tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post9060091590181780251..comments2024-02-16T02:34:38.673-08:00Comments on Nelsa Roberto's Out of the Wordwork: The Teen 'Voice'out of the wordworkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15919130781982475478noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post-35141961879466112742010-11-02T16:25:03.437-07:002010-11-02T16:25:03.437-07:00Thanks, Laura! Trying too hard is the kiss of deat...Thanks, Laura! Trying too hard is the kiss of death with dialogue. Write first, read it out loud and you'll see if it sounds stilted or not. Good luck on your YA!!out of the wordworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15919130781982475478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post-86864498193805085392010-11-01T05:10:19.721-07:002010-11-01T05:10:19.721-07:00What a great post! And so true. One that I'll ...What a great post! And so true. One that I'll remember starting my first YA. Teens sound like people. I think it's when writers try too hard to sound teen that it sounds forced!Laura Paulinghttp://www.laurapauling.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post-54524956935741409292010-10-29T16:21:51.286-07:002010-10-29T16:21:51.286-07:00Hey, Karla: Absolutely - it's important to rem...Hey, Karla: Absolutely - it's important to remember that your character is a teen, after all. But that is not - or shouldn't be - the sole thing that defines him/her. <br /><br />Hi Patty: Thanks so much. Oh, yeah, that whole male vs. female way of speaking is a blog post onto itself. My DS is only 11 so I can't quite use him as a test subject yet! :)out of the wordworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15919130781982475478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post-79595535803058325642010-10-29T09:29:45.408-07:002010-10-29T09:29:45.408-07:00Hmm... Good advice!
When I was writing SEND, I w...Hmm... Good advice! <br /><br />When I was writing SEND, I wrote Dan's voice the way my sons speak, which is heavily peppered with words like dude, jerk, moron, you get the idea. <br /><br />I obsessed more over whether Dan sounded like a male. There's one pivotal scene where the object of Dan's affection watches him tend a toddler's skinned knee and changes her opinion of him. I'd originally written that the baby "made me melt" and both of my sons just about fell on the floor giggling at that. "There is NO WAY, Mom, that a guy would ever say that, even if it were true." <br /><br />Great post, Nelsa!Patty Blounthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11928111057602279792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-772560852349924056.post-73052888231708424302010-10-29T09:17:03.966-07:002010-10-29T09:17:03.966-07:00AGREE 100%!!! I write primarily YA as well (which ...AGREE 100%!!! I write primarily YA as well (which means I read a lot of YA) and the characters are always so vast and varied. When writing, I (try to) stick with how my character is and not agonize over my word choices...but when I send out to betas, the first thing I ask is "please make sure my MC sounds 17, not 31!" LOL :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13612218172442721987noreply@blogger.com