Fanfic dialogue and the astonishingly widespread Completely Wrong Dialect Problem

[cimorene]

Dear People Who Write Things,

When you're writing about people from a completely different country, please, for the love of fluffy little kittens, get a beta from the appropriate country. Don't just assume that you'll be fine because they speak English in Wales/New Jersey/New Zealand too. Don't be fooled by your extensive experience of watching television into thinking that you won't make a mistake, or by your experience of watching 300 episodes of anime that you know how to use Japanese words in an English sentence (hint: not at all). And please, please, please don't make the members of American bands say "whilst" and "amongst" anymore, or British people say "gotten".

Love,
Cim

Comments

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

So. Much. Word.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

I can't decide if Brit-talking Americans or American-talking Brits is worse!

[geeklite.livejournal.com]

They don't speak English in New Zealand, they speak Kiwi ;) *ducks and hides from any En Zedders that might be around*

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Look who's talking, Miss Australia!

[special-trille.livejournal.com]

It's sort of hilarious that you posted this just when I was thinking "hmm, do I know any Americans who could look over this fic I'm writing? Hmmm..."

You made yourself a pretty obvious target, I'm sad to say.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

I said I would! I'd probably do that even for people I barely knew, unless they were total badfic writers, let alone totally awesome people like you.