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A dialogue dilemma

Devora

Sage
I'm having trouble figuring out how to go about writing this one part.

I have a chapter where it takes place with beings, i.e. Elves, who don't speak the Common Speech (AKA English).

How should i go about it? Do i just say in the beginning, just before the characters start speaking, that they're speaking in a different language?
 
Depends on viewpoint. If you have a human (or other non-Elven-speaker) as the MC then, the important thing would be showing that he doesn't understand it. But it sounds like this chapter is all elves, so you probably don't even mention that it's in elven unless there's a way to say so that doesn't sound like it's an aside to the reader. (Although, you could drop in a word or two in Elvish, in a context that people can guess what it means, so readers can picture more of how odd it actually is.)
 
D

Deleted member 2173

Guest
It does seem to depend on the POV the reader is viewing the scene through. If all of the characters in the scene are speaking the same language, then you may want to put a descriptive in narrative that reflects how pleasant the Elvish vowels sound to their ears, or someone struggles to describe something or someone that has no exact Elvish word translation, forcing an "English" word into the dialog. My husband speaks Farsi to his parents, but every 4th word is English because they don't really have a word that they both know that fills the function.
 

Devora

Sage
Basically the chapter will consist of just Elves. So there won't be a native speaker of Common Speech (I'll use this just for practicality purposes). I've thought of the idea that they do know Common Speech, but since it's in the Elves' land, naturally the wouldn't speak it.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
Basically the chapter will consist of just Elves. So there won't be a native speaker of Common Speech (I'll use this just for practicality purposes). I've thought of the idea that they do know Common Speech, but since it's in the Elves' land, naturally the wouldn't speak it.

Im not sure I understand. Are you asking how to portray Elves talking to Elves since there are no common speakers & how best to make sure that the reader knows they're speaking Elvish while still writing in English?

If that's the case, I wouldn't necessarily be concerned about it. The only time you would need to draw attention to the different language would be if another character is present that doesn't understand the spoken words. We assume that the reader understands the language spoken regardless.

Unless of course there is a reason within the story for pointing out the language difference to the reader.
 
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Devora

Sage
Im not sure I understand. Are you asking how to portray Elves talking to Elves since there are no common speakers & how best to make sure that the reader knows they're speaking Elvish while still writing in English?

Yes I am. I just need to know what's the best approach for that situation.
 
Basically the chapter will consist of just Elves. So there won't be a native speaker of Common Speech (I'll use this just for practicality purposes). I've thought of the idea that they do know Common Speech, but since it's in the Elves' land, naturally the wouldn't speak it.

Obviously, you can't write all the dialogue in elvish, so as long as they speak to each other you write it in English. I don't see any reason to point out that they speak elvish unless it's important somehow. It's sorta implied by the fact that they are elves, in the Land of Elves.

But if you absolutely want to spell it out, I'm sure you can work it in somehow as long as it isn't too distracting.
 
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Devora

Sage
But what about the situations where i have a scene in the novel where the 2 MCs meet the Elf MC and only one of them understands them.

Won't it be confusing if i had this one chapter where the Elf speaks but i write it in English, and then have a later scene where he's talking in Elvish?
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
No. It won't be. Here's the reason why.

You will probably be relaying the scene through a POV character. The reader understands that they're within that POV, within that character's head. If the character is an elf, it is understood that they understand elvish. If that POV is a non-elvish speaker, the reader will understand that they cannot understand the language.

In the latter case, you can simply say that the POV didn't understand or you can go further by describing the sound and feel of the foreign language...how it would seem to a non-speaker (the POV). Further yet, you could insert a few invented elvish words, those that the POV keys in on as being accentuated.

Point is, it's all about POV. The reader sees the scene as the POV experiences the scene.

Of course, this is assuming you are doing a 3rd person POV.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Ok...you have elves talking to each other in elvish.

I will assume that your POV character knows the common tongue as well as elvish.

So...when the conversation begins, have him make the (mental) comparision between the two. 'It is so good to hear elven again after listening to the harsh grunts and clacks of the common tongue.'
 

Devora

Sage
Ok...you have elves talking to each other in elvish.

I will assume that your POV character knows the common tongue as well as elvish.

So...when the conversation begins, have him make the (mental) comparision between the two. 'It is so good to hear elven again after listening to the harsh grunts and clacks of the common tongue.'

Actually he doesn't. He learns it eventually out of necessity in a sub-plot I made.
 
when i'm reading, it always confuses me when I see a foreign word in context with english when it is clearly pointed out that the dialogues being spoken are in the foreign tongue. So, imo, I would recommend that you don't remark on the elven tongue until you reach the scene with the MC's. Show a hint of incomprehension across the illiterate (in elven) MC's mind as he reacts to the conversation which is being spoken in elven. A simple and subtle approach.
 
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