Language, yo.
My Novel, Writing February 6th, 2008Over at Shawn Speakman’s blog (doesn’t it always seem like I’m finding my blogging inspiration there?), one of his readers asked his opinion on the use of contractions outside of dialogue. This is a topic I’ve struggled with a lot as a writer, so I jumped in with my own theories/learnings. It occurred to me (rather obviously) that this is a subject worth expanding upon here at my writing blog.
In the past I’ve often worked on writing epic fantasies (they were what I grew up reading), but I always struggled with the writing of these, finding that everything was taking a very long time to just write, regardless of how well the outlining was coming along. This was a stark contrast, however, to the short fiction I was writing (
The main difference? I was writing with contemporary narrators.
The freedom this afforded me made all the difference in the world. I’ve often written with an easygoing, casual tone which fits a contemporary narrator but feels out of place in the stiff, formal world of a medieval/epic fantasy. It was this aspect that made me first consider the idea of writing a fantasy set in our world, with a protagonist who is no less ordinary than your or I.
Rowan affords me the ability to show my reader this magical, marvelous world through terms they can they can relate to. I can spend time showing the readers what’s really important to the story, instead of having to describe to them what might be fascinating to the protagonist/narrator but dull and ordinary to the reader, I can instead glaze over those things (we all know what a sidewalk is) and instead spend time on aspects of the story that are marvelous and extraordinary to both the reader and Rowan alike (ghosts and big F’in snakes, for instance).
On top of this, I can call a spade a spade. Rowan’s also able to describe things to the reader in a way that doesn’t have to beat around the bush. If a giant bird flies over her head, she’s able to describe as being the size of a small aircraft, putting a firm image in the mind of the reader without having to endlessly spew abstract terms to get the idea across. It fits my writing style and it fits the story I’m telling through Rowan.
Of course this wouldn’t work for every story (The Lord of the Rings would have been pretty awkward with a modern vernacular) but when used in the right circumstance (Harry Potter, for instance), I feel it can really help the reader connect to the story in a strong way.
One author who uses casual vs. strict language to great affect is Joe Abercrombie, author of The First Law Trilogy (which kicks all sorts of ass, by the way). He uses language, even outside of dialogue, to differentiate the way his characters view the world. From the pragmatic, and simple language used during the POV of The Dogman (a barbarian-like mercenary) to the strict, frustrated clip of Collem West (apeasent-born Army Officer) to the casual, cultured arrogance of Jezal dan Luthar (a pain-in-the-ass noble’s son), Abercrombie manages to show his reader the same world - the same events, even - in a new light with each new POV character.
Being able to write in this more casual, contemporary tone has increased my efficiency when writing by magnitudes. When I sit down I can simply tell the story, instead of struggling to find the language necessary to tell the story. Choosing to write in the first-person perspective also helped make this transition much easier. Rowan herself narrates the novel and so her character and verve seeped into the actual telling of the story. She isn’t just a character in the novel, she is the novel.
I’ve found that through Rowan’s language I’ve been able to look at the world, at the story itself, in a way that I wouldn’t necessarily have done if I had been more confined in the language I had to use. Maybe one day I’ll get back to Epic/Medieval Fantasy (I’ve got a good story brewing in my head, actually), but for now Rowan’s story (and the way she tells it) is just too compelling and right for me not to tell it now.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
In Forging a Legend, I used no contractions outside of dialog and kept my writing serviceable and in the background. However, for Starcaster, which is first person, contractions abound and the writing is much more like someone chatting. (Hopefully, it’s not too chatty.) So I think you’re right. The voice depends on the mood of the story.
Think Huckleberry Finn vs. The Prince and the Pauper. Mark Twain wrote both of them, but Huck’s language is as informal as it can get, while The Prince and the Pauper was as formal as the British Tudor court.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Some good thoughts about voice in fantasy. The genre sometimes rewards a kind of stilted, faux King’s English that many readers seem to expect–and which can work for some stories. On the other hand, sentences like “I think not, your Highness” instead of just “No” often make me pause if I’m flipping through a book with some thought of reading it. I gew up on fantasy, but also the Hemingway and Elmore Leonard school of less-is-more, which can translate beautifully to fantasy in the right hands. And the job is easier when you’re writing in the first person. At any rate, sounds like you’re (as opposed to “you are”) on the right track.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Tia, did you have a paticular voice you found more natural or preferable to the other? Also, would you mind sharing what the two stories are about? I’m always curious to know what other people are working on!
Jim, I’ve also grown up appreciating the “Less is More” style of writing, mainly because I feel that it’s a more natural way of telling a story. Of course some description is always necessary, you want to paint a vivid picture in your reader’s mind, but I feel that (especially in Fantasy) too many authors include way too much extraneous information that drags the reader down.
I think this is one of the reasons why I tend to write short chapters. I like to get straight to the point of the story.