So, I'm working on finishing my NaNo novel's first draft and, admittedly, this is more so for the second draft, but I figure it can't hurt to start ahead on what I need to make note of.
One of those things is accent. I'm working with rather specific accent, two in particular:
One has more possibility to be varied, but admittedly any input would be helpful. I'm looking for some examples of standard American Midwestern accent in today's world. If you can think of any videos to point out, slang you could think of, or dialectal tics I would be much obliged. Most of my book is based in a smaller Midwestern town and I want most of the people to speak as such. Any misconceptions about Midwestern people could also be noted. I live far, far away from the Midwestern US. (I like challenges, I guess?)
Secondly, if anyone has any idea what an American Irish Traveller sounds like that would be brilliant. I know Irish accents and English accents and been around enough Northern-born and Southern-born Americans to get a basic idea of what one might sound like. I've known people from Texas and Alabama and, supposedly, most American Irish Travellers live in the Southern area of the United States. However, I don't know what sort of accent you'd get from combination Texan (of the Whitehall region) and Irish, etc.?
One of the Travellers', Peter's, grandmother is even from Louisiana. I've also known Cajuns so, no big stretch there and she's not that important--rarely brought up. On the other hand, I don't exactly know how to write dialects differently and in this challenge of a book--trying to have cultural variation--I'm a bit out of depth. I don't want to add in extra apostrophes and useless, perhaps rude little phrases, but I'd love to know the way they talk. Because people from different regions put their thoughts differently. Some people say "You know?" a lot, others have a slower way of speaking so less dialogue would be best, others use certain words normal for their area, and some, like my Danish friend, say "Okay" instead of "Yeah" when they speak English. For example, my neighbors know my accent is wrong and constantly ask where I'm from--same as people in most places I've been. Same as I was able to tell my friend was from Central Florida. Having lived there for six months, I can tell. It's obvious. I assume it can also be obvious in a book without making one ignorant, so I figured the more information the better.
So, thoughts?
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