Writing with Dialects and Accents in Fiction

            I have a weakness for westerns. I blame it on genetics since I have family members who enjoy westerns too. One part that I like about these novels is the language. It isn't overly grammatical or polished, but it's plain-speaking (or straight-shooting if you prefer that expression). Different elements can give writing a new personality and color. Dialects and accents in writing can bring a story to life. If done right, they can give characters an instantly recognizable identity and build a more imaginative setting. The key to doing them right is to make sure they are identifiable. A badly done accent will both be unrecognizable and bring down the quality of the writing. This week, I’ll give some tips about how to write a better accent and why including one might be beneficial to your story.

            Dialects and accents can be tricky for any author. To make them work well for your story, there are three points you need to be careful of. The first is legibility. The wording needs to be legible for the reader. Spelling and punctuation have some leeway when trying to recreate a certain accent, but it should not be sacrificed to the point that a reader cannot decipher what is being said. If it is coming out in a way that can be hard to read, you have several possibilities to consider. First, illegible words might be a sign that you’re trying too hard to create the accent. In this case, you might want to step back for a moment and rethink how you portray the language. On the other hand, dialects sometimes use words or pronunciations that are unusual and unknown to the average reader. In that case, you should consider including cues that help a reader understand what is being said.

            Another point you should be cautious of is consistency. This is a critical point. If you start with a certain dialect, you should be finishing with it. It is imperative that the dialect is consistent throughout the whole work and doesn't come in and out. The lack of consistency will detract both from your writing and your character's authenticity. Consistency also applies at a more minute level. Not only should the accent stay true throughout the work, but the qualities of it should be consistent. The same spellings and punctuations should be used every time. The easiest way to ensure this is to keep notes about the usages you have in your work. As an editor, I suggest you have a copy of those notes available to your editor. Your editor can then know what you intended and catch any variations in your writing.

            A final caution, and the most important one to take away from this, is accuracy. If you write consistently and legibly through your whole work, it will mean nothing if you portray the dialect or accent inaccurately. Do your research and make certain that you are writing the speech correctly. And I mean truly correct and not just stereotypes of accents. If you aren’t careful about accuracy, it will sound “off” to readers and potentially offend those who do speak with that dialect or accent. You wouldn’t like it if someone misrepresented you so be careful that you don’t do it to someone else.

            With that being said, I hope I didn’t completely scare you off from trying to write a dialect or accent because it does have benefits. One such benefit is the local color an accent can bring to your writing. It is, like I said earlier, instant identity. It is a creative way to carry one’s reader quickly to a certain time and place. It can also create a connection for the reader with the story. For those familiar with the accent, it can give them a sense of investment because it is something they know. I like reading books that include a Southern accent because it reminds me of my childhood. My favorite teacher was from West Virginia and I loved hearing her talk. That brings up a third benefit. Even if a dialect isn't personally known to the reader, it can be intriguing. There is something about a foreign accent or dialect that piques others' curiosity. Either way, it can grab readers’ attention and create a more vivid picture for them.

            The next time you decide to write, why not try adding a dialect or accent to your story? It can give your work a unique flare that draws in readers and creates a setting through speech. Just be careful that as you write you keep an eye on legibility, consistency, and accuracy. These three keys will help guide you as you try your hand at writing dialects and accents.

Zombie Rules: The Myths of English Class Part 1

Last week, I wrote about using the singular they. Some editors and grammarians believe that avoiding singular they is a zombie rule. Zombie rules have nothing to do with actual zombies, but rather outdated grammar rules. A more accurate way of describing them is as non-rules. The term was coined by a professor, Arnold Zwicky, in 2005 for grammar "rules" that authors, editors, and elementary schools insist on following even though these rules don't exist and have no grammatical basis [1]. The term took off as demonstrated by John McIntyre's article that described an entire list of them [2]. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be describing some of these zombie rules and why writers should allow them to permanently die out.

The first two zombie rules I am going to discuss are very common amongst authors, overzealous editors, and elementary school classes. People consistently break both rules in speech which gives evidence that they don’t apply to the natural flow of words. Our brains appear to know a little more about grammar than we do when we allow them to take over. The first rule is to never start a sentence with a conjunction. The second insists on never ending a sentence with a preposition.

For many years, elementary students have been told that they cannot begin a sentence with a conjunction. That is not necessarily the case. A conjunction's job is to connect clauses, phrases, or words within a sentence. There are three types of conjunctions: correlating, subordinating, and coordinating. Writers use both correlating and subordinating conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence without trouble. The coordinating conjunctions are the problem. These conjunctions include the common and, but, and or. Spoken English reflects the usage of beginning conjunctions such as these.

Grammar rules and style guides have never warned against using conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence [3]. This "rule" was most likely created by teachers and carried on as a grammar rule when truly it is teachers' preference [4]. However, there is one stumbling block with beginning conjunctions that writers must watch out for.

When one uses a conjunction, it is important to ensure that the sentence is not a fragment [5]. With simple cases, one only needs to trust their instincts and what sounds the most natural. As I said previously, the brain knows much more grammar than we do. With harder cases, it can help to take the time to identify each part of the sentence to make sure everything is present that should be. 

