The Way People Don't Talk

One of the more enjoyable parts of writing, for me, is writing down a conversation. It can be difficult for me to find a character’s narrative voice -- that is to say, how the narrator talks about a character or how they think about themselves -- but once they open their mouths their entire personality comes pouring out. Sometimes it can be as simple as adding a nervous tic, or having them use the word “like” as, like, a comma, but it can add a lot of personality to even the simplest of statements.

Which is why I was a little annoyed when I got a comment on a workshopped story that simply said, “Nobody talks like that.”

So I understand the point of criticism. I understand that it is the author’s job to accommodate to the reader and not the other way around. If the comment were a little bit less absolute (for example, “It doesn’t seem like this character would say that.”), I would understand that. And maybe I should have a thicker skin for this sort of thing, especially if I’m going to continue writing. Admittedly, the particular line in question (“I, uhm, what?”) wasn’t the pinnacle of wit (unless you take Polonius at face value).

I also don’t mean to question this particular critic’s experience. I don’t know him personally, but he is definitely more experienced than I in a multitude of fields. If he says he’s never heard someone in real life say that, then I believe him. With over 7.6 billion people in the world, though, there have to be people he hasn’t heard.

In the end, though, I did end up changing the line.

-F