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Blogs by Alle Wells
The Language of the South 12/8/2012 4:03:54 AM
I recently received an unfavorable review on Amazon for my work, "Railroad Man". The reader mentioned that there were grammatical errors. I felt certain that the reader was mistaken, since the book has been thoroughly combed by an excellent editor. That review prompted this post: The language of the writer paints the picture in a story. The characters in my stories are Southern to the core. Each one delivers a voice from the South, presented by a true Southerner. As a writer, I’m comforted by the voices that have been ingrained in me since my first spoken word. You could say that southern accents and folklore run with the land. Southern images can’t be adequately portrayed by folks whose roots aren’t firmly planted in southern soil. Mimicked southern voices in theatre and on the big screen always fall short of my expectations. The same holds true for a southern novel written by anything less than southern writer. A true Southerner can always spot an imposter.
The language I learned as a child was a soft, gentle dialect handed down through generations of well-educated southern planters. Our teachers instilled a firm appreciation of proper English splashed with colloquial flavor. As children, we respected the words of wisdom that flowed from the lips of our elders. We were taught to speak only when spoken to. We learned to think before we speak and to speak from our hearts.
Never quick or snappy, listening to the slow, southern voice requires patience and close attention. After all, it may take us a while to say it, but we Southerners have a lot to say. If you love that true voice of the South, nurtured in Georgia’s red clay, the South Carolina lowlands, the big ranches of Texas, and the majestic Appalachians of Tennessee and North Carolina, you’ll really enjoy visiting my characters. Drop by and sit a spell with my Railroad Man, Mickey. Step back to a simpler time on the family farm with Emily in Lame Excuses, or take a walk with Nikky down a forgotten Main Street in Leaving Serenity. You’ll be glad you did! My ebooks are available on Amazon for just ninety-nine cents.
More Blogs by Alle Wells • The Language of the South - Saturday, December 8, 2012 • Alle's Southern Sunday - Sunday, November 18, 2012 • Alle's Southern Sunday - Sunday, November 18, 2012
