random writing query

[schmerica]

lyra_sena: well, the truth is that as much as it makes us uncomfortable? the distinction is very real.

Okay, so I'm taking the above sentence completely out of context from the conversation lyra_sena and I were having earlier, because it's a perfect example of a kind of style I've been wondering about a lot lately.

Basically, that questioning intonation/statements that are not statements thing -- that's how I talk, really a lot of the time. I know quite a few people who do the same thing, even; it's not something I notice in everyday conversation.

On the other hand, though, it's something that can suddenly become *really* noticeable in writing. There's been a couple of stories I've read lately (though, dammit, I apparently cannot *locate* any of them again) that had this kind of construction in them. And for, say, Gretchen in Mean Girls it comes across as perfectly natural, whether in dialogue or narration, but for Ray Kowalski, it seems odd. It makes me think of the author, rather than the character a lot of the time.

Is this true for others?

I'm trying to think of what it is that makes it read that way to me. The first thing that comes to my mind is that is sounds "feminine" -- except that word is no end of troublesome, and even just that description kind of gets my rankles up. Especially when I try and figure out what I mean by that, and the next word I come up with is "uncertain".

Is it something along those lines? There are male characters whom I can picture such dialogue working with -- Dan Rydell, perhaps, comes to mind. Is it simpler than that -- just another matter of character voice? Am I just on crack? Am I on crack but have a point in this instance? I don't know.

Comments

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

*nod* Which leads to one of the things I was talking about up there -- maybe it's less just making the generalizations about it, and just trying to listen to the specific charactrers can figuring out what you can and can't make them say.

I don't have any non-North American fandoms, but I'm sure this is another one of the things that would come off especially horribly in HP, yeah?

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

just trying to listen to the specific charactrers can figuring out what you can and can't make them say.

Obviously, that's the smart way to go when writing. *g*

I don't have any non-North American fandoms, but I'm sure this is another one of the things that would come off especially horribly in HP, yeah?

*nod*

I've been tempted, but unless you were going over the top and parody, I doubt it could be pulled off. Of course, I'm *terrible* at Britspeak. Which is funny, considering. *snerk*