You should write for your target
audience, your readers, so that they understand your words and your message. You
also should write so that your prose and dialogue are believable. These
suggestions apply to both fiction and non-fiction pieces although the following
will refer to fiction stories and novels.
The region where your story takes
place will often have its own catch phrases, traditions, cuisine, fashion and
more personalized characteristics. You can flavor your work by including a few
well-placed references inherent to the setting and time in your tale. It’s a
good idea to use these indigenous touches sparingly so that the thoughts you
put on paper are still clear to the general public. Basically if your story is set
in modern day Paris but being written for a North American audience, you may
want to insert a few French words along with other descriptions, but you wouldn’t
want to write the whole think in French because it wouldn’t be understood by
the majority of your target audience.
Colloquialisms
Unique phrases give your characters
personalities and allow the readers to identify with them because they seem
real. Common phrases that are unique to a region or lifestyle are called a
colloquialism and will help the reader to experience the society and setting of
the story. “A colloquialism is a word, phrase or other form used in informal
language… Some colloquial speech contains a great deal of slang, but some
contains no slang at all… Colloquial language is distinct from formal speech or
formal writing It is the variety of language that speakers typically use when
they are relaxed and not especially self-conscious” (Wikipedia)
A few examples of informal speech
writers may use in dialogue are: Y'all [all members of a group, deep south
U.S.]; You “got swooped [means something was stolen, California]; Dollars to doughnuts
[a sure thing, Brooklyn NYC]; Estar por la luna / to be as if on the moon [To
be clueless, Puerto Rico]; Molson muscle [potbelly, Canada]; and Tomber dans
les pommes / fall into the apples [to faint, France]. If you make one or more
regional colloquialism part of a character’s normal speech pattern, you will
achieve giving the individual a unique characteristic and help to assign a hint
of the world behind your story.
Time
Make sure that you keep references
in your story consistent with the intended time period. If you story starts in
Paris in the 1980s be sure to refer to the local currency as francs – but if
your Parisian tale is set in the year 2000 then the local currency is the Euro.
Another example of time consistency could involve popular music — if your story
is about the advent of Rock and Roll in America, don’t have a character dancing
to the song Rock Around the Clock earlier than 1954 [April 1954, Bill Haley
& The Comets]. Also remember that if you are writing a story targeted for
young adults, it is unlikely they will relate to references of 1950s TV shows,
etc.
Cuisines, Automobiles,
Brands, Topography, etc.
Do your research when writing a
story to find out the common foods, autos, terrain, climate and more that is
specific to a region. If your story is set in Indiana for example, you may want
to refer to the flat plains that encompass most of the state, but while there
are some waterfront properties (lakes, rivers) there wouldn’t be any oceanfront
beaches in this landlocked locale. One writer found out the hard way to keep
real places authentic in her story, even a small town has an bona fide
description and anyone familiar with the place will feel removed from the scene
if there are too many errors. You can place the story in a general REAL place
(such as NYC) and refer to the boroughs and landmarks, but fictionalize specific
settings such as restaurants, stores and more.
Writing Exercise: Write a factual short story
about the years you went to school grades four through eight, include as many
specific period influences as you can remember.
Writing Prompt: Write down some of the common
expressions used in your home when you were a child. Were any of the
expressions influenced by the local culture, your parents’ lineage, or popular
media?
Challenge Exercise: Choose a favorite fairy tale
such as Sleeping Beauty. Rewrite this medieval tale to fit in the current year
where you live. Instead or in addition, you can select any period short story
and change it to another time and place of your choosing.
