tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post1336762103593548945..comments2024-02-19T15:25:57.626+11:00Comments on Breathless In the Bush: Accents: How to Write Them So Readers Hear ThemHelzKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01921987291520604201noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-83107657028923449832015-07-07T16:39:46.443+10:002015-07-07T16:39:46.443+10:00Thank you Cassandra! Ooh, I'll need to check o...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!Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-78416372698111605252015-07-07T16:38:24.560+10:002015-07-07T16:38:24.560+10:00Thank you so much Marilyn! I adore the music and I...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. Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-10072908267170940992015-07-07T16:37:46.895+10:002015-07-07T16:37:46.895+10:00Hey there Dee! I love that you knew who was speaki...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!Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-91116259366806659992015-07-07T15:14:17.341+10:002015-07-07T15:14:17.341+10:00That book trailer is sensational, Alli! It really ...That book trailer is sensational, Alli! It really captures the mood of your story. Love it!Marilyn Forsythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17264683453138649702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-5048648846783852162015-07-07T14:59:28.709+10:002015-07-07T14:59:28.709+10:00Hi Karen! I'm glad you like the book trailer. ...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. :-)Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-53746435638764673992015-07-07T14:57:45.404+10:002015-07-07T14:57:45.404+10:00Hello Marilyn! I'm so glad you found the post ...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!Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-754906747069079662015-07-07T14:54:33.534+10:002015-07-07T14:54:33.534+10:00Hello Enisa! I'm the same - I love books set i...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!Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-19222034594870896522015-07-07T14:52:42.113+10:002015-07-07T14:52:42.113+10:00Oh yes, Malvina, I know what you mean about foreig...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. :-)Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-11074895532528308552015-07-07T14:50:11.884+10:002015-07-07T14:50:11.884+10:00Sorry everyone, I was on the road for a couple of ...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!<br />Alli Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363202163419352155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-74036798382590810682015-07-06T19:35:47.080+10:002015-07-06T19:35:47.080+10:00Welcome to the Breathless Blog Ali. I love accents...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.Cassandra Samuelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818025453828445251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-35626302044082397992015-07-06T13:57:38.713+10:002015-07-06T13:57:38.713+10:00Awesome article! Thanks Alli! I have to say, in ...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!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10229810970636487006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-79945346517038954352015-07-06T12:23:52.241+10:002015-07-06T12:23:52.241+10:00Hi Alli, thanks for the interesting post. You have...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.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17772971731747379071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-83126684490851295562015-07-06T10:54:38.775+10:002015-07-06T10:54:38.775+10:00Hi Alli, thank you for a very helpful post. I must...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. <br />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).Marilyn Forsythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17264683453138649702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-73218842057436394032015-07-06T10:32:35.965+10:002015-07-06T10:32:35.965+10:00Hi Alli. I always gravitate to books set in other ...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.Enisa Hainesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603806150366948575.post-38693260984557811042015-07-06T07:41:06.203+10:002015-07-06T07:41:06.203+10:00I love the exotic-ness of accents in books, Alli. ...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.Malvinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01643063300200396369noreply@blogger.com