Historical dialogue and contractions.

[AnyaKimlin]

When writing a modern or lower class character I always use contractions in dialogue. However, there are characters who I feel would not speak using them kind of like Baljeet in Phineas and Ferb.

I had written a short about Duncan and Macbeth as twelve year olds. The comment from the competition suggested they should have spoken using contractions. The way I had written them they wards of King Malcolm II and it is medieval, so I had written I have instead of I've.

It affects my current novel as I write the below stairs folk with contractions and above stairs without.

Now I am less certain do I just make it old fashioned?

 

[Mouse]

I was told by Teresa when she critiqued a short story of mine set in the 20s, that my butler should speak better than his boss. So he spoke far more properly. I don't think this is true for all underlings, mind.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I do have the Butler, Housekeeper, Governess etc speaking more properly than say the scullery maid or hall boy. But if the feedback is a blanket no to contractions...

In my previous urban fantasy I had a character who didn't use them because it fit with his characters.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I had written a short about Duncan and Macbeth as twelve year olds. The comment from the competition suggested they should have spoken using contractions. The way I had written them they wards of King Malcolm II and it is medieval, so I had written I have instead of I've.

I would have avoided contractions, too, to demonstrate status.

Being a child is no blanket reason to apply contractions - in this era, a 12-year old was practically a man. Heck, some kings were younger.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I did get the impression she had not read the play or knew the history. (Which in someways was good because the premise was historically inaccurate as Scotland did not have a divine right to rule at that stage so whipping boys did not exist until much later).

I had ended with the line: Macbeth plotted his revenge. She wanted to know what happened next .

The rest of her comments were excellent though and she is very knowledgeable about writing in general. It is only concerning me because my current MC is a wealthy Edwardian young woman. She would use I will instead I'll. Heck even my gran from back streets of Liverpool who became middle class did not use contractions very often. (She was a bit hit and miss)

 

[George Ian]

Does it really matter as long as each character is totally consistent? [Having said that, though, most people vary the way they speak depending on the audience - so that wasn't much help.] What I'm trying to say is if it feels right to you as you develop the characters, it probably is right.