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Should I stick with American terminology in my English set young adult book?
How to write for a certain audience?How to deal with a story that 95% of it takes place in a different language country and the protagonist speaks in it?Writing scenes that involve two languagesHow far can insults go in a “Young Adult” novel?Historical Fiction: using you and thouWhat are the pros/cons of writing in English in a non-English country?Is it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?Foreign language dialogue in Middle Grade fictionWhat language shall they sing in?My story is written in English, but is set in my home country. What language should I use for the dialogue?
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I am writing a book that is set in England, but because I would get the book published in America I don't know what terminology to use. My main character is in the equivalent of 7th grade but in England they would call it Year 8, which might be confusing to my directed audience. Should I stick with American terminology or use English ones?
language young-adult
New contributor
add a comment |
I am writing a book that is set in England, but because I would get the book published in America I don't know what terminology to use. My main character is in the equivalent of 7th grade but in England they would call it Year 8, which might be confusing to my directed audience. Should I stick with American terminology or use English ones?
language young-adult
New contributor
Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago
add a comment |
I am writing a book that is set in England, but because I would get the book published in America I don't know what terminology to use. My main character is in the equivalent of 7th grade but in England they would call it Year 8, which might be confusing to my directed audience. Should I stick with American terminology or use English ones?
language young-adult
New contributor
I am writing a book that is set in England, but because I would get the book published in America I don't know what terminology to use. My main character is in the equivalent of 7th grade but in England they would call it Year 8, which might be confusing to my directed audience. Should I stick with American terminology or use English ones?
language young-adult
language young-adult
New contributor
New contributor
edited 6 hours ago
Cyn♦
28.9k3 gold badges65 silver badges131 bronze badges
28.9k3 gold badges65 silver badges131 bronze badges
New contributor
asked 8 hours ago
McInnis McInnis
162 bronze badges
162 bronze badges
New contributor
New contributor
Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago
Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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If you're writing for an American audience, with an American publisher, then use an American dialect for your narration.
But... your character is living in England. Whether she's British or an immigrant or a visitor, she's going to be exposed to the local dialect. She will use local terms when appropriate. If she's in Year 8 in school, she'll say that. She might translate it for her friends and family in the United States, but she wouldn't say "7th grade" when talking to other people at school or in the community.
Your narrator may also do some translation, depending on the audience. If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate. The only difference between this and a book by an American author that's set in China, for example, is that both countries here speak the same language.
The dialogue in your story will be whatever it would be in real life. If your main character is English then her dialogue will be too. If she's American, she'll probably code switch, meaning she'll use different dialects with different listeners. And even her American speech will be peppered with some local terms. Her year in school will definitely be whatever it's called. Just like an American graduate student in English will talk about their MPhil program but might say "masters program" for people back home, even though they're not quite the same.
The other issue you have is translation. Some Britishisms aren't immediately obvious to Americans (MPhil being one of them). So use context so your readers can figure it out (at least get the gist when it's a term that isn't vital to know) or show your character explaining the terms to an American listener (don't overdo this, it gets tedious). Be aware of what your American audience won't know (use beta readers for this) and tweak it.
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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If you're writing for an American audience, with an American publisher, then use an American dialect for your narration.
But... your character is living in England. Whether she's British or an immigrant or a visitor, she's going to be exposed to the local dialect. She will use local terms when appropriate. If she's in Year 8 in school, she'll say that. She might translate it for her friends and family in the United States, but she wouldn't say "7th grade" when talking to other people at school or in the community.
Your narrator may also do some translation, depending on the audience. If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate. The only difference between this and a book by an American author that's set in China, for example, is that both countries here speak the same language.
The dialogue in your story will be whatever it would be in real life. If your main character is English then her dialogue will be too. If she's American, she'll probably code switch, meaning she'll use different dialects with different listeners. And even her American speech will be peppered with some local terms. Her year in school will definitely be whatever it's called. Just like an American graduate student in English will talk about their MPhil program but might say "masters program" for people back home, even though they're not quite the same.
The other issue you have is translation. Some Britishisms aren't immediately obvious to Americans (MPhil being one of them). So use context so your readers can figure it out (at least get the gist when it's a term that isn't vital to know) or show your character explaining the terms to an American listener (don't overdo this, it gets tedious). Be aware of what your American audience won't know (use beta readers for this) and tweak it.
add a comment |
If you're writing for an American audience, with an American publisher, then use an American dialect for your narration.
But... your character is living in England. Whether she's British or an immigrant or a visitor, she's going to be exposed to the local dialect. She will use local terms when appropriate. If she's in Year 8 in school, she'll say that. She might translate it for her friends and family in the United States, but she wouldn't say "7th grade" when talking to other people at school or in the community.
