Writing With an Accent

[WizardofOwls]

In a story that I am working on, one of my main characters is an Irish woman living in America. I have a question concerning her accent/vocabulary...

Do the Irish use the words "lassie" or "laddie," or is that strictly a Scottish thing?

Here are a couple examples of my attempt at creating her accent, but I am much more familiar with Scottish accents than Irish ones. How do these look/sound to you?

"so what are ya gonna do now?" (ya rather than you)
"Hullo," she said, "are you alright?" (Hullo rather than hello)

Also, can anyone recommend some good online sites where I might find some good examples of a written Irish accent?

Any help you can offer in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cornelius]

I did a similar thing in my book, though in an lesser amount. I gave the smith some words he uses very often, like " you know", "lad" and so on... I also have a part with the conversation of two drunks, did some weird words in that. don't think it's on yet, if you want it I could PM it to you, but it wouldn't help you with the accent thing. ask some of the editors ( MarkyLazer, MainComputer...), I am sure they'll be more usefull to you. I wouldn't go to far in it, but suit yourself.

 

[littlemissattitude]

Just a note to say that this sort of thing, in my experience, is probably best done sparingly. Accents and strongly colloquial speech are notoriously difficult to translate into the written word. A few authors have done it successfully. Outside the sf/fantasy genre, Zora Neale Hurston's work, for instance her short story "Sweat", is a good example of this done very well. There are many more examples of it being done laughably badly.

I don't mean to suggest that you not use accents in your writing. I just want to emphasize that you should be careful with it. You want it to add to your work, not have the accents be a distraction to the reader.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Accents and dialects and everything related to them are very difficult to manage. The only time that I feel I did it well (which is to say that I can look at the result now without feeling sick with embarrassment) is when I modeled it after the rhythms in the speech of some of my relatives from a different part of the country. All other times I feel like it was a disaster.

 

[Rosemary]

I have tried the 'old English' accent but became rather unstuck with the 'thees and thouest....Obviously another art of writing that will need thorough research and use it sparingly.

One 'accent' that I did enjoy, which thoroughly goes against the grain of correct writing in my opinion is from the character Caalador created by David Eddings. Having re-read the book the accent is certainly and there is far too much of it. However, as I do have a very good sense of humour I thought it was great!

 

[sanityassassin]

In a story that I am working on, one of my main characters is an Irish woman living in America. I have a question concerning her accent/vocabulary...

Do the Irish use the words "lassie" or "laddie," or is that strictly a Scottish thing?

Here are a couple examples of my attempt at creating her accent, but I am much more familiar with Scottish accents than Irish ones. How do these look/sound to you?

"so what are ya gonna do now?" (ya rather than you)
"Hullo," she said, "are you alright?" (Hullo rather than hello)

Also, can anyone recommend some good online sites where I might find some good examples of a written Irish accent?

Any help you can offer in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

laddie and lassie is scottish but what you have to remember is a lot of scottish and irish accents are very local as some places use words that they wouldn't understand 20 miles down the road (I speak from experiance as have lived in Ireland and from Scotland and my parents are one of each).

i think you have to give the character a more local place ie Dublin or Galway etc. and try to find books written by people who live there.
Don't go by what you see in films because I've seen films where the accent and language they use made me cringe (far and away and gangs of new york to name but 2) but as the others say use it sparingly but keep it consistant

 

[Aeli]

When I attempted an accent in a story I found that using an accent CD helped a lot. I got the CD for acting purposes (I had to be cockney, it was very hard to say the least), and it helped me work wonders with how my character would speak. Just listening to how someone speaks and getting into thier rhythm will get then sounding "right" or I guess in this case "reading right" when the speak.

I guess, in short, I would reccomend listening to the accent as much as possible, if you can't get your hands on a CD then try to watch movies.

A note on Irish Accents, just like English accents, there are a LOT of them, and they vary with region and time period so make sure you know where and when in Ireland you need.

