can and use a positive antonym instead. It's easier for our brain to recognise positive statements than negative ones. But it's a totally different "rule"...
 

maestrowork

Re: contractions

In fiction, it's more lax than essays or news articles. It also depends on the narrative voice, etc. You probably don't want to use contractions in a historical fiction about the 1680s. But if it's a modern piece about suburban Chicago, why not?
 

sc211

Re: contractions

I agree - contract away. In fact, pick up your favorite novel and just see how many there are.

By the way, I couldn't remember what antonyms are, so, as a refresher for anyone else with the same brain cramp...

From Wikipedia...

Antonyms (from the Greek words anti = against and onoma = name) are word pairs that are opposite in meaning, such as hot and cold, fat and thin, and up and down. Words may have different antonyms, depending on the meaning. Both long and tall are antonyms of short.

Antonyms are of two types:

gradable antonyms are pairs that express relationships in a continuum, such as up and down
complementary antonyms are pairs that express an either/or relationship, such as dead or alive.


And here's two great sites that list them out for you - synonyms and antonyms for about anything you want. A sort of handy thesaurus/anti-thesaurus.

www.synonym.com/synonym/

vancouver-webpages.com/wordnet/
 

Diviner

Re: contractions

I tentatively disagree about not using contractions in historical fiction. Folks who critique my piece set in the 17th century say that I am translating archaic English anyway so that the writing should be smooth to the ears of my characters, which means contractions. I am finding this very tricky, especially when mixing in quotes from historical documents (not to mention the amusing spelling).

If anyone has different opinions from the few who have looked at my work, I am willing to reconsider.
 

Fresie

Re: contractions

I tentatively disagree about not using contractions in historical fiction. Folks who critique my piece set in the 17th century say that I am translating archaic English anyway so that the writing should be smooth to the ears of my characters, which means contractions. I am finding this very tricky, especially when mixing in quotes from historical documents (not to mention the amusing spelling).

Oh, but that's the hardest thing of them all, I think. Dialogue in historical fiction... I wouldn't know where to begin. I think it's arguably the most difficult aspect of writing ever. I admire the people who manage to adapt it to our ears and still sound authentic.
 

reph

Re: contractions

Contractions aren't used in formal academic writing. They're certainly used in fiction, including historical fiction.

Earth Abides, a novel by George Stewart, conspicuously avoids contractions. It comes off sounding stilted.
 

three seven

Re: contractions

I like to be told a story, not given a lecture so I vastly prefer an informal narrative voice to a stilted Queen's English style. Contract away, I say! Just remember to call the midwife when they're five minutes apart.

Sorry.
 

Thekherham

Re: contractions

Contractions? Sure, why not?

Which sounds better?

Harry didn't think he'd have enough time to call his office, jump into his car, and make it to Sam's place in fifteen minutes. He couldn't possibly come up with a good enough alibi. He'd have to think about that on the way to Sam's.

Or

Harry did not think he would have enough time to call the office, jump into his car, and make it to Sam's office in fifteen minutes. He could not possibly come up with a good enough alibi. He would have to think about that on the way to Sam's.
 

maestrowork

Re: contractions

But...

The Queen didn't care for Napolean. He'd have drunk the night away and she'd have let him. She'd have let him drown his sorry self in liquor. In fact, she couldn't wait.


Or


The Queen did not care for Napolean. He would have drunk the night away and she would have let him. She would have let him drown his sorry self in liquor. In fact, she could not wait.
 

MacAl Stone

Re: contractions

Maestro, I really think that's going to come down to the audience you're writing for, and the narrative voice. Just because it's historical doesn't require a more formal voice.
 

reph

Re: contractions

Phrases like "drown his sorry self in liquor" mark the passage as informal, so that contractions are entirely fitting.
 

preyer

Re: contractions

the tone dictates whether i use 'em or not. i'm pretty informal, so i use contractions, but as sparingly as possible. a story without contractions can sound a little too jacked-up after awhile. i tend to view contractions as another way to add just a little variety.

can it be a case that professionals don't paint themselves as often into a corner where the use of contractions is something to seriously have to think about?

i never considered this before, but i'm going to try an experiment: i'm going to go through my WIP and find all my contractions and try to re-arrange the sentence in such a way to where there's no *chance* to use them and see how it sounds. i already do that with 'was' to great success, i feel, why not contractions, too, and wipe out 'had' (which by rights should probably be nixed, also) and 'is' while i'm at it?

or might i just be the strangest person ever?
 

maestrowork

Re: contractions

Yup, Mac (and Reph). That's the point. It has a lot to do with your narrative voice and the target audience. In the above example, contractions sound better even though the story is about Napolean.
 

ElizabethJames

Re: contractions

We're happy to contract whenever it's possible and'll do so without the slightest hint of hesitation. 'Tis poetic.
 

Eowen

Re: contractions

Many thanks! My narrative voice for fiction in general, and this story in particular tends to be quite informal. The contractions flow smoothly with the rest of the text, so in they'll stay.

Eowen
 

Vomaxx

The Emperor

And let's spell Napoleon's name right.... (Sorry, I'm a historian.):D
 
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