Going to vs. Gonna, Etc.

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I have no problem reading highly colloquial speech ("Ain't nobody got time fer dat!") until the moment where I find myself having to read it multiple times just to figure out what they're saying. Generally I don't see a lot of (professional, pubilshed) authors doing this, but when it has occurred, it's really frustrating, because of instead of being able to absorb the story, I have to sit there deciphering what "ca'" is supposed to mean.

"Th' barn's a-burnin'!" doesn't bother me, and gives me a lot of flavor for the dialect. Overdoing it is a tricky line not to cross.