Contractions in narrative

[gordo12]

That being said, I get a little hard when I find an opportunity to use double contractions:
- woudn't've
- couldn't've
- he'd've
- y'all'd've (I just came...)

I use contractions. I've always felt that dialogue should follow the same path as speaking naturally.

But I have to say. Almost 7 decades on this planet speaking English, and I had no idea there was such a thing as a double contraction. I thought you were kidding at first, but I looked it up. I don't think I've ever seen one used in Literature anywhere, and lord knows I've read tens of thousands of books and stories.

 

[Erlikkhan]

My wife doesn't like contractions at all. She thinks they are painful and last way to long. I personally didn't think it was a big deal and told her to take some deep breaths. She threw a book at me. Go figure.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Go figure.

She probably took a while to get that back, too .

 

[jaF0]

Sometimes these threads get under your skin and play on your mind. I've been noticing in the last few days that I sometimes do this, not only on this board, but others as well.


I just posted this in another thread:

"It's pretty obvious what the OP is seeking to portray."

Why did I do that instead of ' the OP's seeking '? Was it because that sounds more like a possessive than a contraction?

 

[ElectricBlue]

"It's pretty obvious what the OP is seeking to portray."

Why did I do that instead of ' the OP's seeking '? Was it because that sounds more like a possessive than a contraction?

That was my immediate thought. I tend to favour 's for the possessive rather than use it as a contraction, especially in narrative; whereas in dialogue it's the reverse. Except for it's, as just shown. For me, it's mostly how the sentence flows - adjust to get the cadence right.

 

[AlexBailey]

I think the simple guide to what to use, where, and when, is: what is the narrator's 'voice'? Decide that, and you have decided everything else.

What would Morgan Freeman do?