Reading time: About 1 minute
This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world for material to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about how to handle accented speech…
Have you ever tried to write in “accented” speech?
It’s difficult!
The best example of it I’ve ever seen was the wonderful book Buddha Da by Scottish author Anne Donovan. Here are the first few sentences:
“Ma Da’s a nutter. Radio rental. He’d dae anthin for a laugh so he wid; went doon the shops wi a perra kickers on his heid, tellt the wifie next door we’d won the lottery and were flittin tae Barbados, but that wis daft stuff compared tae whit he’s went and done noo He’s turn intae a Buddhist. At first Ma thought it wis another wanny his jokes. ‘Ah’m just gaun doon the Buddhist Cenre for a couple hours, Liz, ah’ll no be lang.’
I loved that book, even though I found it challenging to read. Donovan is famous for writing in the Glaswegian dialect.
But not everyone can pull it off. In a recent Jane Friedman blog, writer Elle Jauffret offered some useful advice on how to handle accented speech. Here is a summary:
1. Follow Stephen King’s rule of restraint
King advises using a light touch. He suggests showing an accent or impediment once or twice, then letting readers carry that voice in their heads.
2. Focus on cadence and word choice
Instead of phonetic spelling, capture speech patterns through syntax, unique vocabulary, and sentence structure.
3. Study real speech patterns
Listen to authentic speakers, consult linguistic resources, or interview people with similar backgrounds. Authenticity comes from understanding rather than assumption.
4. Ensure fully developed characters
Don’t reduce characters to their accents. They deserve the same complexity as any other character.
5. Respect the reader
Understand that phonetic dialogue quickly becomes exhausting to read.
