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Writing a southern accent



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Fri Jan 08, 2016 10:15 pm
Ivywater says...



I need as many examples of a southern dialect as possible.
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Fri Jan 08, 2016 10:36 pm
SkyeWalker says...



OOH ME ME ME also @Lumi

I live in the South, so I'll give you examples. Anything in particular you want me to say?
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Fri Jan 08, 2016 10:51 pm
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Vervain says...



Honestly, if you plan on writing an accent, that can get grating and irritating to your reader very quickly. This is in effect especially with well-known accents like the Southern, New York, and Bostonian accents, that have exaggerated vowel sounds and you end up with something ridiculous written on the page.

In addition, the Southern accent varies depending on where in the South you are. Some people consider Texas to be part of the South (others, the West, depending on who you ask), and they have their infamous Texan drawl; then there's the redneck hick accents, the infamous Southern belle voice, etc. etc.

My advice would be to refrain from writing the accent itself into your story or the like, and instead to write how your character had a Southern accent of some sort—that way the reader doesn't have to trudge through trying to read a dialect (which was irritating even in Harry Potter for me, as I had a hard time trying to decipher some of Hagrid's speech), and you don't have to hurt your brain trying to write it consistently.
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Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:17 pm
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Rosendorn says...



Phonetic accents are incredibly unpredictable and nearly impossible to properly represent, not to mention they subtly separate "proper" English from "Othered" English, when all individuals have an accent and there is no "proper" English.

Go with syntax.

People in different regions organize words differently. As explained in this video, there are many different syntactical organizations depending on region.

If the jargon is a little heavy for you, allow me to break it down:

In Ireland, certain groups of people use "like" at the beginning or end of the sentence ("like, he's never there" or "he was never there like"), while most of the world uses like in the middle of sentences ("he was like never there"). If you wanted to depict somebody Irish who was older, rural, and male, you would use the former. If you wanted to depict somebody young, female, and urban, you would use the latter.

The same applies for a Southern accent. You have such topics like Appalachian code switching which describes one particular style of Southern accent and how it is different from the mainstream Southern accent of the region.

The long and short of it is: syntax can show where a person is from just as much as phonetics, but it's a million times easier to write out and reflects the regional differences much more effectively in text. It shows you've really done your research into regional differences and adds more authenticity than spelling words differently from standard ever could.
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Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:46 pm
Ivywater says...



Thanks for helping, I realized I put a bit to heavy of an accent into my story...
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If you're reading this I hope something good happens to you today <(0^0)>


If plan A doesn't work, stay calm, the alphabet has 25 more letters to go.
  





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Sat Jan 09, 2016 12:54 am
backroadstraveler says...



This is building off of syntax a bit, but if you're trying to really be authentic, then also take into account the mannerisms of different regions. For example, (at least where I'm from) in the south a respectful individual addresses most anyone as "ma'am" or "sir" (kind of regardless of age). However, in Vermont, to "ma'am" a woman it's considered a huge sign of disrespect and is actually what a sarcastic person would say.
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Sat Jan 09, 2016 3:16 am
Karzkin says...



A reading of Huckleberry Finn will quickly demonstrate how annoying this is. Just say '"blah blah blah" said so and so with a Southern drawl' and let your reader do the rest.
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Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:47 am
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Rook says...



100% agree with not actually writing out the accent in text for all of the above reasons. I remember reading a book where it was just two or three pages of Extremely Heavy Accents and I had to literally spend time deciphering what they were trying to say, which did not make me a happy camper. There's definitely things that people in the south say and do that are unique from elsewhere in the world. I'm sure there are many resources for this on the internet, since the internet is so interested in cultural differences and such. I also agree with what Karz says with just putting it in the dialogue tag. After a while, you probably shouldn't have to remind the reader constantly (which is what what writing accent would do because you have to be consistent) that the character is from the south unless something super important that relates to that fact is coming up, and if the whole book relates to it, you shouldn't have to remind them very much at all. c:
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Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:02 am
jimss23 says...



Never say "you all"

It's y'all. Every time. No exceptions. The first way we tell if someone is not from the south is if they use "you all" in conversation.

Also "all y'all". It might seem redundant, but we use it all the time here.

"Bless his/her heart" also solid. Need to make sure you get the context right.

Most southerners (especially those from rural areas) are really polite. Like, always. You can hate someone's guts, and they will still be polite to you. Really passive-aggressive though.

There is a form of chivalry here. Ladies first and you always hold a door open for the next person when you walk into a building. It is so common that I end up looking behind me every time I enter a place by reflex to see if there is someone behind me.

It's "sir" "ma'am," even when not in a formal setting. Some older southerners will add "son" at the end of sentences when addressing people. "Thank ya, son" is pretty common. Refer to fathers as "my old man," and some guys will call their wives "old girl" or something along the line of "You know the Misses".

Slang is pretty common too. "Ya" is often used as a sub for "you" like in the above or in "I'll help ya out". Referring to other guys as "boys" is used on occasion. "Y'all boys need some help?" is the usual context for it.

Jesus and Christianity in general are big things among a lot of serious "southerners." "God bless you" or "have a blessed day" are examples of how some conversations end. "What in the hell?" is also common. Not really sure if that exact wording is used other places but it is super common here.

Patriotism is a big thing here too. People will stick an American flag on just about anything. Trucks also are huge. One on lift kits is bonus points. Hunting and fishing are big here so working that into a conversation are also pretty convincing.

For my final recommendation, listen to country music. Personal tastes aside, it will give you a good idea of slang and stuff.

Other than that, there is very little else you can really say except "he/she spoke with a southern accent" that, combined with some of the words above and it should be convincing enough.
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