For anyone considering the task, please be advised that trying to realistically write Applejack in the first person is eight miles of bad road. You either end up with something that doesn't sound at all like Applejack, or you end up with a page that looks like you were busy working on the piece when somebody happened past with an open can of apostrophes and tripped.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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26710
It's what I can't say that's the problem! A.J.'s narrator voice is really clashing with my wordy and frequently baroque* style, and those apostrophes are killing me!
I knew this was going to be a problem, and was accepting of it as a challenge and a growing experience and whatnot, but I guess I hadn't realized exactly how painful the experience was going to be. I may have to retool this entire idea. That or I finally learn how to roll with it.
*<applejack>You're dang right you got a broke style! An' I can't fix it up for love or money!</applejack>
26713
Hmm... you know, it's pretty well accepted that AJ does not realize she speaks with any sort of accent. In her mind she merely speaks plainly.
It is especially funny when someone has her mimic a new england accent and she can pull them off with ease, But only to an non native speaker, as eventually we all trip up somewhere along the way. Like in "The games we play".
I've noticed! Still, AJ's easy as apple pie to write compared to Zecora!
26727
Yeah, that's the trick. If I were just hearing her thoughts, this wouldn't be a problem, but she's actually thinking *to* the hypothetical reader, which means there's a quasi-verbal component to her writing, which means that the part of my brain that wants to hear everything is trying to placate itself, which leads to an eleven-car pileup. Like most things in my head, It's all very silly and hard to explain.
I think I'm getting the hang of it, though. I just wish I knew whether or not the end product is even something people will want to read, because I really don't want to staple myself to a multi-chapter story when my first posted chapter is greeted with Die In A Fire sentiments.
26803
Holy crap I cannot even imagine.
26847
Hmm, not quite what I meant when I said "in her mind".
She doesn't hear her own accent (inflection really), and honestly neither do I.
I have read AJ stories where the author, due to the same issues as you are experiencing, decided not to write AJ's speech in her inflection. It WORKS. As long as you keep her dialogue and mannerisms in character, enunciation is rather irrelevant.
I honestly find it extremely jarring when authors write in AJ's inflections (or any accent) phonetically. She's NOT saying "Ah", she's saying "I". If you occasionally mention the "western drawl", or "country twang" of her speech in the dialogue tags it's more than enough.
Being the first born to first generation Eastern European immigrants and living in one of the most multicultural cities on the planet, I translate inflections and accents automatically. I don't hear "Ah", "Oi", "Ai", "Eh", etc. I just hear "I".
i.imgur.com/jHYHv.jpg?9138
Yeah, nothing else besides a Pinkie troll. But I do empathize your situation.
32573
Doing better now that I have a part out. A.J.'s never going to be easy for me, though, which is why I question my decision to do a multi-part story from her POV. Look, I can't explain these things, I just write them.
Oh my. Looking at old blog posts of famous writers is quite interesting.
1169023
Are you researching me for weaknesses?
1169480
Yes! Um... Of course that's what I was doing!
(I just finished seeing Equestria Girls. I think I kind of suck at anything but the magic of friendship right now.)
1169488
I can't tell from the tone of your post whether you are shocked and subdued by the horror of it, or are instead inspired to do only good deeds from its shining example.
1170737 Given that I've been off doing good deeds for Ghost, probably the latter.
1170738
Ooh, he just posted your fanart! Me likey!
1170738
1170748
Nothing escapes my gaze. Nothing.
Helm sees all. Know that, and be judged!