Your narrator may also do some translation, depending on the audience. If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate. The only difference between this and a book by an American author that's set in China, for example, is that both countries here speak the same language.
The dialogue in your story will be whatever it would be in real life. If your main character is English then her dialogue will be too. If she's American, she'll probably code switch, meaning she'll use different dialects with different listeners. And even her American speech will be peppered with some local terms. Her year in school will definitely be whatever it's called. Just like an American graduate student in English will talk about their MPhil program but might say "masters program" for people back home, even though they're not quite the same.
The other issue you have is translation. Some Britishisms aren't immediately obvious to Americans (MPhil being one of them). So use context so your readers can figure it out (at least get the gist when it's a term that isn't vital to know) or show your character explaining the terms to an American listener (don't overdo this, it gets tedious). Be aware of what your American audience won't know (use beta readers for this) and tweak it.
add a comment |
If you're writing for an American audience, with an American publisher, then use an American dialect for your narration.
But... your character is living in England. Whether she's British or an immigrant or a visitor, she's going to be exposed to the local dialect. She will use local terms when appropriate. If she's in Year 8 in school, she'll say that. She might translate it for her friends and family in the United States, but she wouldn't say "7th grade" when talking to other people at school or in the community.
Your narrator may also do some translation, depending on the audience. If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate. The only difference between this and a book by an American author that's set in China, for example, is that both countries here speak the same language.
The dialogue in your story will be whatever it would be in real life. If your main character is English then her dialogue will be too. If she's American, she'll probably code switch, meaning she'll use different dialects with different listeners. And even her American speech will be peppered with some local terms. Her year in school will definitely be whatever it's called. Just like an American graduate student in English will talk about their MPhil program but might say "masters program" for people back home, even though they're not quite the same.
The other issue you have is translation. Some Britishisms aren't immediately obvious to Americans (MPhil being one of them). So use context so your readers can figure it out (at least get the gist when it's a term that isn't vital to know) or show your character explaining the terms to an American listener (don't overdo this, it gets tedious). Be aware of what your American audience won't know (use beta readers for this) and tweak it.
If you're writing for an American audience, with an American publisher, then use an American dialect for your narration.
But... your character is living in England. Whether she's British or an immigrant or a visitor, she's going to be exposed to the local dialect. She will use local terms when appropriate. If she's in Year 8 in school, she'll say that. She might translate it for her friends and family in the United States, but she wouldn't say "7th grade" when talking to other people at school or in the community.
Your narrator may also do some translation, depending on the audience. If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate. The only difference between this and a book by an American author that's set in China, for example, is that both countries here speak the same language.
The dialogue in your story will be whatever it would be in real life. If your main character is English then her dialogue will be too. If she's American, she'll probably code switch, meaning she'll use different dialects with different listeners. And even her American speech will be peppered with some local terms. Her year in school will definitely be whatever it's called. Just like an American graduate student in English will talk about their MPhil program but might say "masters program" for people back home, even though they're not quite the same.
The other issue you have is translation. Some Britishisms aren't immediately obvious to Americans (MPhil being one of them). So use context so your readers can figure it out (at least get the gist when it's a term that isn't vital to know) or show your character explaining the terms to an American listener (don't overdo this, it gets tedious). Be aware of what your American audience won't know (use beta readers for this) and tweak it.
answered 6 hours ago
Cyn♦Cyn
28.9k3 gold badges65 silver badges131 bronze badges
28.9k3 gold badges65 silver badges131 bronze badges
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McInnis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
McInnis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Good question! If your audience is younger I imagine publishers would lean toward American vocabulary or neutral alternatives to strictly British terms, but I have no publishing expertise to back this up. I'm thinking especially of the Harry Potter books, which were written by a British author but adapted for American audiences with terminology changes that phased out oddly as the series advanced. Essentially, until they were assured of commercial success the publisher erred on the side of familiarity to the audience.
– wordsworth
8 hours ago
Hmmm, I know that in my local elementary, middle, and high schools British English is a fad. Unless you are involving America within the book context, I'd leave it as is for verisimilitude. Maybe a modest appendix in the back to explain terms and cultural references.
– nijineko
7 hours ago
Welcome to Writing.SE McInnis, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
– Cyn♦
6 hours ago
Welcome to Writing SE, McInnis. Your characters should always speak naturally for there setting. You can always add foils to your story if you feel you need to explain the meaning of a word or phrase -- an American tourist or penpal for example.
– EDL
3 hours ago