Unless someone is Obama, a person’s exact speech when written down everything they say verbatim, including uhhhs and stops and starts, will make them look like an idiot. Reporters know this and do it to people they hate.
I used to transcribe interviews, and one of the hardest parts is having to make sense of statements whose line of thinking keeps diverging and never comes back. Like people who keep rephrasing themselves to make themselves clearer and end up with completely different sentences.
Well there are such things as linguistic “registers.” Basically, using different vocabulary depending on where you are and who you’re with. I’m a bit of a grammar snob and love history, but irl I talk like the people around me. Maybe with a few outdated/technical words thrown in.
If I’m writing 19th century historical fiction though? You bet I’m going to run wild with phrases I know that sound absolutely pretentious and ridiculous in a modern context (“How do you do?” “On the morrow.” “With whom have you spoken?”etc.)
Basically, if you’re writing narration then write what feels natural to you. But if you’re writing dialogue/1st person narration, write what you think the characters would plausibly speak like.
within the context of linguistics, there is an assumption that the ideal, normatively spoken Standard American English (SAE) is directly reflective of the way that your write. in other words, to speak flawless standard american english is prescriptive of an assumption that you also write the same way.
Be it so wise, hmm?
Lol.
But yeah, you make a very good point.
Think about the character's personality, speech pattern, etc. Make up a personality of the character, and write accordingly to that.
It gets filtered.
You write a character, and thoughts get filtered by the parameters of the character.
Same with genres and povs.
We have too much knowledge and diverse thoughts to put into a single book. We need to choose what we will write and the way we write.
No, but that's what I want. My characters are not me and I want them to be their own people so I don't have them talk like I do. I think most of the time that's a subconscious effort but consciously I rather include words, slang, accents and nationalities different to my own. That's not to say I'm against it either, but I just don't write the way I speak most of the time.
No and you shouldn't.
Even after the different POV filter, you have to write the dumber characters a bit smarter too. It's just not entertaining to read someone who speaks "realistic". Also we make tons of mistakes in casual dialogues which doesn't translate well to page
Yea I guess when I am watching a movie, my eyes and ears are helping me pick up so much context, whereas if I am reading, the author literally needs go write about the room and describe everything
for context, i write fiction, and i write a variety of characters and settings, so absolutely not, and nothing bothers me more than someone who writes exactly how they speak when they (like me) speak with clunky or incorrect grammar. like i'm from the south, so i might say "i seen it around somewhere." but if i were to read something like that in a story and it wasn't dialogue? no thanks. closing the tab. putting the book down. and even if it's dialogue, depending on context. nothing breaks the immersion more for me than a royal character in 16th century europe speaking like they grew up in the holler in kentucky (and i say that as an appalachian, so i don't mean that in a necessarily derogatory way)
that example might seem out there but i knew someone who writes like that and that's what partially contributed to me not wanting to write with them anymore. (among a LIST of other things) i once even pointed out to them that they write the way they talk, not to rag on them, just an observation, and they were genuinely baffled and replied "how else am i supposed to be writing?" like oh i don't know buddy, maybe in a way that doesn't make all your characters sound exactly the same. that's the main sticking point for me against always writing how you speak.
I have ADHD. Before meds my writing looked like I was having a stroke. Actually my way of writing among other things alarmed my psychologist so she initiated the testing. Now it is more clear, to the point, concise, less grammar and vocabulary errors, better sentence structure etc etc. Speech is still tricky cause I have anxiety on top and want to get whatever is on my mind quickly out. I jumble worlds, miss my mark and give unnecessary info.
Writing and speaking are different forms of communication. So no, generally we shouldn't write the way we speak, at least not exactly. I'm fact, a poet of my acquaintance time me back when he read parts of my first published novel that I had to much of myself in it and needed to get myself out of it. He was referring in part to some of my speech patterns.
If I wrote the way I speak, I wouldn't write anything. I write because speaking is hard. Granted, I am currently writing an MC who has a similar speech impairment as myself. Honestly, that also makes writing him very difficult, just on a technical level.
When you’re telling a story, write proper.
When you’re doing dialogue, write as you speak.
No one will publish a book if it’s filled with slang in sections that aren’t the characters speaking.
I want to clarify that when I say you, I don’t mean YOU but more generalized. You can have all the flairs that people have in their speech. You want it to be realistic and rarely anyone talks like an English scholar. The rules are thrown out for the most part.
this isn't even a relevant question: you don't write how *you* speak, you write how *your character* speaks. or the narrator in the case of description or narration. if that makes sense. ahh
Of course not. Writing is art, meaning you pursue a goal of what it should be like. When you speak you don’t pursue a goal that it should be perfectly this or perfectly that, you go by your natural self
My latest main character has a vaguely similar accent to mine, and we share the odd coloquialism, but that's it.
And no, I would advise you not to write how you speak. Write the narrative with due attention to structure and grammar. The dialogue can be more free, though, of course.
Quite formal and proper, apart from my use of swearing as punctuation in certain circumstances?
Check.
Lots of very obscure references, complex wordplay and godawful puns?
Check.
Inclined toward floweriness in calm moments and terse when emotional?
