US/UK spellings - yup, that hoary old chestnut again...
So I'm working through the beta for my fic (praise be to the ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
betagoddess) and I don't know what to do about the (cue organ chord, wolf howl) spelling...
It's a TS story; the characters are, as we know, Americans; that means no un-American word usage and phraseology - fine, I get that - but spelling? Do two Americans have to be spelled American?
I've done this both ways in the past, but mostly used my own Brit spelling because it's easier and I don't honestly believe we spell as we speak. But then, I get fb that tells me 'the spelling really took me out of the story' -
And I'm thinking; 'why'? Because I read American spelling in say, Doctor Who fic and all that makes me think is - the author's American. So long as British characters aren't keeping bodies in the trunk, it doesn't matter that that spare that's in the way is spelled tire and, in all honesty, my first reaction is to tell the Americans to suck it up because by far the largest chunk of the English-speaking world spells British anyway and we don't care so why should everyone else have to change to make life easier for you? - or that's to say, the few who bother to send fb complaining about it. (o:
But then, I'm getting that fb and sometimes, I cave. I used US spelling for Wind Whispering - even though it looked weird and wrong and took forever to change.
So, I'm asking an honest question of you all - does it matter, really? And if it does, why (I thought about making this a poll, but I shan't because I need more than yes or no answers; I need explanations, dammit. (o) If it really, truly, honest-to-god makes a real difference, I shall use your blasted spelling (*G* - even though it looks... really strange and will take me all day) but if it does, I'd really love to know, and why.
ETA: And messing with this all afternoon means I've done NO work - none at all - on the actual story (which was the whole point, wasn't it?) *g*
betagoddess) and I don't know what to do about the (cue organ chord, wolf howl) spelling... It's a TS story; the characters are, as we know, Americans; that means no un-American word usage and phraseology - fine, I get that - but spelling? Do two Americans have to be spelled American?
I've done this both ways in the past, but mostly used my own Brit spelling because it's easier and I don't honestly believe we spell as we speak. But then, I get fb that tells me 'the spelling really took me out of the story' -
And I'm thinking; 'why'? Because I read American spelling in say, Doctor Who fic and all that makes me think is - the author's American. So long as British characters aren't keeping bodies in the trunk, it doesn't matter that that spare that's in the way is spelled tire and, in all honesty, my first reaction is to tell the Americans to suck it up because by far the largest chunk of the English-speaking world spells British anyway and we don't care so why should everyone else have to change to make life easier for you? - or that's to say, the few who bother to send fb complaining about it. (o:
But then, I'm getting that fb and sometimes, I cave. I used US spelling for Wind Whispering - even though it looked weird and wrong and took forever to change.
So, I'm asking an honest question of you all - does it matter, really? And if it does, why (I thought about making this a poll, but I shan't because I need more than yes or no answers; I need explanations, dammit. (o) If it really, truly, honest-to-god makes a real difference, I shall use your blasted spelling (*G* - even though it looks... really strange and will take me all day) but if it does, I'd really love to know, and why.
ETA: And messing with this all afternoon means I've done NO work - none at all - on the actual story (which was the whole point, wasn't it?) *g*
no subject
You are a British writer - you are writing in your own language, just as a French writer might write Jim and Blair in French. It seems nonsensical to insist on you changing your entire syntax just because the characters you are portraying are American. As long as the dialogue and idioms are appropriate in the colloquial sense, what should it matter whether there are a few extra Us in there? Yet to some people it does. But other American readers have likewise said they have no difficulty reading British spelling. It's hard to infer from the discussions which pop us here and there which are in the majority.
Myself, I chose from day one to attempt to write in American, rather than British, English. I assumed that since most of the audience for TS fic is American, it would make sense to try to cater to them by adopting their language. Yet lots of great writers in the fandom don't bother to do so, and they are very well thought of. Mab Brown and Jess Riley spring to mind - not British, but their antipodean spelling is much the same as ours.
Having said that, it's an issue that concerns me enough that I am nervous about the British spelling I've chosen to use in my current WIP (in which the characters are in a fantasy setting, which bears no resemblance to America, so I decided to write in my own language for once). And I have no idea at all what to do with my Doctor Who/TS crossover!
All that waffle goes to show that I have no easy answer for you, sorry. But I do have a very appropriate icon ;-)
no subject
Can't win, honest to God.
I'm inclined to leave the 'u's' in because it takes a long time to go through and change everything and I'm idle and my spell0checker is beyond crap. But... But... ::can't face having to give the same answers to the bloody fb again::
::sigh::
(o:
no subject
It's funny, I'm sitting here right now watching the Disney version of Robin Hood with the kids, and the American accents - Friar Tuck saying, "Notting-HAM," for example - is really grating on me! LOL
no subject
"Thanks for your thoughtful feedback, your comments are much appreciated."
Bwahahaha! I rather like that. ::nods:: Yup.
no subject