colloquialisms

[emisweetie]

Hi everyone! I've been away a while, but am back with two stories currently pending. One has been rejected a couple of times, which I'm thinking may be due to a repeated use of colloquialisms. (The reason given for rejection was spelling mistakes).

This got me wondering - What does everybody out there think of colloquialisms in stories? I'm from England, and I realise the majority of readers obviously aren't. Do you find it refreshing or frustrating to read new phrases and words which are difficult to decipher?

Concerning my story, I included lots of very British English to try to ground the story in reality. I chose things I myself would say, and didn't just throw it in there for the hell of it.

Would readers prefer simple, straightforward language that's easy to understand?

No. 1 Cyberpet,

Emisweetie x

 

[BlackShanglan]

Personally, I much prefer a local flavor that adds depth and realism to the dialogue. It helps to shape character voice and the sense of setting.

On the topic of the rejection - I am familiar with both UK and US spelling, and would be happy to look over your story for you. I'm pretty sure that I have seen stories with UK-standard spelling accepted. If there are typos or spelling issues that are eluding you, perhaps I can help you to track them down. I would hate to think that we have to "standardize" everything to American spelling.

Shanglan

 

[dreampilot79]

Since I don't speak English (I only speak American), I can find the english very difficult to understand and to communicate means that the reader must understand what you have written.

I like the english, but still I can find them very difficult to understand. After all they drive on the wrong side of the road and put a girls fanny on the wrong side of her.

Having said that, I find no fault in colloquial dialog, so long as it can be understood by the reader.

Writing is about communicating to the audience and therefore, the judgement of what is acceptable should be what can be understood by the audience.

Dreampilot

 

[Boxlicker101]

Hi everyone! I've been away a while, but am back with two stories currently pending. One has been rejected a couple of times, which I'm thinking may be due to a repeated use of colloquialisms. (The reason given for rejection was spelling mistakes).

This got me wondering - What does everybody out there think of colloquialisms in stories? I'm from England, and I realise the majority of readers obviously aren't. Do you find it refreshing or frustrating to read new phrases and words which are difficult to decipher?

Concerning my story, I included lots of very British English to try to ground the story in reality. I chose things I myself would say, and didn't just throw it in there for the hell of it.

Would readers prefer simple, straightforward language that's easy to understand?

No. 1 Cyberpet,

Emisweetie x

I think colloquialisms are fine in dialogue, and really enhance it and make it more believable. As long as they fit the character they are fine. I rarely use colloquialisms in the narration though because I think they just don't fit. Most of my stories are writen in the first person and the narator, "I" is a professional writer so I try to make "I" as literate as I can. The narrator's name is George Boxlicker, by the way. None of the other characters see anything funny about that name. Unusual but not funny.

 

[cloudy]

I used quite a few colloquialisms in my Halloween contest entry (it's set in New Orleans, and the two main characters are Creole).

It was rejected at first, for spelling it said. I PM'd Laurel and explained that the story had some Creole-french expressions in it, and there's even the words to an entire song in Creole, and that it had been rejected - and I asked her to please check for me if that alone was the problem.

The next day the story was posted.

The moral of the story is: if it's rejected for something like that, please let Laurel know what's going on with your story. I'm sure mine made whatever spellchecker they use go insane.

BTW - most of the comments on my story have been very complimentary on the "Creole flavor" that I was able to get across in it by using those colloquialisms.