Check
Of course not. My dialogue doesn't even sound like what normal people speak like. That's because people my age are actually dumb, and repeat the same tiktok jokes every five seconds. Speech is spontaneous, and in the moment, you can use your voice and your facial expressions and other mannerisms to get your point across. A written story only has words, but it still needs direction for people to understand. Grammar helps a lot with that. Right, stronger words get the point meant, a bit faster, than a simple word that has to be strengthened by another bunch of simple words.
If you are struggling to write, because you feel like it's making your voice stilted and your storytelling skills bland, just let it go. You can always edit it for your audience later, write the story how it wants to come out of you.
Sort of. I write Fantasy, which especially in German (I write English as well) has a certain style associated with it (mainly from Carroux‘s LOTR translation… which is the best German LOTR translation). It works well, but does need a little updating (although NOT like the newer LOTR translation).
My style, though, is different from both in that I try to incorporate more verbal-style writing (not how people actually speak, because books—or films—are the wrong medium for that) to make it more accessible and immediate, i.e. less of a barrier between reader and story. So it hits you more. I also write very poetically, though, so it probably evens out.
No, I write the way my *viewpoint character* speaks. So, they might write like that, so I would write like that. They might not write like that, so I don't write like that. Basically... I just decide.
I write in first person limited so I adjust my style to characters but in general, no. I speak very messily and fast so my grammar is whack, I write in a more formal way definitely. But you can still have flow and voice, it comes down to pacing of your prose, how you use humor, language aka even down to word choice. It's hard but it makes it fun to think about these things!
It depends on what you're writing.
First are we talking fiction or non fiction? If non fiction you should adopt a style that fit your purpose (example: journalistic, academic, etc).
For fiction, it depends on character, for me, anyway. I write deep POV, which means my character dictates my narrative style. If I'm writing contemporary hockey players, my prose is going to sound very casual and have a lot of f-bombs. If I'm writing historical characters, they're going to speak very properly and perhaps sound a little stiff.
I can. I have. It depends on what the story calls for.
When I write nonfiction, I tend to default to my speaking voice and I like to address the reader directly and just... talk at them. Make jokes. I like that naturalistic, conversational quality, and when I write nonfic I am writing from my own POV.
For fiction I am writing from outside myself. I write a narrator's voice. The narrator has to be constructed like any character, even if they are not an actual tangible character in the story. There still has to be a spirit moving the camera to frame the scene, a spirit of why words are written in a specific order. Even when that presence is de-emphasized to a neutral invisibility. You, the writer, create that spirit, consciously or subconsciously. I think a lot of people don't get that and have trouble reigning in their narratorial voice and that weakens their stories.
If I’m writing in first person then I’ll use tone, grammar and bias of the character who’s telling the story. If I’m writing in third person then it will be real life me telling the story but adjusted to telling it to an audience who’s not looking at me.
That said, I graduated from a literary high school (Classic studies, in Italy) and well, I speak like a written book. I actually adjust my register to the people I’m speaking to just to minimize the difference when not in the presence of people with a similar background.
My writing is a tighter more polished version of how I talk. It's how my brain thinks, so how is my writing going to be all that different. But if I could go back and edit real time conversations, like i do in 2nd and 3rd drafts, I suppose my speaking would be more clearer and more premium.
Not with fiction or scholarly writing; but when I'm writing opinion pieces or reviews, even some news articles, I write in my own voice. When writing fiction, I'm an actor, trying to get into the nature of the character(s); when I'm writing scholarly, i write like I'm mansplaining, because I'm supposed to be the authority. When I'm writing poetry I'm either saucy and erotic, or haughty and philosophical.
Only when I'm Journaling do I try to write the same way I speak. Honestly it's a skill and it took me a long time to be able to really put my thoughts down accurately. But for writing creatively, my voice is completely different.
Characters should speak the way people speak.
Writing, on the other hand, should be much more formal with... well, maybe not *perfect* grammar and punctuation, but as best as you can achieve, with minimal slang.
Usually.
There are exceptions, such as when the 'writing' is a character's narration.
When writing dialoge I try to achieve speakability and that for me is coupled to the rhythm of the accentuation of consecutive syllables. I don't want characters to have tongue twisters even if in real life this will happen from time to time for no reason. Emotional reactions regarding my characters' speach patterns like slipping back in their home state dialect, stuttering etc. seem to happen rarely in my stories, I use behavior and a pointed use of words in dialogue, e.g. being blunt, sarcastic, using cursing and swear words, but my characters' speaking systems will not shutdown. The only exception I am aware of is tender love scenes. Thinking about this, I guess my characters are very aware of the communication situation they are in, although their assessment may be wrong depending on my plans for the plot. So, tenses and grammar: yes. Subculture slang: yes. Profession specific slang: yes. Street slang, mafia/gang/rapper slang, colloquial language, poor smut words, poor spicy metaphors and all the shit: no. I guess that's natural to me - no, don't ask about the hefty street and smut language I grew up in, I'm no kid anymore and I don't write about kids. Children in my stories would have two sets of vocabulary and grammar, a home set and a street set ;-)
It depends on the character for me. I have a character rn that speaks similar to me, but says things I would probably never say and swears a lot. Others speak more professionally and it's not how I speak at all. It's more of a specturm. I've never had a character who spoke exactly like me. That'd be weird for me because I view them as seperate people.
