How many of y’all have read dialogue and thought, “God, what an idiot?” I was reading Joan Johnston’s Never Tease a Wolf and stumbled across the following:
I do. I do want to hear (p. 48)
Those words could sound any way. So why did I make the heroine who said them whine? She wasn’t whining in text. She was supposed to be sympathetic and understanding.
When I began to think about it, I thought that I did stuff like that all the time. I made up voices to go with dialogue and sometimes forced the characters to sound in a manner the author didn’t want. I don’t know why I do it; it just happens. I think, maybe, it has something to do with me deciding early on that I don’t like a character.
But think about it. Think about how many times we can take a sentence and create a voice to mutate the words into something sinister or contrary. One sentence, given the wrong inflection, can confuse the heck out of a reader.
So my question is, can you think of any times you’ve done something like this?
I have definitely read dialogue and thought – nobody talks like this.
But I know what you’re talking about, and I do think it happens when you take a dislike to a character.
LOL – my whiny character is Phaedre from the Kushiel series. I’m sure Jacqueline Carey didn’t intend for her to come across to me as whiny.
By: LesleyW on January 22, 2008
at 2:27 pm
When I really get into a book, they all have voices. Now I’ll have to pay attention…lol
By: Kimberly Swan on January 22, 2008
at 11:27 pm
Lesley & Kimberly- I never really thought about it until I was reading Johnson’s book this weekend. Now I’ve made myself hyper aware.
By: scooper on January 23, 2008
at 9:44 pm