Remember I wanted to use the Suffolk accent but not overdo it? Well I chose one character-Lizzie- to have a strong accent but it stood out like a sore thumb. I noticed and so did Talli, that Lizzie had started to lose her accent towards the end of the novel. My sub-concious had already taken over without me noticing. So I will not be using the accent. Lizzie will use the word 'gal' to indicate girl but that is all. It works and keeps me happy. If I had all characters talking in the accent my readers wouldn't understand the book! Major edits are under-way and The Men In Room Eighteen is on hold for a short while.
No news on Ripper, My Love, but my email box gets a good checking on a regular basis! My nerves are not what they were.
Power here in Cyprus is improving but there has been warnings of a total blackout now and then. No sign yet but I am still careful with the electricity. We have pulled all unessential items and switch off at night any stand-by plugs. We have a battery operated clock now but it ticks so taking time to get used to it-if ever. We use open windows for a breeze (when there is one) and my washing machine goes on once a week. We have solar power for water and I do not own -or need- a dryer. Our water comes out hot through the cold tap this time of year, and we do drink a lot of cold water so the cooler is classed as an essential. No A/C is used nor are fans so I do not feel guilty about that little luxury. We do not have mains gas only bottled but I am going to buy a gas kettle. We will wait and see if the bill is any cheaper or if we are paying for the rebuild!
I am reading Boom by Jim Brown and it is fantastic. Such a different storyline. I am preparing book reviews to upload at a later date and will share my view of this book later. His hook is great and got me drawn in straight away.
18 Comments:
It sounds like you have a mountain of things going on right now. Good luck. I just came from Angel's blog and read your poem. It is fantastic!
Glynis, Oh Lord, how are you handling it all?
Karen
Nisa, thank you! Lovely to meet you. :) We have a few things going on at the moment with a major powerplant explosion, but we are coping.
Karen, handling it with a smile. We are alive and it was not a nuclear powerplant. We are very fortunate to have any power at all.
Thank you both for visiting today. :)
Aren't critique partners awesome?
They sure are, Alex. And you have to agree I have a top-dollar one! :) Thanks for visiting me today. X
Aw, Glynis! You make me smile. Thanks for your kind words!
I loved the accent but it did kinda stand out amidst the rest of the characters. Your MS was a pleasure to read, lovely Glynis!
Not to say going without power is glamorous, but part of me thinks "unplugging" that might be cool. Still, I hope you survive this as unscathed as possible. Oh and I admire you trying to use the accent in your writing. That's tough to do well.
Hi Glynis .. love that you used Talli to work out Lizzie's accent! Nothing like a Canadian with some Polish, married to an Egyptian, living in London .. chatting away about Suffolk accents!!
Glad the power thing is sort of organised your end .. thank goodness you have choices ..
Good luck with all the writings and waitings .. cheers Hilary
Glynis, I have to say this, but your British spirit shines through at moments like these. I do believe you are one of the staunchest nations in the world and will adapt to almost anything :) My dad would call it the bulldog spirit.
Glad to see you've got some electricity at least!
You didn't tell us what *else* Talli said about the book - building suspense, I guess? :-)
Talli, you are most welcome and I am most grateful. ♥ Until someone else reads through it is hard to tell whether the accent works or not. I could 'hear' her while I read but that is because I know what the Suffolk accent sounds like. It is good to learn that the reader didn't get to grips with it and I can change it.
Eric, thanks. Being unplugged has proven beneficial. I still get my on-line work done plus many other things. It has shown me where I waste valuable time.
Hilary, LOL! It is truly an international effort. Talli is chatting to a Brit in Cyprus! Thanks for cheering me on.
Loree, yes the Bulldog spirit is something I have inherited. We Brits moan about trivial things, but when the crunch comes we knuckle down and get on with it. It stems from the war I think.
Deniz, Talli was most generous with her praise. She said she enjoyed the plot. Her input has been extremely valuable. I love how she is honest.I have a few minor character linking issues (now sorted), and general typo's. My grammar had a few holes and is now in better shape. Her comments spur me on and keep me writing.
Thank you all for taking time out for me. x♥x
Accents are hard. My one attempt at dialect was a miserable failure. So I feel your pain. Glad you found a way to fix it and that things are going better in Cyprus.
Busy you. I've had a week like that. Air condition went out. Flat tire and an expired AAA card. Crazy stuff like that. Good luck to you!
Accents are difficult aren't they. I've had a bit of an internal issue with a characters accent and then, like you, I pulled back on it.
I'm glad to see you are coping with the power issue, but I'm not sure I'd manage without the AC. It's always a necessity when I go abroad. I'm just so unused to the heat.
Have they said how long before things start to return to a more normal way of working?
Thanks, Angela. It is extremely hot at the moment so trying to keep cool in the shade.
Stephen, these things are sent to try us and make us stronger. Hope you have a better day today!
Rebecca, yes the accent thing is hard to introduce. I think the easier one is Irish. Most readers recognise Irish wording in a novel.
We are lucky to get a vineyard breeze, but will confess A/C would be most welcome today. It is going to take a year to get back to normal. However, our electric has stayed on for two days now...shhh, don't jinx it. :)
Thank you all for visiting me today. X
my writer forum folks say you shouldn't do an accent unless you are really, really, really good with it. so your decision sound good
I find that when I have an inkling that something isn't working my critique partners confirm it.
That's great that you got such a helpful look at Maggie's Child!
I see why you have that picture of a candle as it sounds so grim w/ the lack of electricity. No AC in the summer! Hope there's a nice breeze & temps are in the 70s.
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