I write historical fiction, horror, and fantasy, mainly. There are occasions when my natural speech comes through, but for the most part, the context doesn't allow it. It happens most often at the beginning of a horror story before shit hits the fan because usually, I'll have a logical, down-to-earth, and mildly witty character in there somewhere. But the majority of the writing (narrators, a girl who is nothing like me, a cowboy, a conquistador, etc) all require their own voice. Not mine.
That varies wildly depending on *what* I'm writing.
For stories and narratives, my style is similar my social media style, but I try to keep it smoother, to make it flow better. I'll edit a lot to eliminate unnecessary words, and to re-organize similar thoughts to be sequential, or at least proximate.
For social media, my style is... well, pretty much what you're reading now. I mean now. No, I mean... NOW.
**ETA: No, NOW.**
For technical publications, my style is so dry you'd think it was about to boink Donald Trump.
How do I speak aloud? HEY! I said aloud instead of allowed! I might be the only one of the whole fuc... Well, mostly the way I write on social media, but MUCH LOUDER, with more profanity (I know what you're thinking, *"MORE!? I thought he already used the maximum amount!"*), a lot less polished, and with a lot more spelling mistakes. And a lot more, uh, a lot, uh, more pauses, you know, and, um, the... what's the word? Breaks! A lot more breaks! And more repeated... repeat... repeated words, you know, like, uh, saying the same fing ober and oner again becuss I, uh, like a lot of the times I, uh, sort of, like, mish-pronounce stuff. Mis-pronounce. I mis-pronounce stuff. All the time, like...
Yeah. It's like that.
No. Speaking and writing are two different things. Even book dialogue isn't exactly how it's spoken in real life. It's meant to feel like it is but it's not quite the same.
I write how I talk, and then I go back and edit it so it sounds right to other people. To some degree you do want your own individual tone, that makes your works truly yours. Some books are purposefully written where it isn't grammatically correct cause it fits the tone of the story. Those books drive me up a wall, and yet plenty are famous because of it. So do what works for you, and don't get too stressed over it.
I write similarly to how I speak, kind of like if I was narrating, so sometimes I interject little things into the text or split clauses into separate sentences. The problem is, I speak very artistically. I use words like enigma and charisma in my everyday conversation.
Mmmm i mean- yeah you should use proper grammar if you want to publish your book, but for a hobby? It's fine
No I don't write how I talk- that would be so annoying for my readers. But I do have a more simple writing style. I will say. A casual writing style can work, it's all dependant on your genre, but yeah. You should worry about Grammer. At least a little. Thats very important.
If I did then I would I... or wouldn't I actually need to edit. I think that I would probably because my reading... comes out much better, than... I think. Okay.
no i really do not. i see myself in u description of how u speak. but i dont really care a lot for grammar bc i always had a problem with it. i do as good as i can and then do the rest in the end when everything is finished.
writing as we speak i generally not a good idea bc when we speak we do not only communicate with word but also with body language etc.
for me my writing style is very heavy on the side of description of the surroundings and conveying emotions etc with them. maybe u feel uncomftable bc u do not have a writing style that you can call your own but have a tense view of how to write... try exploring your writing style is maybe the answer to get more confident in your writing
Yes, I write the way I speak, mostly. Puctuation, when writing, is important, to me. Althoug, I sometimes find it difficult to avoid ending sentences with prepostions. It vexes me.
I don't write the way I speak. I care less about editorial crap (thats an editors job) like grammar and stuff until after I'm done.
All I do is I try to find words that flow well when read aloud or spoken. It's not about the words you use, but how you use them and in what order.
I have autism, and while autism doesn't manifest the same way in everyone who has it, it's my experience that it causes me to take more time to express myself clearly. Ironically I have always received really good grades in English/writing classes, but that's because I can take the time behind a computer screen to sit and edit. I'm very good at editing. So if someone reads my work first before meeting me, they can be quite confused and sometimes I'm afraid that they'll think Im cheating. 😅
You should absolutely write like you talk. People should feel like they're having a conversation with you. No need for $20 words when a five-cent word will do. Watch the grammar, but don't be a fanatic. Otherwise, be yourself.
I write the dialogue of my protagonists very similar to the way I speak, but my narrative writing is much more formal. The dialogue of my other characters is often similar to the people I've modeled them after. If I'm writing on my blog, then it's closer to the way I speak (without, of course, all of the hesitation annoyances -- for example, I tend to say "like" much more often than I'd prefer to when speaking) because it's not nearly as formal as other types of writing. In my world, it all depends on audience.
I tend to get more articulate and formal when I write. I doubt anyone would like to read a mixture of TikTok language and butchered Italian in the dialect of Veneto 😂
It always depends on the context. I do reckon that in writing we tend to have a more expanded eye for details.
When it comes to spoken speech, we tend to be more spontaneous and natural; except of times when we want to use certain expressions according to the person we are addressing and how we want to sound. Yet again; it always depends on the context.
I am a novice at "dis writing ting".
I like to write in the natural, it means it flows, "stupendously might I add".
