Thoughts and Advice on Diction

[Storiest]

I'm working on a story with an elderly narrator. That fact, combined with the romantic vibe, turn of the century period, and explicit sex make it hard for me to decide on the naughty words to use.

It's a lot to think about. Let me know how you authors approach this problem, and share your general thoughts about word choice here!

 

[sr71plt]

Both a problem and an opportunity. It depends on what you want to do with your narrator and how the narrator fits into the story. They weren't always elderly. How spicy were their activities and speech (and, more important for a narrator, thoughts) when they were younger? Do you want them to be prominent in the story or in the background? A backstory needs to created for them--at least in your mind--the more involved they are in the story.

If you don't mind a prominent narrator, especially if the narrator is going to be an actual character in the story (hinted by you by establishing that it's an elderly person), an interesting approach for this time period would be for them to use straightlaced language as a character and spicy language and images as an unspeaking observer. This would showcase the mood of that particular time--reserved in public; ribald in private.

 

[Storiest]

Thank you. That's great help sr71plt, especially since I didn't give you much to go on. I would post a sample but it is so horribly in need of editing at this point that it is barely readable.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'm working on a story with an elderly narrator. That fact, combined with the romantic vibe, turn of the century period, and explicit sex make it hard for me to decide on the naughty words to use.

Which century and where ?

 

[Storiest]

Which century and where ?

19th to 20th century Ireland.

 

[SamScribble]

I'd be tempted to re-read a few pages of James Joyce (particularly Ulysses) or JP Donleavy just to remind myself of how they captured that bawdy early 20th century Dublin tone so well with their narration / interior monologue. After that, I suspect the actual words will probably choose themselves.

 

[RodenAddison]

When I began writing The Widow, set in the 1870's, I struggled with it a bit. Since it was romance, that coloured the dialogue and there was no sex until the second chapter. I was surprised to find that the word 'pussy' had been in use since about 1830. Some sources put it even earlier. 'Pussy' was as rough as the dialogue got. In the narrative? All bets were off. It was third person so I was as graphic with descriptions as I was with any other story—which frankly is pretty damned graphic.

One woman wrote me and said that I should teach sex ed. I told her I tutored on a one on one basis and asked if she'd like a lesson.

 

[sr71plt]

It's only partially a matter of whether the word existed in that time. It's more a matter of whether using the word is consistent with the specific character you are considering having use it.

 

[ishtat]

19th to 20th century Ireland.

You need to consider social class, language and geography. In early nineteenth century Ireland probably 40% plus of the population spoke Irish Gaelic rather than English. The upper and better off classes spoke English almost exclusively, as did the population of eastern Ireland, say within 100 miles of Dublin.

Irish collapsed as a spoken language in the 19th century today only about 150,000 speak Irish as their first language but ten times that may use it occasionally. Irish speakers are now increasing again, they are ahead of the Scots but well behind the Welsh in numbers.

My recommendation would be to consider having a minor character be a 'caricature' "Irishman'; have him provide that flavour whilst having everybody else speak English.

 

[SamScribble]

I was surprised to find that the word 'pussy' had been in use since about 1830. Some sources put it even earlier.

There's written evidence that pussy - in the sense of a vulva - has been around since the early 1600s.

 

[Storiest]

I'd be tempted to re-read a few pages of James Joyce (particularly Ulysses) or JP Donleavy just to remind myself of how they captured that bawdy early 20th century Dublin tone so well with their narration / interior monologue. After that, I suspect the actual words will probably choose themselves.

Thanks. I've been using The Dubliners as a reference for period, and works from Frank O'Connor, Seamus Murphy, and John B Keane for a southern flare in the dialogue. Nothing gets down to the nasty though.

 

[Storiest]

All of these responses have been really helpful and I'm getting the idea that because there is really no good reference for dirty word usage in Ireland, in that time period, I shouldn't go too far down a research hole on this aspect of the story.

In fact, the contrast between the description of sexual acts and the rest of the story could be used to the advantage of both the erotic and non-erotic aspects of the story. I'm going to check out The Widow also, thanks