accents

[trenchcoatedson.livejournal.com]

Is any one else writing a story with an accented character and has decided to actually write the accents in? And having trouble with it? Or has any one had this problem in the past- whether for NaNoWriMo or just any story?

I mean, not the accent itself, but the fact it's nothing like how you normally write or talk.

Currently I'm writing a story about a man from the Ozarks, and I wanted the story to seem as if he was writing it himself... like an autobiography or something. So I decided to implement his accents. Now, I'm actually from down South (Arkansas, the same place he is) so I can write a Southern accent perfectly fine.

But... what's driving me crazy is it's NOTHING like how I talk at all. It's driving me insane, and it's making me have trouble writing. It just seems awkward and WEIRD. I keep wanting to go through and beta this man's writing and edit the hell out of it. I've only written 1,107 words so far. Sad.

I could start over and write it normally, but... I just am not seeing the novel that way, nor am I seeing the character speaking properly. He has Asperger's Syndrome (undiagnosed), and he wants to write just how he talks, or else he feels like it's not actually him writing it.

So I don't know if I should just keep writing until I finally get used to it or start working on a new novel... Someone give me a pep talk or something, or personal advice. D:

Comments

[iparadigm.livejournal.com]

I'm writing a novel that takes place in the deep South, (Alabama). I am from this area, and I definitely have a tiny bit of the accent. Some of my characters will speak like I do, others will have the deep south accent. I'm not having too much of a problem with it.

I think the best way for you would be the eternal: Fake it, til you feel it. Force it, and before long it will come naturally. I think editing it in would be a bad idea, because it would take along time, and be fairly difficult.

If all else fails, you can just not do it. People will still identify him if he speaks normally, but you throw in several cultural references.