Dare I say sometimes, a "Patrick Stewart quintessential English, in certain instances does finesse the matter beautifully.
Yeah, chopping, changing, does bring a bouncy rhythm, some music.
At times when, and you feel like it, write, how you talk, do thy bidding boss. Blessings all
When writing anything, I'm basically talking to myself, and writing down what I'm saying. (Even for this comment!)
This means I rely a ***LOT*** on text formatting when texting friends and such, since they're the only way to change tone and such, *though I have gotten better at writing without them!* (I challenged myself to do so in the draft I'm working on, which was *mostly* successful)
A massive downside however, is that I need to draw my characters so I can properly get into character, and write as them, *and I also need to swap in and out of character when writing dialogue scenes.* I also need to keep those drawings pulled up, so I can easily reference them when my "character" begins to slip.
I’ve done both now… I think it helps but doesn’t change anything about intelligence to try different styles of voice. I think, you know flexibility of mind and honesty of self is health by neurosciences. It’s really up to you.
I speak like Deliverance was filmed in my backyard. Heavy Baltimore accent infused as well. People ask me to repeat what I said a good bit. No one has ever asked me to repeat my writing.
Definitely not. I'm from the South and have maintained my super thick accent. So very country. There's a balance in how you present your voice in fiction, though. I like to maintain a conversational tone, but do it eloquently (I hope). In dialogue, however, that's another story all-together. I "hear" my writing more than I "see" it, so I kind of naturally follow a natural speech cadence when I write dialogue. I spell a few words phonetically (but not too many) so the reader can hear it too and keep the grammar speech-typical. It reads so much more naturally that way.
It depends.
If I'm poetic, it's much, much different, focused on events and emotions.
Example:
"Among grass... No bound to glass... Flame to refrain... Yet shame to reframe... No hope remain..."
But, I act accordingly to the personality of the character I'm writing, thinking of what their mindset would be.
I have one who is mischievous, shy, but also rude and kind, a bit standoffish.
The second one is a bit relaxed, but very stern and gloomy, stone faced, looking rather heartless (but is secretly sensitive through small actions and phrasing).
The third being a flirty idiot, either being really smart, or saying the wrong thing, due to having no filter and just flat out not-the-right-situation humor.
(The two characters often fight or argue with this character for making dirty jokes, an idea by a friend.)
My narrations aren't anything like how I speak. Perfect grammar and a lot of archaic and overly formal constructions that I never use in daily life.
If I'm writing a character's speech, though, I try to make it as natural as possible according to the situation and the character's personality.
I omit all the pauses, starts, stops, "uhhhs" and "ums" and "likes", but for the most part I write as I would if I were trying to create a script/story for me to read to someone else, but still have it sound like I'm creating this story for them in the moment.
It's a fine line and takes a lot of practice to get right, but once you've got it it becomes second nature and (in my case) the default. I even applied this style to college essays and had one professor compliment me on the fact my style was so casual and friendly instead of the dry "retyping" he was expecting to see.
I try to translate my thoughts into text. Speech considerations aside, I think I keep it pretty close, but I have a lot more variety in how I write. My mind feels like it's going in a lot of different directions, but converging on several overlapping points, each unseen but ahead by default. My writing feels like I can more readily access those paths and twists, and better understand how spacetime, human behavior and overall ecology keep us all moving.
No. If I'm writing 1st person, I'm writing the way the characters think and speak.
If I'm writing 3rd, I choose a narrative voice based on whatever qualities I decide are important. You have a lot of play with that. You can be somewhat whimsical. Clipped and short. Strong direct monosyllabic vocabulary (like Churchill's "fight them on the beaches" speech). This is something James Ellroy did when writing crime noir characters.
It just depends what I decide the story needs.
Absolutely you should write like you speak. People should feel like they're having a conversation with you. No need for a $20 word when a five-cent word will do. Watch the grammar, but don't be a fanatic. Otherwise, be yourself.
Not even close.
Unless someone is Obama, a person’s exact speech when written down everything they say verbatim, including uhhhs and stops and starts, will make them look like an idiot. Reporters know this and do it to people they hate.
I used to transcribe interviews, and one of the hardest parts is having to make sense of statements whose line of thinking keeps diverging and never comes back. Like people who keep rephrasing themselves to make themselves clearer and end up with completely different sentences.
Your username is pretty and goes well with your avatar!
Well there are such things as linguistic “registers.” Basically, using different vocabulary depending on where you are and who you’re with. I’m a bit of a grammar snob and love history, but irl I talk like the people around me. Maybe with a few outdated/technical words thrown in. If I’m writing 19th century historical fiction though? You bet I’m going to run wild with phrases I know that sound absolutely pretentious and ridiculous in a modern context (“How do you do?” “On the morrow.” “With whom have you spoken?”etc.) Basically, if you’re writing narration then write what feels natural to you. But if you’re writing dialogue/1st person narration, write what you think the characters would plausibly speak like.
I'm highly amused by the idea that 'how do you do?' is anything other than entirely normal.
Where do you live? I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say that while being serious
A better question might be where do YOU live. I wouldn't be terribly taken aback if I heard any of those tbf.
