Words With Impact: Direct Language Communication Choices

Workshop: Discover Words That Sing

                           “The best actors do not let the wheels show.”    Henry Fonda

Not many novelists today have the time, or the desire, to create entire new languages as did Tolkien, but if you do, start with a beginning layer and build as you go. Keep a vocabulary list for the words you create. Decide on verb tenses. Are they singular or will they conjugate into past, present and future?

Perhaps an entire vocabulary is not needed, but just a sprinkle of words throughout to give the language a unique flavor. Farscape knew that their warriors would not be real if they said  ‘oh darn’ when really furious, but they also wanted their series to attract family viewers, so they invented the swear words.

The Firefly series incorporates real Mandarin Chinese within their Western genre atmosphere creating an entirely new and unique setting.

Some of you may use horses in your novels. Consider the possibility of either making up your own distinct vocabulary just for them. Or make a list of all the everyday descriptions of horse care, riding, food, and gear and then choose another language.  Put them all in French or Arabic, Spanish or Portuguese.

Do the same in other areas of your world such a social or government hierarchy. Keep the familiar roles but substitute a different vocabulary when possible.

Writing a mystery? Try using a code throughout a familiar vocation that would not raise any suspicion. Such as the owner of a tearoom using her various teas as code words.

For historical and contemporary stories, look for the specific flavor of words for the particular era or current location. But also be careful not to use modern slang that might be out of date in a few weeks. However, even within a regional section there may be some phrases used differently from town to town.

Find a cultural blog or newspaper column for the region or city of your choice and read through the back issues. Look for phrases that repeat. See if you can find some news videos for your selected region to pick up the cadence. Listen for the public words used for customers. Formal or informal: “Good morning Ma’am,” or “How are you today, Sugar?”

Action Steps:

1. Choose one category that will thread throughout your whole story such as food or a transit system, or an artist in some medium such as photographer or dancer or musician.

2. Make a short list of vocabulary words that would apply to your choice on a daily basis. For example a teacher would have books, a desk, papers to grade, exams, and perhaps a microphone if teaching in a large auditorium.

3. Choose two different languages and compare their counterparts to your list. Would one of them add a nuance flavor or be too cumbersome?

Share: What possible language did you choose and why?

Read deep, marcy