Contractions - Yea or Nay?

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Shorewalker

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Epic fantasy. Acceptable in dialogue, obviously, but elsewhere...?

I have three main POV characters, one who would definitely use them, one who could go either way, and a third who probably would not. Do I split their usage, not use them at all, or use them in all circumstances?
 
I can't speak for others, but I try to keep certain distinguishing characteristics for the different POV's.

I'm not sure if it is correct, but I like to do it to differentiate the POV.
 
Whatever makes you happy innit.

I do know some readers frown on them outside of dialogue. But there is nothing that some readers don't frown on.

As long as it makes your story more interesting, do whatever with contractions. Maybe not the most nuanced/helpful advice ever, but its what I've got.
 
I use them in dialogue where I know the character would use them and then in narrative I use them on and off depending on how well the passage reads with each; although I suppose someone might have a style guide that might explain which might be better for the voice, tone and style of the narrator.

Note:
Personally when reading fiction the lack of contractions entirely in narration is a distraction, whereas a balanced usage goes unnoticed. The lack of contractions in dialogue creates a stilted form that works possibly if the characters portrayed are all upper crust or possibly educators.

Also check the links below in similar threads.
 
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tinkerdan said:
Note:
Personally when reading fiction the lack of contractions entirely in narration is a distraction, whereas a balanced usage goes unnoticed.
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Definitely this. I noticed that in something I was reading recently, and it drove me batty.
 
Cheers, people.

Reading back through random sections of my MS, it seems that I have been alternating, but (I think) judiciously so. Generally, not using them seems to give slight emphasis and using them often helps the flow.

Just wanted to make sure that I wasn't committing a major faux pas...
 
Within dialog, of course they are used, unless your character is somebody more inclined to not use them. Outside of it, I try to avoid them, but if the flow is clunky and awkward, then you have to assess if a contraction fixes it, or is there a better way to express the passage without using it? Often there is a better way. Also note that contractions can change the emphasised sylable in a phrase, and as such, may change the meaning in subtle ways. Make sure it says what you actually mean. For example there's a better way, vs there is a better way. The emphasis may be read different, with the contraction better is the strong word, without it, is can be the stronger word, meaning it may give stronger confirmation of quality or existance, depending on your contraction use and how the reader reads it. Just something to consider.
 
I made a conscious choice in Goblins at the Gates to keep contractions out of the narration and out of the dialog of my main character. A few secondary characters use it. In my WIP, A Child of Great Promise, though, contractions are pretty much everywhere, as I'm striking a more casual tone. This has let me take one particular character and make him more stiff and formal by keeping the contractions out.

It's your choice. Whatever you do, do it on purpose.
 
Contractions are so common in speech, that it proved difficult for me not to use them when elves spoke (had a reason) in Flight of the Elves.
 
I tend to use them as I write, and then prune out the ones that are excessive during one of the 'read aloud' stages. That's also where I often come across the sort of issue that @DrMclony highlighted where it changes the emphasis and a careful choice needs to be made.

The trouble with not using them is that our language has changed - for my parents' generation, they were a big no-no, but to younger ears/eyes leaving them all out makes the prose sound/read as old-fashioned and stilted. Which is fine if you want to convey something with the old-fashioned/stilted feel, but too much of it gets wearing.
 
Joe Loomis said:
I didn't even realize that double contractions even existed.
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I doubt that's a technical term, BTW. I think I've only ever seen them in a published book in David Mitchell's first-person Black Swan Green (e.g. "shouldn't've"). I thought they were clunky and tended to throw me out of the narrative at first, though I got used to them.

In terms of contractions generally, the only ones I can think of that would be at all common outside of dialogue would be "not" ones (wouldn't, hadn't) or pluperfect ones (he'd, they'd). Even in medieval-type epic fantasy, I wouldn't have thought those would seem too modern or informal, though I agree the non-contracted version sometimes just reads better, and suits certain POV voices.

They clearly were regarded as too informal in the past, though. A quick check of The Fellowship of the Ring shows that Tolkien uses them in the hobbits' dialogue, but not elsewhere. It reads as quite stilted to me now.
 
I think Weber uses 'double contractions' in his narrative. Certainly there is at least one author I read regularly who does.

Personally I'll use contractions in normal everyday writing, not just dialogue and not necessarily narrative. I'll use them if they make the sentence flow better or have better rhythm. Not using them can, in some sentences, make the wording feel clumsy and forced.

Take @Joe Loomis's post above:
Wow I didn't even realize that double contractions even existed. I'm impressed.

Without contractions:
Wow I did not even realize that double contractions even existed. I am impressed.

To me the second one simply doesn't flow. (ignoring the repeated 'even' :D)

Note: Shakespeare and poets in general do this all the time to get the desired rhythm.
 
In my narration, I vary both the use of contractions and the particular contractions used -- so there are both quantitative and qualitative differences -- depending on who the PoV character is. (I write my WiPs in very close third person**, past tense.)

Direct internal thoughts -- and indirect ones, as far as I know (but I haven't checked) -- tend to follow the PoV charater's rules for contraction in dialogue. For most PoV characters, they use fewer contractions in their narrative than in their dialogue.


** - One definition of very close third person narrative is that it is first person narrative converted to third person by replacing "I" with a mixture of the character's name and the appropriate pronoun for that character.
 
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