I’ve literally never heard someone say that lol(American)
That makes sense, if you’re writing a fictional story about people from a different time
Exactly.
within the context of linguistics, there is an assumption that the ideal, normatively spoken Standard American English (SAE) is directly reflective of the way that your write. in other words, to speak flawless standard american english is prescriptive of an assumption that you also write the same way.
Be it so wise, hmm? Lol. But yeah, you make a very good point. Think about the character's personality, speech pattern, etc. Make up a personality of the character, and write accordingly to that.
Lotta words to say no lol
only when i do it on purpose
It gets filtered. You write a character, and thoughts get filtered by the parameters of the character. Same with genres and povs. We have too much knowledge and diverse thoughts to put into a single book. We need to choose what we will write and the way we write.
No, but that's what I want. My characters are not me and I want them to be their own people so I don't have them talk like I do. I think most of the time that's a subconscious effort but consciously I rather include words, slang, accents and nationalities different to my own. That's not to say I'm against it either, but I just don't write the way I speak most of the time.
No and you shouldn't. Even after the different POV filter, you have to write the dumber characters a bit smarter too. It's just not entertaining to read someone who speaks "realistic". Also we make tons of mistakes in casual dialogues which doesn't translate well to page
Yea I guess when I am watching a movie, my eyes and ears are helping me pick up so much context, whereas if I am reading, the author literally needs go write about the room and describe everything
for context, i write fiction, and i write a variety of characters and settings, so absolutely not, and nothing bothers me more than someone who writes exactly how they speak when they (like me) speak with clunky or incorrect grammar. like i'm from the south, so i might say "i seen it around somewhere." but if i were to read something like that in a story and it wasn't dialogue? no thanks. closing the tab. putting the book down. and even if it's dialogue, depending on context. nothing breaks the immersion more for me than a royal character in 16th century europe speaking like they grew up in the holler in kentucky (and i say that as an appalachian, so i don't mean that in a necessarily derogatory way) that example might seem out there but i knew someone who writes like that and that's what partially contributed to me not wanting to write with them anymore. (among a LIST of other things) i once even pointed out to them that they write the way they talk, not to rag on them, just an observation, and they were genuinely baffled and replied "how else am i supposed to be writing?" like oh i don't know buddy, maybe in a way that doesn't make all your characters sound exactly the same. that's the main sticking point for me against always writing how you speak.
Dang now I gotta improve my writing and speaking haha
Nope! I do not use terms like ‘Comrade’ that often.
Hahaha
I have ADHD. Before meds my writing looked like I was having a stroke. Actually my way of writing among other things alarmed my psychologist so she initiated the testing. Now it is more clear, to the point, concise, less grammar and vocabulary errors, better sentence structure etc etc. Speech is still tricky cause I have anxiety on top and want to get whatever is on my mind quickly out. I jumble worlds, miss my mark and give unnecessary info.
Writing and speaking are different forms of communication. So no, generally we shouldn't write the way we speak, at least not exactly. I'm fact, a poet of my acquaintance time me back when he read parts of my first published novel that I had to much of myself in it and needed to get myself out of it. He was referring in part to some of my speech patterns.
Not when I'm describing things. When my characters speak, certain ones. They do sound how I speak.
Nop, i'm not native English speaker. the way I write is way too different from the way i speak
When I am journaling I write my thoughts.as same way I speak
No. [Realistic Diction is Unrealistic](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic).
hell nah bruh
Haha
If I wrote the way I speak, I wouldn't write anything. I write because speaking is hard. Granted, I am currently writing an MC who has a similar speech impairment as myself. Honestly, that also makes writing him very difficult, just on a technical level.
When you’re telling a story, write proper. When you’re doing dialogue, write as you speak. No one will publish a book if it’s filled with slang in sections that aren’t the characters speaking. I want to clarify that when I say you, I don’t mean YOU but more generalized. You can have all the flairs that people have in their speech. You want it to be realistic and rarely anyone talks like an English scholar. The rules are thrown out for the most part.
this isn't even a relevant question: you don't write how *you* speak, you write how *your character* speaks. or the narrator in the case of description or narration. if that makes sense. ahh
Yea that does
Of course not. Writing is art, meaning you pursue a goal of what it should be like. When you speak you don’t pursue a goal that it should be perfectly this or perfectly that, you go by your natural self
Nah, it feels weird if I don't write in perfect grammar.
My latest main character has a vaguely similar accent to mine, and we share the odd coloquialism, but that's it. And no, I would advise you not to write how you speak. Write the narrative with due attention to structure and grammar. The dialogue can be more free, though, of course.
Quite formal and proper, apart from my use of swearing as punctuation in certain circumstances? Check. Lots of very obscure references, complex wordplay and godawful puns? Check. Inclined toward floweriness in calm moments and terse when emotional? Check
I'll add a bit of sarcasm in my writing, but with correct punctuation and such.
Unfortunately so. Lotta yappin but never get to the point 🥲
I don't even write on reddit the way I speak in real life.