I hope that helped, good luck!

 

[Marky Lazer]

I should say, if you know how to do a Scottish accent, and not an Irish accent... Then why don't you make your character Scottish in the first place? You shouldn't make it too hard for yourself.

The only thing I could find was something about accents in a screen plays: http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/accents.html but that's hardly any help.

All in all, I think the best is to write what you know. I tried to make a char of my speak the way they did in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but I dropped that, because I can't speak like that, adn therefore would make too many mistakes in the dialogue. If you want to do accents, do an accent you know (example: Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting).

 

[Auer]

In my novel I used one version of a northern finnish accent, or probably more a dialect to emphasize different social status between people. One critic said that he would've liked to see more of it in the novel. It was quite easy to use it, since my mother comes from that area, and I've heard that dialect a little.
But I have heard different opinions, too. Some say that using dialects can make the reading a lot harder, and if one uses very strange or unknown words - which are sometimes quite common in dialects (at least in Finland) - the reading can become too hard.
But anyway, I used more accents and dialects in my second novel and I can't wait to see the critics' opinion about it. I was very careful about it, though, and used only the dialect which was familiar to me.
My opinion is that using accents and dialects can give life to the text but it's better to stay in those accents which the writer knows.

 

[dwndrgn]

Accents can definitely add to a book as Auer said. However, they have to be perfect. Otherwise the reader gets stuck trying to slog through something they are having a hard time understanding.

WizardOfOwls - First, let me say that it this character's accent may have faded a great deal and wouldn't be nearly as recognizeable in print having lived in the US and second, if you want to accentuate the fact that she/he has an accent (ha!) you can have another character comment or think about it without having to actually write out the differences in the dialogue. I've seen that done very successfully many times.

In any case, best of luck!!

 

[Quokka]

Personally, I doubt many people from Scotland would use the term laddie/lassie and certainly not Irish but the character's age may be a big factor in that.

I don't know that there's any hard and fast rule on it though. People overseas, inevitably have their home country/ accent linked to other people's perception of them, not to mention that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' so using particular phrases may be linked to fitting in or playing up to an image that either they or other people hold of themselves.

I think even when most accents are done well, there's a risk of alienating readers who are familiar with the location.... is he/her from Dublin/Cork/ Northern Ireland. There is a big difference in accent. Though outside that area it may read fine.

Having said all that, just as long as an honest attempt has been made and not just a stereotype, then even if something does read a little wrong for me, if I was enjoying the story otherwise, it wouldn't be a problem. Plus there's Country accents, regional accents, add in age, industry/work plus we each have our own individual way of communicating and you've got a lot of leg room.

One other Idea. As mentioned before, accents can change significantly when people move from area to area and if you change a sentance of dialog alot from your natural train of thought, to me that seems like a lot of hard work to ensure that you stay consistant each time the character speaks... not that it's not great when you can.

Yet people often keep individual phrases, sayings etc that may seem strange to other characters and are easily linked in to an individual's personality/history...

For example, I grew up with the term "I've a bone to pick with you" but my wife sometime says "I've a crow to pluck with you" which may or may not be linked to where she grew up but hopefully you see where I'm heading on that one.

As always, Just my 2 cents.

 

[kyektulu]

I strongly agree with Little Miss A, It is best keeping regoinal accent/slang/dialect to a minimum.
It is very frusterating trying to understand what the author means when you are not in the know, I have even stopped reading a book before because of this.

 

[the Lady of Shalott]

the book Angela's Ashes by Frank Mcsomethingorother is set in Ireland and has wonderful examples throughout the bok of Irish accents. You don't have to read it but if you simply look at the dialogue it's quite obvious. Good luck!

