Dialogue help

smallthunder · Feb 3, 2007

Hello, everyone --

My agent (now ex-) sent my mss to around 20 top publishing houses, and the great majority of editorial responses were favorable (but no takers). The only criticism that came up more than once was the fact that the dialogue was somewhat "stilted." This criticism was always prefaced by an acknowledgement that, yes, the editor understood that I was trying to get across the flavor of the period, BUT ...

So, my question is: Can you recommend a novel set c. 1912 with a young female (25 years old) New England* protagonist that I can read/learn from? I'm looking for a novel that handles the "authentic voice of the time" vs. "natural dialogue" problem well.

Thanks in advance!

*doesn't have to be NE, per se, but general American (i.e. no heavily Southern-belle-type voice)

blackpen · Feb 3, 2007

there is a lot of ya fiction that centers around female progagonists in a historical setting. however, not many are about 25 year olds and not a lot of novels happen in the 1910's.
i read a lot of historical fiction and i've noticed that while the characters don't use modern slang, the author doesn't go out to make their dialog sound all archaic either.
perhaps the stilted dialog is a stylistic issue that dosn't have much to do with the time period you're writing about. maybe you could post samples of your dialog on the share your work forum, and critique circle is a great site.
good luck!

pdr · Feb 5, 2007

Haven't got...

copies to hand but isn't Theodore Dreisler's stuff set around that time - like 'Carrie'?

Also Gene Stratton Porter wrote a series of books that are wholesome turn of the C and later about rural young women and /or families.

robeiae · Feb 6, 2007

Here is a list of bestsellers from that period:

http://www3.isrl.uiuc.edu/~unsworth/courses/bestsellers/best10.cgi

Instead of looking for a book written about the time period, look at some from the time period. I'm sure some of those books on the list are about contemporaneous events.

johnnysannie · Feb 6, 2007

pdr said:
copies to hand but isn't Theodore Dreisler's stuff set around that time - like 'Carrie'?

Also Gene Stratton Porter wrote a series of books that are wholesome turn of the C and later about rural young women and /or families.

"Sister Carrie" is set in a major city but about the right time period.

Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" might help but the time frame of most of the novel is later than 1912.

What about Irving's "Cider House Rules"

Jamesaritchie · Feb 6, 2007

robeiae said:
Here is a list of bestsellers from that period:

http://www3.isrl.uiuc.edu/~unsworth/courses/bestsellers/best10.cgi

Instead of looking for a book written about the time period, look at some from the time period. I'm sure some of those books on the list are about contemporaneous events.

I agree. Books written and published during the time period are a good deal more valuable than current ones merely set in the time period.

funidream · Feb 11, 2007

Also look into reading journals or personal narratives from your time period.

smallthunder · Feb 15, 2007

Instead of looking for a book written about the time period, look at some from the time period. I'm sure some of those books on the list are about contemporaneous events.

funidream said:
Also look into reading journals or personal narratives from your time period.

That's not going to help me, I'm afraid -- because that is what I did originally, and although I thought I loosened up the language/dialogue a little bit for modern sensibilities, it still came out "stiff."

No one has questioned the authenticity of the protagonist's voice -- the editors have, instead, raised the issue of being too stiff/formal/old-fashioned.

That is why I was asking for help in locating a contemporary book that kept the historical flavor without running into my problem with voice/dialogue.

I'll check out Gene Stratton Porter -- thanks!

Dialogue help

smallthunder

Ruled by Dachshunds

blackpen

Bizzare in Berkeley

pdr

robeiae

Touch and go

johnnysannie

Jamesaritchie

funidream

smallthunder

Ruled by Dachshunds