Using Foreign Language in Fiction (WSJ)
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“[U]sing foreign words is a slippery slope. Creating a sense of place is one thing, but you don’t want to drive readers crazy with incomprehensible phrases or dialect. You want the language to work for the story and not against it.”
Some readers are instantly uncomfortable when they encounter unfamiliar words in a novel. Foreign words, however, can be as important for setting a scene and creating atmosphere as any adjective. Word Craft: Learning to Speak in Tongues, an essay for the Wall Street Journal, considers different methods for handling foreign language in fiction without alienating readers.
To read the full essay, please click this link.