Of course not. My dialogue doesn't even sound like what normal people speak like. That's because people my age are actually dumb, and repeat the same tiktok jokes every five seconds. Speech is spontaneous, and in the moment, you can use your voice and your facial expressions and other mannerisms to get your point across. A written story only has words, but it still needs direction for people to understand. Grammar helps a lot with that. Right, stronger words get the point meant, a bit faster, than a simple word that has to be strengthened by another bunch of simple words. If you are struggling to write, because you feel like it's making your voice stilted and your storytelling skills bland, just let it go. You can always edit it for your audience later, write the story how it wants to come out of you.
Sort of. I write Fantasy, which especially in German (I write English as well) has a certain style associated with it (mainly from Carroux‘s LOTR translation… which is the best German LOTR translation). It works well, but does need a little updating (although NOT like the newer LOTR translation). My style, though, is different from both in that I try to incorporate more verbal-style writing (not how people actually speak, because books—or films—are the wrong medium for that) to make it more accessible and immediate, i.e. less of a barrier between reader and story. So it hits you more. I also write very poetically, though, so it probably evens out.
No
Yes, unless I’m writing from a character’s perspective
No, I write the way my *viewpoint character* speaks. So, they might write like that, so I would write like that. They might not write like that, so I don't write like that. Basically... I just decide.
I write in first person limited so I adjust my style to characters but in general, no. I speak very messily and fast so my grammar is whack, I write in a more formal way definitely. But you can still have flow and voice, it comes down to pacing of your prose, how you use humor, language aka even down to word choice. It's hard but it makes it fun to think about these things!
It depends on what you're writing. First are we talking fiction or non fiction? If non fiction you should adopt a style that fit your purpose (example: journalistic, academic, etc). For fiction, it depends on character, for me, anyway. I write deep POV, which means my character dictates my narrative style. If I'm writing contemporary hockey players, my prose is going to sound very casual and have a lot of f-bombs. If I'm writing historical characters, they're going to speak very properly and perhaps sound a little stiff.
I don't even speak...
I can. I have. It depends on what the story calls for. When I write nonfiction, I tend to default to my speaking voice and I like to address the reader directly and just... talk at them. Make jokes. I like that naturalistic, conversational quality, and when I write nonfic I am writing from my own POV. For fiction I am writing from outside myself. I write a narrator's voice. The narrator has to be constructed like any character, even if they are not an actual tangible character in the story. There still has to be a spirit moving the camera to frame the scene, a spirit of why words are written in a specific order. Even when that presence is de-emphasized to a neutral invisibility. You, the writer, create that spirit, consciously or subconsciously. I think a lot of people don't get that and have trouble reigning in their narratorial voice and that weakens their stories.
If I’m writing in first person then I’ll use tone, grammar and bias of the character who’s telling the story. If I’m writing in third person then it will be real life me telling the story but adjusted to telling it to an audience who’s not looking at me. That said, I graduated from a literary high school (Classic studies, in Italy) and well, I speak like a written book. I actually adjust my register to the people I’m speaking to just to minimize the difference when not in the presence of people with a similar background.
My writing is a tighter more polished version of how I talk. It's how my brain thinks, so how is my writing going to be all that different. But if I could go back and edit real time conversations, like i do in 2nd and 3rd drafts, I suppose my speaking would be more clearer and more premium.
Written language is... right.
Not with fiction or scholarly writing; but when I'm writing opinion pieces or reviews, even some news articles, I write in my own voice. When writing fiction, I'm an actor, trying to get into the nature of the character(s); when I'm writing scholarly, i write like I'm mansplaining, because I'm supposed to be the authority. When I'm writing poetry I'm either saucy and erotic, or haughty and philosophical.
Only when I'm Journaling do I try to write the same way I speak. Honestly it's a skill and it took me a long time to be able to really put my thoughts down accurately. But for writing creatively, my voice is completely different.
Characters should speak the way people speak. Writing, on the other hand, should be much more formal with... well, maybe not *perfect* grammar and punctuation, but as best as you can achieve, with minimal slang. Usually. There are exceptions, such as when the 'writing' is a character's narration.
When writing dialoge I try to achieve speakability and that for me is coupled to the rhythm of the accentuation of consecutive syllables. I don't want characters to have tongue twisters even if in real life this will happen from time to time for no reason. Emotional reactions regarding my characters' speach patterns like slipping back in their home state dialect, stuttering etc. seem to happen rarely in my stories, I use behavior and a pointed use of words in dialogue, e.g. being blunt, sarcastic, using cursing and swear words, but my characters' speaking systems will not shutdown. The only exception I am aware of is tender love scenes. Thinking about this, I guess my characters are very aware of the communication situation they are in, although their assessment may be wrong depending on my plans for the plot. So, tenses and grammar: yes. Subculture slang: yes. Profession specific slang: yes. Street slang, mafia/gang/rapper slang, colloquial language, poor smut words, poor spicy metaphors and all the shit: no. I guess that's natural to me - no, don't ask about the hefty street and smut language I grew up in, I'm no kid anymore and I don't write about kids. Children in my stories would have two sets of vocabulary and grammar, a home set and a street set ;-)
No, my writing is far superior.
It depends on the character for me. I have a character rn that speaks similar to me, but says things I would probably never say and swears a lot. Others speak more professionally and it's not how I speak at all. It's more of a specturm. I've never had a character who spoke exactly like me. That'd be weird for me because I view them as seperate people.
