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The Gambit Guild
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Syaoran
Master Thief
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| Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:58 pm Post subject: Writin' accents? |
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I'm sure ya can tell by now, that I talk with an accent myself. (southern boy) But what my question is, is there some way I can be taught to do Gambit's, Rogue's, pretty much any X-Men accent out there? I noticed that Avarice and Stef are best at this, so can y'all teach me somehow? |
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Syaoran
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| Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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Don't mean to double post. (forgot I couldn't edit my posts here) But I hope I have this in the right section. |
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Avarice
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| Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Sinner! Heretic! Double Poster! Hell's gates stand gaping in the anticipation of swallowing your callow soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now on to your question. First off, Stef cheats. A) She's English, so she possesses one undeniably cool accent by right of birth. B) She has a personal Irish diction coach, who can instantly instruct her in the ways of the Gaelic (For which I am eternally jealous...I could have used an Irish diction coach for 'Dreams'). C) If I have to explain to anyone just how serious I'm not, then I refuse to explain how unserious I'm being. 
Honestly though, I think the best thing you can do is read. Read comics with the characters you want to write, that way you can pick up, not only on their accents, but on what words they use and the tone they deliver them in. Read other books featuring characters of like accent. Besides that, I advise doing Internet searches on languages/dialects to pick up slang terms and other nuances. (Though I don't always trust it, Wikipedia is usually a good source, or just do a Google/Yahoo/MSN search.)
Chances are Stef can be a MUCH bigger help here than can I.
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I am Loki Scar-Lip, Loki Skywalker, Loki Giant's Child, Loki Lie-Smith.
I am Loki who is fire and wit and hate.
I am Loki. And I will be under an obligation to no one. |
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Stefbug
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:20 am Post subject: |
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Sorry its taken me so long to get back to you, but I'm here now.
Accents are tricky things, and I have to agree with Ave on the read things with the accent you want to write in them.
My best advice is to not go too over the top with it, otherwise it leads to your reader not being able to understand what the character is saying.
Don't just go for the words that get changed (like y'all, sugah, dat, t'ieves) but go for the phrases that people use and the way they present them.
And if you don't think you can do an accent too well just change one or two words and then make reference to the person using an accent.
Eg: "Ya Professor, that would be acceptable" Kurt said, his heavy german accent making it difficult, but not impossible, to understand what he was saying.
OR
"Bloody hell, you really are a complete idiot aren't you" her upper class accent filled the words with distain.
Something like that.
Does this help any?
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And I sit, endlessly watching the people as they walk below me, knowing that I will never walk among them, knowing I will never live as they have lived and loving them for it.
Bang mon ami, you dead!
God loves Tante, he's too scared to do otherwise. |
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Syaoran
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:40 am Post subject: |
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"Why can’t dis city ever have anythin’ interestin’? It’s de same ol’ stuff every dern day,”
^ That a bit much? |
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Kyalesyin
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thats about perfect if you ask me.
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Stefbug
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Turbo wrote: |
"Why can’t dis city ever have anythin’ interestin’? It’s de same ol’ stuff every dern day,”
^ That a bit much? |
I would say that is perfect. If you carry on your speech in that vain then you'll have it down.
_________________
And I sit, endlessly watching the people as they walk below me, knowing that I will never walk among them, knowing I will never live as they have lived and loving them for it.
Bang mon ami, you dead!
God loves Tante, he's too scared to do otherwise. |
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Kyalesyin
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Vein
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Misbehaviour is punishable by WOODEN SPOON |
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Syaoran
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the comments ladies, it helps a lot. |
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Avarice
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Another little think I just thought of is writing phonetically. Which means, say your character's lines out loud and spell it out like it sounds. Some people don't like this particular method because it can make for a potentially hard read, but I think as long as your reader knows what accent your character is using you should be fine. I actually saw one book where the writer spelled out what this woman was saying normally, then gave how it sounded in her Australian accent. E.G. "What's a matter with you love?" Then the writer would say: But the sentence came out "Wassa mattah with you luv?"
The final thing I'll say, then I promise I'll shut up, is to be consistent. I've seen plenty of writers with Remy use 'de' for most of a comic, but then for three panels Remy is suddenly saying 'the'. I know that's not an easy thing to do, I have to go back (especially with Rogue) and see how I wrote certain things, like does she say "ta" or "t'" for the word 'to', but it sets in better if you can use the same dialogue patterns for a character all the way through the story.
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I am Loki Scar-Lip, Loki Skywalker, Loki Giant's Child, Loki Lie-Smith.
I am Loki who is fire and wit and hate.
I am Loki. And I will be under an obligation to no one. |
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