“You don’t, they’re insulting.”
My son is reading Huck Finn for school. Twain wrote what he heard and I am sure the author with whom I spoke also writes what he hears. When I was in school I was on the staff of the literary arts magazine, and we could always tell when Huck Finn was being read because a lot of dialect would suddenly show up in our submissions.
The author I spoke with is known for his authentic and vibrant dialogue. He keeps things moving. It is all quick so the audience doesn’t get bored. I think that may be a trend, too.
I recently overheard two English majors from a local university talking about the worthlessness of Pride and Prejudice.
“It is just a BORE! Nothing really happens.”
“Yeah, like, you really just want Darcy to get Elizabeth in the sack!”
“Yeah, I know! Right?”
So is the trend for fast writing? Readers do seem to crave breathless writing. Dialect, complicated exposition, and romance don’t fly, because time, the ability to concentrate, and digital screen space all seem to have shrunk.
I guess it’s a good time to be a blogger.