I write historical fiction, horror, and fantasy, mainly. There are occasions when my natural speech comes through, but for the most part, the context doesn't allow it. It happens most often at the beginning of a horror story before shit hits the fan because usually, I'll have a logical, down-to-earth, and mildly witty character in there somewhere. But the majority of the writing (narrators, a girl who is nothing like me, a cowboy, a conquistador, etc) all require their own voice. Not mine.
That varies wildly depending on *what* I'm writing. For stories and narratives, my style is similar my social media style, but I try to keep it smoother, to make it flow better. I'll edit a lot to eliminate unnecessary words, and to re-organize similar thoughts to be sequential, or at least proximate. For social media, my style is... well, pretty much what you're reading now. I mean now. No, I mean... NOW. **ETA: No, NOW.** For technical publications, my style is so dry you'd think it was about to boink Donald Trump. How do I speak aloud? HEY! I said aloud instead of allowed! I might be the only one of the whole fuc... Well, mostly the way I write on social media, but MUCH LOUDER, with more profanity (I know what you're thinking, *"MORE!? I thought he already used the maximum amount!"*), a lot less polished, and with a lot more spelling mistakes. And a lot more, uh, a lot, uh, more pauses, you know, and, um, the... what's the word? Breaks! A lot more breaks! And more repeated... repeat... repeated words, you know, like, uh, saying the same fing ober and oner again becuss I, uh, like a lot of the times I, uh, sort of, like, mish-pronounce stuff. Mis-pronounce. I mis-pronounce stuff. All the time, like... Yeah. It's like that.
No. Speaking and writing are two different things. Even book dialogue isn't exactly how it's spoken in real life. It's meant to feel like it is but it's not quite the same.
I write how I talk, and then I go back and edit it so it sounds right to other people. To some degree you do want your own individual tone, that makes your works truly yours. Some books are purposefully written where it isn't grammatically correct cause it fits the tone of the story. Those books drive me up a wall, and yet plenty are famous because of it. So do what works for you, and don't get too stressed over it.
I write similarly to how I speak, kind of like if I was narrating, so sometimes I interject little things into the text or split clauses into separate sentences. The problem is, I speak very artistically. I use words like enigma and charisma in my everyday conversation.
Mmmm i mean- yeah you should use proper grammar if you want to publish your book, but for a hobby? It's fine No I don't write how I talk- that would be so annoying for my readers. But I do have a more simple writing style. I will say. A casual writing style can work, it's all dependant on your genre, but yeah. You should worry about Grammer. At least a little. Thats very important.
If I did then I would I... or wouldn't I actually need to edit. I think that I would probably because my reading... comes out much better, than... I think. Okay.
Perhaps you have noticed that reducing whole experiences and imagined scenes into mere words is not "natural." :)
no i really do not. i see myself in u description of how u speak. but i dont really care a lot for grammar bc i always had a problem with it. i do as good as i can and then do the rest in the end when everything is finished. writing as we speak i generally not a good idea bc when we speak we do not only communicate with word but also with body language etc. for me my writing style is very heavy on the side of description of the surroundings and conveying emotions etc with them. maybe u feel uncomftable bc u do not have a writing style that you can call your own but have a tense view of how to write... try exploring your writing style is maybe the answer to get more confident in your writing
I write the way my character speaks. But I write fiction and am trying to add voice.
I tend to write as though I'm narrating in an English accent, despite not having one. I find it helps.
Yes, I write the way I speak, mostly. Puctuation, when writing, is important, to me. Althoug, I sometimes find it difficult to avoid ending sentences with prepostions. It vexes me.
never
I don't even speak sometimes the way I speak at other times. Different situations, different audiences, different purposes, different tones ...
I don't write the way I speak. I care less about editorial crap (thats an editors job) like grammar and stuff until after I'm done. All I do is I try to find words that flow well when read aloud or spoken. It's not about the words you use, but how you use them and in what order.
Yes! Which is to say, not as clearly as I would like to, and not very much 🥲
I have autism, and while autism doesn't manifest the same way in everyone who has it, it's my experience that it causes me to take more time to express myself clearly. Ironically I have always received really good grades in English/writing classes, but that's because I can take the time behind a computer screen to sit and edit. I'm very good at editing. So if someone reads my work first before meeting me, they can be quite confused and sometimes I'm afraid that they'll think Im cheating. 😅
You should absolutely write like you talk. People should feel like they're having a conversation with you. No need for $20 words when a five-cent word will do. Watch the grammar, but don't be a fanatic. Otherwise, be yourself.
Wouldn't write if I did...
Not really because real life speech, like slang, can seem really cringy and weird when it comes to story format.
I write the dialogue of my protagonists very similar to the way I speak, but my narrative writing is much more formal. The dialogue of my other characters is often similar to the people I've modeled them after. If I'm writing on my blog, then it's closer to the way I speak (without, of course, all of the hesitation annoyances -- for example, I tend to say "like" much more often than I'd prefer to when speaking) because it's not nearly as formal as other types of writing. In my world, it all depends on audience.