 

[sanityassassin]

the book Angela's Ashes by Frank Mcsomethingorother is set in Ireland and has wonderful examples throughout the bok of Irish accents. You don't have to read it but if you simply look at the dialogue it's quite obvious. Good luck!

it is Frank McCourt who wrote Angelas Ashes but the Irish accent is only specific to Limerick outside that area a lot of the regional sayings would be out of place. I have a cousin who has worked with people from all over Ireland and he says he can identify where an Irish person comes from by there accent. I could not do that but can identify there are a lot of different accents

 

[aqcheryl]

Is anyone familiar how to research writing with a Scottish accent within specific time periods?
The novel Im working on is actually occuring 12th century in the Highlands.
Since the story is time travel, it is imperative for the readers to 'read' the differences in accent.
Im in California, and unfortunately do not know anyone Scottish that could assist me, so I'm left with research, and what I've read in the past.
I definitely know how to use 'Och', 'ye' (and sometimes 'yer' lol), 'ken', 'canna' or 'willna'.. for example. Of course it also helps to use actual terms, instead of lake, choose 'loch'; 'glen' instead of meadow..

any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
cheryl

 

[C. Craig R. McNeil]

Quite possibly the best ever use of an accent in written speech is by Irvine Welsh in Trainspotting (and his other books). When his characters speak it's in true Edinburgh Leith Scottish.

BTW Aqcheryl - been watching Star Trek recently? Cause that's how Scottie speaks

 

[ray gower]

Would not disagree that care has to be taken with writing in a dialect; long passages written in thickest Devon or Geordy are never a good idea, colloquialisms must either be blatantly clear or explained and so on.

But a little carefully drip fed, particularly at moments of high personal stress, or unthinking casualness will create and maintain an illusion, and the best way is probably to give the character a catch phrase he can repeat at frequent intervals.

Most accents, however, are in tone and word usage and if you choose to work with them, then consistancy is important.

As for the Irish, they are actually very nice to use, simply because overall they speak far better english than the English. The common foible is a habit of partial repetition.

You can have the Irish leprachaun (or Dubliner) who speaks in very short fast gasps:

"Well now. Did you see that? Did you? There he was. On the top of the Guiness vat. Then up he was. Tip over top and out like a greased Black and Tan Garda. He was."

As you go further west they slow down and speak in long sighs and sudden dramatics:

"There now, there's a funny thing. Did you see that fellow?"
"He was left balancing on that there vat of Guiness, he was..."
"Then he up'd and there was a splash!"
"And out he came. Looking like the Deevil himself were after him, he did. Then off with him over the hills as if the pack of dogs were after him, so they were."

Perhaps it is something to do with racial memories of long rainy nights telling stories around a guttering candle?

Of course when you go north of the border to the modern bustle of Belfast, then all sorts of Scottish mannerisms (mostly expletives) start working and speech pattern becomes somewhat blander. Start every second sentence with an expletive and you won't go far wrong.

 

[C. Craig R. McNeil]

Of course when you go north of the border to the modern bustle of Belfast, then all sorts of Scottish mannerisms (mostly expletives) start working and speech pattern becomes somewhat blander. Start every second sentence with an expletive and you won't go far wrong.

Having known a few folk from Belfast I won't argue about the expletitives in their speech but I wouldn't say it was a Scottish mannerism. Glasgow maybe but not Scotland as a whole.

 

[ray gower]

Not been to Fife in a long time and willingly take your word for it, though I fear the expletive thing is a growing threat to civilised conversation everywhere. There are places, where things are far worse, the expletive will generally come between every third word!

The problem is that Belfast is a modern city and all the mannerisms that make Dublin and the rest of Eire such delightful places to go are fast vanishing in the face of universal gutter English.

 

[ray gower]

"so what are ya gonna do now?" (ya rather than you)
"Hullo," she said, "are you alright?" (Hullo rather than hello)

Neither of these would be right from a native Eirean.
Typicaly they would come out like:-
"So now, what would you be doing now?" (replace the coma with a full stop for Dublin)
"Well hello there," she said, "Now how would you be doing?" (replace 'there' with 'now' if she was he and lose Well and Now for Dublin).