The most annoying writing technique, EVER

[Mr. President]

By this, I refer to instances where a writer has zero differentiation in language between characters. It happens when "simple farm boys" or career soldiers start spouting off on metaphysics, or when teenagers from the highland forest pontificate on how power corrupts. Try this: Blindfold yourself and have someone read dialogue spoken by Garion, Belgarath, and Silk in the Malloreon. I guarantee you won't be able to tell the difference four times out of five.

You'd think that A) people would at least try to make different characters speak differently, and B) that their publisher would have noticed.

Writers who are gulity of this sin include David Eddings, James Barclay, and sometimes even my current favorite David Gemmell. Writers whose work is relatively free of this scourge are T.H. White, Kate Forsyth, and Ian Rankin

[ranskaldan]

Still, you can't deny that while your captivated by Eddings, none of this actually matters.

All these are commercial fiction. They don't NEED to be particularly outstanding on the fine points.

[loinburger]

He just writes very well-rounded characters, that's all!

I do greatly prefer Eddings and his ilk over the ultra-stereotyped brand of commercial fantasy, though. Add Naive Hero, Aloof Spellcaster, Hippie Elf, Gruff Dwarf, stir, and vomit -- instant fantasy!

[ranskaldan]

Don't forget that you need at least one representative from each character race, class, and gender in the party.

And a love element. Never forget the love element.

[Mr. President]

Very true.

[JohnT]

Eddings is an author? His business card says "Creative Typist."

Other authors slogans:

Robert Jordan: A million Monkeys, a million typewriters: 10 Wheel of Time books and counting!

Steve King: Things go better with Coke

[Gatekeeper]

Stream-of-conscious writing aggravates me.

[monolith94]

It's so incredibly hard to write accurately differentiating dialogue though. Sometimes you can try to do it and fail, and fail miserably at that. It doesn't really annoy me.

[Timexwatch]

Twain did differing dialects and modes of speaking well...

[Gatekeeper]

AUGH!!! **retreats to a comic book**

[monolith94]

Twain was also a fücking genius, I'll remind you!

[MRT144]

should we expect less of anyone though?

[LDiCesare]

I do greatly prefer Eddings and his ilk over the ultra-stereotyped brand of commercial fantasy, though. Add Naive Hero, Aloof Spellcaster, Hippie Elf, Gruff Dwarf, stir, and vomit -- instant fantasy!

Doesn't that describe most of Eddings' work too?
Ho, and let's put a horse tribe of nomads, but let's not call them Rohirrim. What he did was using humans instead of elves and dwarves, but the same stereotypes are there.

[monolith94]

Are you saying that I'm lowering my expectations of authors???
Not at all. I firmly believe that you shouldn't do "verbal tricks" with your characters unless you're really committed to it, and you know what you're doing. If each of your characters is unique and has his or her own motivations fully formed, it should only be natural for this to be seen in the dialogue.

[Mr. President]

Originally posted by JohnT

Robert Jordan: A million Monkeys, a million typewriters: 10 Wheel of Time books and counting!

Steve King: Things go better with Coke

Originally posted by Gatekeeper

Stream-of-conscious writing aggravates me.

They forced my class to do that in the tenth grade.