tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post6307125267369736497..comments2024-03-28T23:39:31.606-07:00Comments on Casting Light upon the Shadow: "Word Hoard" and the Difficulties of Making Dialogue AuthenticAnnie Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-78828041014885653302019-06-09T01:14:46.192-07:002019-06-09T01:14:46.192-07:00Thanks so much for your comments April. When I rea...Thanks so much for your comments April. When I read your book, it seemed to me that the characters spoke with a style that suited the time period, but which flowed really well. This article was really some thoughts about whether or not it could be done i.e. using only words derived from Old English but it's clear that it can't, not if the dialogue is to flow naturally. You hit the nail on the head with anachronism - it's so important not to have characters speak about things which they wouldn't have understood or known about at the time.Annie Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-34584636552832786982019-06-08T12:25:41.389-07:002019-06-08T12:25:41.389-07:00I'm so glad that I write about the fourteenth ...I'm so glad that I write about the fourteenth century. My characters are fairly modern in their speech, but I try to avoid anachronistic phrases.April Mundayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00147194554101708169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-50629533075847969502019-06-08T02:50:34.355-07:002019-06-08T02:50:34.355-07:00Thanks so much for your comments Lyn - I'm rea...Thanks so much for your comments Lyn - I'm really glad you enjoyed the article. I know exactly what you mean about the simplicity of the language and Churchill used to use it to great effect in his speeches, even sometimes mimicking the speech patterns, too. And thank you so much for buying the book - I really hope you like it!!Annie Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-36549856107204466832019-06-07T15:18:23.543-07:002019-06-07T15:18:23.543-07:00This is such a fascinating article.I write fantasy...This is such a fascinating article.I write fantasy fiction and at the beginning I toyed with the idea of using mainly Anglo-Saxon-derived words, not only in dialogue, but narration too. There's a simplicity and a solidity to them that I like. Of course, I quickly learned it wouldn't work, but there are traces left and they please me to a ridiculous degree. I've been wanting to read To be a Queen for a while and you've just convinced me it needs to be soon.So I'm off to buy it.Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11627975259420138572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-87106966414253830092019-06-06T00:11:49.380-07:002019-06-06T00:11:49.380-07:00Thanks so much Roland! Kennings are wonderful and ...Thanks so much Roland! Kennings are wonderful and adding them to stories would definitely give a feel for the period :-)Annie Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-41729847815892039002019-06-05T13:30:01.991-07:002019-06-05T13:30:01.991-07:00I'm filing this post as you have made such ins...I'm filing this post as you have made such insightful points about our use of language. I have played with 'kennings' to add a poetic style to a few shorts, but I realise finding the balance is hard in a historical tale. I'm working on an 10th century short set in Iceland - not easy, but this helped.Roland Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03302133565980901397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-59959858622497914172019-06-04T06:16:37.178-07:002019-06-04T06:16:37.178-07:00Barkeep? Really?! Yes, I know exactly what you mea...Barkeep? Really?! Yes, I know exactly what you mean - fine to talk of things that the characters can't say or indeed think :-)Annie Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-83947058228069678292019-06-04T04:07:55.873-07:002019-06-04T04:07:55.873-07:00Part of what I was trying to say is that would it ...Part of what I was trying to say is that would it be OK to describe someone as having almond-shaped eyes, as opposed to the no-no of having a character say "Ah, but she has the most beautiful eyes - the very shape of almonds"? I could tell you stories of examples of those inappropriate words/phrases! 'Barkeep' for a Viking tavern owner, 'the colour of butternut' in BC Germany!! Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-27404078225338597272019-06-04T03:55:39.431-07:002019-06-04T03:55:39.431-07:00Thanks Richard! You're right, it has to be abo...Thanks Richard! You're right, it has to be about the 'feel' - and that holds true for historical fiction of any period, I think. I long ago decided that it doesn't do to be too rigid, but to make sure it 'sounds' right. Where I do take extreme care, however, is to make sure my characters don't talk about things they'd have no knowledge of, or have them use phrases that come from more modern things - they'd have no concept of 'ego' for example, and I had to check very carefully before I could have them thinking about almond-shaped eyes :-) Annie Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11028691371545306450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311063131188554905.post-48046839310117651922019-06-04T03:08:41.276-07:002019-06-04T03:08:41.276-07:00In essence, I believe, the 'feel' of conte...In essence, I believe, the 'feel' of contemporary speech patterns will satisfy the vast majority of readers rather than the actual words. I would never have questioned most of the words you had used. But can there be a difference between dialogue and narrative? If the author is as strict as possible in speech, can they be a little more lenient in descriptions (unless the story is written in the first person)? Excellent article, by the way, which shows that research can be so much deeper than apparent to the reader!Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.com