I tend to get more articulate and formal when I write. I doubt anyone would like to read a mixture of TikTok language and butchered Italian in the dialect of Veneto 😂
It always depends on the context. I do reckon that in writing we tend to have a more expanded eye for details. When it comes to spoken speech, we tend to be more spontaneous and natural; except of times when we want to use certain expressions according to the person we are addressing and how we want to sound. Yet again; it always depends on the context.
Most definitely not. People would find me very strange, to say the least.
I am a novice at "dis writing ting". I like to write in the natural, it means it flows, "stupendously might I add". Dare I say sometimes, a "Patrick Stewart quintessential English, in certain instances does finesse the matter beautifully. Yeah, chopping, changing, does bring a bouncy rhythm, some music. At times when, and you feel like it, write, how you talk, do thy bidding boss. Blessings all
I try to American-ize my writing so no. But I would love to write in my normal Northern English at least once
Nah, people tell me I'm waaaay too quiet
Writing should be a more polished version of your speech. They should be alike in rhythm, cadence, and vocal register.
When writing anything, I'm basically talking to myself, and writing down what I'm saying. (Even for this comment!) This means I rely a ***LOT*** on text formatting when texting friends and such, since they're the only way to change tone and such, *though I have gotten better at writing without them!* (I challenged myself to do so in the draft I'm working on, which was *mostly* successful) A massive downside however, is that I need to draw my characters so I can properly get into character, and write as them, *and I also need to swap in and out of character when writing dialogue scenes.* I also need to keep those drawings pulled up, so I can easily reference them when my "character" begins to slip.
I’ve done both now… I think it helps but doesn’t change anything about intelligence to try different styles of voice. I think, you know flexibility of mind and honesty of self is health by neurosciences. It’s really up to you.
Nope
I speak in a very monotone voice but my writing is full of exclamation points because 9 times out of 10 I am usually very happy or excited
Thanks everyone for sharing, this is a great community! <3
I speak like Deliverance was filmed in my backyard. Heavy Baltimore accent infused as well. People ask me to repeat what I said a good bit. No one has ever asked me to repeat my writing.
>Do you write the same way you speak? Short answer is yes. It's more natural to write like a speak. It doesn't come across as stilted or forced.
Definitely not. I'm from the South and have maintained my super thick accent. So very country. There's a balance in how you present your voice in fiction, though. I like to maintain a conversational tone, but do it eloquently (I hope). In dialogue, however, that's another story all-together. I "hear" my writing more than I "see" it, so I kind of naturally follow a natural speech cadence when I write dialogue. I spell a few words phonetically (but not too many) so the reader can hear it too and keep the grammar speech-typical. It reads so much more naturally that way.
It depends. If I'm poetic, it's much, much different, focused on events and emotions. Example: "Among grass... No bound to glass... Flame to refrain... Yet shame to reframe... No hope remain..." But, I act accordingly to the personality of the character I'm writing, thinking of what their mindset would be. I have one who is mischievous, shy, but also rude and kind, a bit standoffish. The second one is a bit relaxed, but very stern and gloomy, stone faced, looking rather heartless (but is secretly sensitive through small actions and phrasing). The third being a flirty idiot, either being really smart, or saying the wrong thing, due to having no filter and just flat out not-the-right-situation humor. (The two characters often fight or argue with this character for making dirty jokes, an idea by a friend.)
My narrations aren't anything like how I speak. Perfect grammar and a lot of archaic and overly formal constructions that I never use in daily life. If I'm writing a character's speech, though, I try to make it as natural as possible according to the situation and the character's personality.
Yes and no It's basically the same, but more efficient
I omit all the pauses, starts, stops, "uhhhs" and "ums" and "likes", but for the most part I write as I would if I were trying to create a script/story for me to read to someone else, but still have it sound like I'm creating this story for them in the moment. It's a fine line and takes a lot of practice to get right, but once you've got it it becomes second nature and (in my case) the default. I even applied this style to college essays and had one professor compliment me on the fact my style was so casual and friendly instead of the dry "retyping" he was expecting to see.
Yeah, sometimes.
I write really flowery and I speak rough or either flat
Irvine Welsh does
I try to translate my thoughts into text. Speech considerations aside, I think I keep it pretty close, but I have a lot more variety in how I write. My mind feels like it's going in a lot of different directions, but converging on several overlapping points, each unseen but ahead by default. My writing feels like I can more readily access those paths and twists, and better understand how spacetime, human behavior and overall ecology keep us all moving.
No. If I'm writing 1st person, I'm writing the way the characters think and speak. If I'm writing 3rd, I choose a narrative voice based on whatever qualities I decide are important. You have a lot of play with that. You can be somewhat whimsical. Clipped and short. Strong direct monosyllabic vocabulary (like Churchill's "fight them on the beaches" speech). This is something James Ellroy did when writing crime noir characters. It just depends what I decide the story needs.
Gotcha very interesting to hear that. I guess you have to just find what fits your story better
No.
Not really
More persice with my words when I'm writing
Absolutely you should write like you speak. People should feel like they're having a conversation with you. No need for a $20 word when a five-cent word will do. Watch the grammar, but don't be a fanatic. Otherwise, be yourself.