Monday 6 July 2015

Accents: How to Write Them So Readers Hear Them


with guest blogger Alli Sinclair


If you've learnt another language, you know there is so much more than grammar to get right. There are inflections, complicated word orders, slang, rolling r's, silent t's… it can take years to master. Writers with foreign characters in their stories must not only have a good grasp on cultural differences, they need to understand the speech patterns of the nationality they're working with. It's easy enough to throw in oui or but most readers expect more than this.



Having learnt Spanish in Argentina, I understand the nuances of an Argentine speaking English, but you don’t need to move to a foreign country to perfect the accent you're working on; not with TV shows and movies giving us access to an array of nationalities to study.



In Luna Tango, the heroine is Australian and the hero is Argentine. My next book, Flamenco Fire, has an English heroine with a Spanish hero. His speech patterns and many of his words are different to my Argentine character—even though they both speak Spanish. It's like an Englishman speaks differently to a South African who speaks differently to an Australian.



So, how do I deal with these challenges? Bang my head against the desk? Some days I do, but that gets painful. So I resort to my network of foreign friends, immerse myself in movies or TV shows that have authentic characters from the nationality I'm writing about, and sometimes I just have a good look around YouTube.



Here's an example of how I wrote an Argentine speaking English (from 'Luna Tango'):
'Venting is cathartic, no? But please refrain from this when I am doing the teaching.’ He cleared his throat. ‘It is important for the leader to make sure the follower is feeling safe because if she does not, she will not reach a state of the meditation and this would be of great tragedy.'



You'll notice the extra 'the' and 'ing' words in this sentence. La and el (the) are used a lot in Spanish, so when my Argentine speaks English, extra 'the's' pop into his speech. And instead of saying 'this would be tragic', he says 'this would be of great tragedy'. Spanish is a beautifully poetic language so when Spanish speakers speak English they tend to use more words to say what they need to. Also, someone who doesn't have English as a first language often won't use contractions, so changing a don't to a do not can give extra authenticity. Just be careful you don't go overboard on this otherwise the character will sound like a robot!



Another thing to consider is your character's educational background. Are they now living in an English-speaking country? Someone who speaks English every day will be more fluent than someone who learnt it in a classroom in their native country. If English is their first language, where did they grow up? The UK has a wide array of accents that can affect how a character speaks.



Freaking out a little right now with so much to think about? Don't worry! There are many resources out there to help you nail the accent so beautifully that your readers will think you've channelled someone from the nationality you're writing about.



The best way to overcome the accent challenge is to research, listen, write. It may take a while to perfect but it will be worth it—your character will be more authentic and your readers will be thankful you went the extra mile.

Writers: have you ever tried writing your characters with an accent, and if so, how did you overcome the challenge?

Readers: can you recommend any authors/books that write character accents really well?

I love to love … my friends. There’s nothing better than connecting with someone who has a good heart and is fun and positive.

I love to laugh … at the crazy antics of my kids. They are an absolute joy and they love putting on performances to make people laugh.

I love to learn … of people's good news! It always makes me happy when good things happen to good people.

If you would like to read more about writing accents with authenticity, there’s a really fabulous post here: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/writing-accents-and-dialects



Alli Sinclair is the author of Luna Tango, the first in the Dance Card Series, published by Harlequin MIRA.
Flamenco Fire to be released (2015) and Turning Pointe (2016)

15 comments:

  1. I love the exotic-ness of accents in books, Alli. They really appeal to me, the armchair traveller. My only concern is when an author uses a foreign phrase and the meaning is unclear from the context. They could be saying 'I love you' or 'Take out the garbage' and I remain clueless! Sigh... #firstworldreaderproblems... But accents - love them. My only trouble comes when they're written as dialect and I have trouble 'hearing' them in my head so I can mentally translate them, eg. Broad Scottish or from the Deep South. But what fun when I do eventually get my head around them. I've downloaded Luna Tango, Alli, and can't wait to read it. Thanks for this terrific post.

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    1. Oh yes, Malvina, I know what you mean about foreign phrases being used without an English translation. It's a fine balance, for sure. I hope you enjoy Luna Tango - and thank you for buying it and taking the time to read it. :-)

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  2. Hi Alli. I always gravitate to books set in other countries. Being from a European country myself, I easily relate to the foreign characters - their speech patterns and their customs, etc. Like Dee, I get frustrated when there are phrases used that I need to stop and translate, and so get pulled out of the story. I also don't like overuse of foreign phrases. For me, a sprinkling of them is fine to get the flavour of the country. I'm currently reading Luna Tango and learning a lot! Thanks for a great post.

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    1. Hello Enisa! I'm the same - I love books set in other countries as well. There's something about immersion in another culture that is really appealing. I agree, a sprinkle of phrases or words is really all that is needed to get the feel of the person's culture across. And I'm so glad you're reading Luna Tango - thank you!

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  3. Hi Alli, thank you for a very helpful post. I must admit I've never tried a character with a foreign accent but if I do I'll certainly take your advice about going to Youtube or watching a TV program.
    As for authors who write accents really well, your handling of Carlos's Argentine accent in Luna Tango is brilliant - just enough to get a real sense of it without going overboard. I also love the way Diana Gabaldon manages the Scottish accent in her Outlander series (but get a bit annoyed when she throws in a bit of Gaelic).

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    1. Hello Marilyn! I'm so glad you found the post helpful. It was a tad difficult to condense it as I could go on and on and on, so I'm happy you liked what I wrote. Thank you in regards to Carlos's accent - I had his voice in my head as I wrote so it was easy to transfer to the story (thank goodness!). And yes, Diana Gabaldon does an amazing job with the Scottish accent. She's a great example for lots of different aspects of the writing craft, methinks!

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  4. Hi Alli, thanks for the interesting post. You have given me plenty to think about. The book trailer is great by the way and I loved Luna Tango. I read it when it first came out and couldn't put it down. I really felt like I was there with the characters so a bit congratulations on a fantastic book.

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    1. Hi Karen! I'm glad you like the book trailer. A friend of mine wrote and performed the music - he's so very talented. I love that you couldn't put down Luna Tango - that's wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. :-)

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  5. Awesome article! Thanks Alli! I have to say, in Luna Tango you write accents and dialect so well that I didn't even notice them, but I always knew what character was speaking simply by the way he/she was speaking. Now...off to try and implement your suggestions into my writing!!

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    1. Hey there Dee! I love that you knew who was speaking just by their speech patterns. That's wonderful to know because I think that's a fear most writers have - we don't want our characters to all sound alike. Good luck with your implementations!

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  6. Welcome to the Breathless Blog Ali. I love accents in novels when done right. You asked about other authors who did well with accents and I immediately thought to Joanna Bourne and her French heroine in Spy Master's Lady. It was done so well. I think when you can hear the accent in your head when you read it then the author has done a great job. I write mostly Regency historicals but I have been told that my hero sounds like Hugh Grant which was the accent I was specifically looking for so I was happy with that. I know I will have to do accents in the future, so all your tips are great.

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    1. Thank you Cassandra! Ooh, I'll need to check out Joanna Bourne's books - they sound super interesting! And yes, I agree that if you hear the accent in your head it definitely translates to the page. And a character that sounds like Hugh Grant? I think that sounds perfect! Glad my tips helped!

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  7. Sorry everyone, I was on the road for a couple of days and wasn't near a decent computer - thank you so much for your comments. I'll reply to all now!

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  8. That book trailer is sensational, Alli! It really captures the mood of your story. Love it!

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    1. Thank you so much Marilyn! I adore the music and I was so lucky to have wonderful photographers allow me to use their beautiful images.

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