How does a writer go about capturing the oral qualities and idiosyncrasies of a dialect on the page?
SH: In my early drafts of the novel, I tried to spell words the way they sounded, and I was dropping the “g” in words like “drinkin’ ” or “singin’ “. Then I realized that the book looked like a script for Hee-Haw. I was condescending to my characters. So in re-writing, I tried to use word placement, syntax, and sentence structure to secure the sounds of the dialect on the page. I relied on colorful metaphor and simile like “she’ll die stonehammer dead,” or “that’s tighter than Dick’s hatband,” which are expressions you hear daily in my community. I believe that this diction also helps the reader understand that a character would pronounce the word “fire” as “far” without having to write it that way on the page. MW: How do you think this dialect affects readers–particularly readers who are unfamiliar with, or have preconceived notions about Appalachian speech patterns? SH: The one good thing that a dialect can do for readers is introduce them to new phrases or unfamiliar words. I hope