Once one stops trying to avoid conjunctions, they find that conjunctions can be very useful. Sometimes, nothing works like a period to create a certain effect. One could use a comma and make the two sentences one. But a period adds a greater pause and gives more emphasis to the sentence that follows [6]. That emphasis produces greater clarity and magnifies the author's voice. These two benefits are key to every writer.

The second zombie rule is to avoid prepositions at the end of a sentence. The job of a preposition is to demonstrate the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the sentence. As the one who is showing how words relate to each other, prepositions can become a part of phrasal verbs [7]. Phrasal verbs are phrases that behave like verbs, and prepositions often end up at the end of sentences that have either these phrases or interrogatives because the order makes the most sense [8].

The idea that prepositions cannot end a sentence has never been a grammar rule for English. This idea was popularized by the famed poet John Dryden and many style guides that followed him [9]. Both Dryden and an earlier culprit, grammarian Joshua Poole, wanted to keep English close to its roots [10]. In Latin, ending a sentence with a preposition is, in fact, wrong [11]. I can appreciate wanting to keep close ties between English and Latin. But Dryden, Poole, and countless others were forgetting something very important. English is not Latin. English may have its roots in Latin, but it is not the same thing. What works in one language may not in the other. For the sake of clarity, English sometimes needs a preposition at the end of the sentence. 

If it is true that conjunctions and prepositions can be used, what are authors to do? The best rule to follow is to use the conjunction or preposition unless it might cause problems. If readers are going to be riled by a "misplaced" word, they are not going to absorb your actual point and may even question your expertise. For the sake of one's message, moving the word or replacing it might be the better option.

These zombie rules may have been around for decades, but that doesn't mean they should be accepted or followed. You can make writing clearer and more natural by adding in some beginning conjunctions and ending prepositions. You'll be one less author contributing to the continued life of these "rules." Just be careful you don't create a mob by doing it. Some battles aren't worth fighting.

[1] Merrie-Ellen Wilcox, 2016, "Spooks, zombie rules, and the singular ‘they'" [blog], West Coast Editorial Associates, accessed September 27, 2019, http://westcoasteditors.com/spooks-zombie-rules-and-the-singular-they/.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Neal Whitman, 2014, "Can I Start a Sentence with a Conjunction?", Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Accessed September 27, 2019, https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/can-i-start-a-sentence-with-a-conjunction.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Mignon Fogarty, 2011, "Ending a Sentence with a Preposition," Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Accessed September 27, 2019, https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/ending-a-sentence-with-a-preposition.

[8] Ibid.

[9] "Prepositions, Ending a Sentence With," Merriam-Webster, June 25, 2019, https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/prepositions-ending-a-sentence-with.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

The Rise of Singular "They"

            If you are as much of a word nerd as I am or spend any amount of time on grammar-related social media, you've probably heard about the recent dictionary changes. As we all know and witness daily, English is an evolving language. Part of that growth includes adding new words into the dictionaries as part of common English usage. Change is never something we handle well. Therefore, new words are not always greeted with much enthusiasm. A recent addition in Merriam – Webster has especially created a stir. That word is the singular they.

            The singular they is one of those topics in English grammar that can quickly divide a room. The most common objection to they as a singular pronoun is that it’s supposed to be plural. That is true and they is still retaining its plural sense. But English has precedence for breaking its rules and developing exceptions. On the other hand, many applaud the recognition of singular they as progress that makes the English language less clunky and easier to use. No longer do authors have to use phrasing such as “his or her” or reword sentences to avoid the construction altogether. With these opposing sides, it can make one wonder who exactly is right. Well, the answer might not be what one would think.

           Singular they has been used in spoken and written English for centuries. If you pay close attention to what you are saying, you will most likely find that you use they in this sense daily. According to Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman of Grammarphobia, they has been a part of English in the singular usage since the 1300s and became a permanent part of the language by the end of the century[1]. With its entry into English, no one saw a reason to object to its singular meaning. In fact, widespread distaste for the singular they did not appear until the 1700s when grammarians began to insist on they being used strictly in its original sense as a plural pronoun[2].

            These grammarians may have successfully stigmatized singular they, but they did not stop anyone from using it. Too much time had passed, and it had firmly taken root in speech and writing. Thus, the battling amongst grammarians and authors began and has continued into modern times. Merriam – Webster accepting singular they is a mighty success for this beleaguered pronoun but is honestly nothing new. It only means that dictionaries are finally catching up with reality.

            For those who still find it hard to accept singular they, I would like to point out that a similar change has already happened for you. I am not referring to you being used in the plural sense though. Unbeknownst to many, you was not a singular pronoun originally. It wasn’t even a subject pronoun. While everyone was busy fighting over how to use they, that sly pronoun you overtook first ye as the plural subject and later both singular forms thou and thee.[3]

           Because of the changes brought on by you, English is one of those few languages that has no distinction between singular and plural or formal and informal speech. If anyone was going to complain about language changes, I think they (catch that there) should be going after that upstart you. Even though English has taken on some drastic changes, it has survived and thrived. Personally, I think English is going to weather this latest change just fine.

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[1] Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman, “Fifty shades of ‘they’,” Grammarphobia (blog), May 22, 2017, https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/05/they-4.html.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Elizabeth O’Brien, “The Story of the Pronoun You,” Grammar Revolution, Accessed September 20, 2019, https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/history-of-you.html.