English and American writing.

[eskimoRock]

When writing fanfiction, do you never wonder about whether to use mum or mom? Being English myself I'm fine using the language they would actuall use, but how do you feel about fics where they use words like "mom" and American slang? Should people from other countries aim to write using the English words, or is it okay?

[G. Novella]

I don't know, and to be honest, I can't catch it in my writing all the time. I think if you try and keep a more anglicized writing style and stick to the roots of the characters, it works better. It just sounds nicer

[physicssquid]

It annoys me when people use American words in HP fanfics. It's like they can't be bothered to look up the English spelling.

With one fic, I left a review stating that Harry Potter was written by a Brit, with British characters, using British English, there is no way Ron or any of the purebloods would ever use American English, partly because they wouldn't know about it, but mainly because they are British and stuck in the Victorian Era, when American English and British English were a lot closer together with very few differences.

[Kitty279]

Personally I grew up with British English, did read the books in it and always find 'Mom' and other clear Americanisms a bit irritating. Though I wouldn't always recognise the origins of all words; I keep picking up new words on the net and don't always know where they come from. But when I know the difference, I use the British version. So I know it's not always easy when you don't even know it's not the same word in the UK.

But where I draw the line is American slang. From my experience not even all Americans would recognise these words, and it sounds horrible and all wrong when these British characters talk in it. People should at least be able to recognise when they are using US slang and avoid it. How on earth are British purebloods (or even muggleborns) who have never been outside of the UK supposed to learn these expressions?

[Chameleon]

Ehh... I never know the difference between American English or British English, just that with 'Mum' and 'Mom', and that you pronounce 'either' differently.

[teehee100]

I think, as an American, that the writers should try to use Brit language when writing HP stories. Actually any writer should try their best to keep to the time period/region that the story is from. However, some authors just aren't going to know the right words. Maybe some helpsulf suggestions might be of use.

[Chameleon]

Mhew... The only thing I can think of to keep it in Brit language is... bloody hell, mum and Merlin's beard.

[eskimoRock]

I've seen fics where they talk about 6th grade and stuff like that, which really annoyed me pants is another one, because it means different things.

[Kitty279]

Sept 12, 2012 9:04:59 GMT -5 Chameleon said:

Mhew... The only thing I can think of to keep it in Brit language is... bloody hell, mum and Merlin's beard.

And the spelling. BE = colour, travelling. AE = color, traveling.

Then there are certain words that are different, according to my dictionary. Examples:
BE = pram, pushchair / AE = stroller
BE = nappy / AE = diaper

Stuff like that which you don't always know. Learned the latter only recently myself.

[G. Novella]

Yeah, see, I think if you try and stay as closely as possible to the BE, it sounds more authentic. Otherwise you only end up making a fool of yourself and your story sounds fan-fictiony, which really isn't the point. But I don't mind if the occasional word is wrong. I mean, it sounds less authentic, but it's not like you're purposely doing it. If you just ignore all Brit stuff, then it gets annoying. It's not a major peeve for me though.

[Kitty279]

And it needs to be logical in itself. You can't, for example, have Ron use comparisons to muggle contraptions he doesn't even know.

In my other fandom, that's an even bigger problem, though. LotR is set in a very medieval time, so you even have to watch your expressions if they could have been known back then. Some common sayings and phrases wouldn't fit at all, or newer words. There they are even more jarring.

[brokenquill92]

I do try to. Keep to British English when writing but I admit I slip up so I try to do a bit of cultral studying before writing

[Chameleon]

Eh... I say color x) *Meep*

So if I'm to use the words in any fic, I know it.

[Kitty279]

I probably use both BE and AE, simply because I read new words all over the internet, look them up and use them, but I don't always know if they are BE, AE or something else.

[Chameleon]

Me too. I never know if I write BE or AE, but well... I'm not writing in the moment, and the most important stuff is that you understand me anyway.

[Kitty279]

And that I do, no doubt about it The story we once started, I gave a friend of me to read for some 'Brit-picking'. Did work rather well; she taught me some BE/AE differences that way.

[Chameleon]

Hehe.

Awesome... The only dialects I tend to pick up is my native language.

[Kitty279]

Dialects? *shudders and runs in the other direction* They are even worse!

[Chameleon]

Oh yes. But I think it's pretty impressive of few islands with almost 50.000 people have managed to have a lot of dialects

[blackroses77]

The spelling of words doesn't bother me but it drives me crazy when I see mom instead of mum. In America at least you would've had to have been living under a rock not to know that one. I mean between the movies and reading other peoples fanfiction most people would have picked up the most basic differences between BE and AE right?

[melodypottersnape]

I know some basic ones and I try to incorporate them. Though I know there are dozens of words that I probably don't do right.

[jaffaninja]

I try to write in BE, but I'm from New Zealand, and we use a sort of mix between BE and AE, which makes differentiating between them harder for me.

[mountaingirl777]

It's funny. I'm from the US, but I get annoyed when I see "mom" instead of "mum" in HP fanfics. It's like my brain, when reading HP fanfiction, turns British. in other categories I don't mind it.

[brokenquill92]

Maybe it's because I'm American or I just suck at math but I don't reall understand the timeline for Hogwarts school year september 1 to when?

[Kitty279]

Somewhere in June, I believe. But I'm not British, either, we have different holiday times, too.

[eskimoRock]

It's from september until the end of June/start of July I believe. That's when our schools finish.

[Kitty279]

Are there differences between different parts of England? Here in Germany the states don't go on holiday at the same time, particularly not in the summer. It's stretched out a bit to avoid the total traffic collapse when everyone and their aunt go on holiday at the same time.

[eskimoRock]

It only tends to differ by about a week depending on where you live in the country. Usually we break up within a few days of everyone else

[Kitty279]

Ah, thanks. So it's basically the same as here. We spread it over I think about a month, some parts get their summer holidays a bit earlier, others later. Easter and Christmas are less different, necessarily. But as the main holiday time is the summer, that's ok.

[teflonbilly]

Hogwarts seems to have the same school year as New England/New York. First Monday after Labor Day till third or fourth week of June (depending on the number of snow days that winter.)

Which makes sense for how far north Hogwarts is, even though Scotland does not get that cold in the winter.

TB