Before I get into the discussion, I need to explain the picture. This is Frankie Blue Eyes, our cat. He loves to be with me while I write. He is waiting for me to sit down at the laptop so he can: 1. Drink my water. 2. Walk on the keyboard. Frank demonstrates with a cat, an author is never alone.
The story of My GRL includes interaction with some terrorists who are seeking revenge for displacement out of their home country Palestine. It would seem natural to have these characters speak with some sort of accent so that the reader would be continually reminded of their origin. I guess this would be natural for a so-called normal story involving Middle Eastern characters. I decided when I was writing the first draft to eliminate any accent due to the fact that the accents did not suit the characters. Let me explain.
The characters are extremely sophisticated and have spent time and money to become “Americanized” to the point where they would be the last subjects to come under suspicion while going about the nasty business of destroying symbols of America. In fact, one of the chief points the antagonist wants to revenge is the humiliation he experienced in court when the facts concerning his background came to light. These facts were brought to light by protagonist John J. Cannon the lawyer for the opposite side in a bitter litigation over patent rights. Matt Jacobs the antagonist never forgave John the embarrassment and wants him dead. Also, I was asked why Matt had a name which was not fitting with his background. Again, his objective of subversion required a name which would not raise suspicion. His real name was expunged from all birth records
So if the reader wants to imagine an accent or a Middle East name there is nothing standing in the way.
I hope you enjoyed this. If yes why not leave a comment?
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It seems (to me) that culture clash would be difficult writing … so cheers to you stepping up to the challenge.
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Thanks Frank. At times it gets pretty tense keeping everything real.
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I got the feeling of a sleeper cell when I read the book, so the lack of accents didn’t even cross my mind. Total submersion into enemy territory, I guess.
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You got it. Thanks
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Thanks for the info. I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my TBR list.
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Thanks for considering it. 🙂
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I just read the first chapter in the link above John and even though this is not my preferred reading genre I was caught and now feel I need to know what happened. I knew I’d eventually have to buckle and get a kindle!
Good old Frankie Blue Eyes – no need to ask who he was named after I’m guessing – always good to meet the writers helper. I must say I loved your dedication in ‘My Girl’ that is one of the finest I have ever seen.
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You’ve made me blush. I loved Bill McCormick and miss him. Thanks for the lovely comment. You can go to Smashwords and download other formats. Here is the link. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/397934
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You have a fine working space, John. Give Frankie a scratch behind the ears for me. I look forward to reading your novel. May have to bump it up to now.
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Always time for that. Thanks for the comment. I finally got a space not at the dining room table.
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I think you’ve earned your spot, John.
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Hmmm. Your mind is a gem in itself. Art, really. I agree on lack of accent. The reader is still left free to choose.
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Too kind. Thank you.
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