If you’re a non-Australian looking for a good lesson in fast-paced writing, then you need look no further than Australia.
One of the first things I noticed about Australian language and speaking, besides the actual accent, is the habit of the majority of Australians to interrupt. But far from simply being a very rude country, it’s actually the way of the language.
Maybe it’s because Americans have guns, so if you piss them off you could get shot, but Australians don’t place such a high importance on waiting until a person is completely finished speaking. Instead, if they think they know what you are going to say, where you are going with the conversation, or even if something relevant has popped into their minds, they won’t hesitate to speak up.
I’ve puzzled over this for a while and come to the conclusion that Australians place more importance in the ideas and messages being conveyed rather than the actual words.
How does this help you with your writing?
If what you’re working on is starting to turn yawn-inspiring, take a lesson from Australians; don’t be afraid to interrupt your characters. Be it their inner monologues, discussions with other characters, or even switching perspectives from one chapter to another. Don’t place the ultimate importance on what they are saying or thinking.
Don’t be polite to your characters.
If you want to try this out in exercise form first, take two characters and write a scene (or more) consisting of interruptions galore. Just remember that moderation is usually a good thing.
#1 by phill on February 9, 2010 - 2.57 pm
I was linked here by a fellow Australian writer, and I’ve got to say that I don’t really think this is accurate. I don’t know which part of Australia you call home, but interrupting someone is still considered bad form where I come from, and a quick survey of the office seems to conclude the same.
However, it is true that we do speak faster than a lot of other countries, so if you wanted to write Australians ‘authentically’ you’d have to try and convey that. We abbreviate, and have nicknames for just about everything. I’d place that higher in the order of representing Australians in dialogue.
Personally I think interrupting people happens everywhere, whether it’s because you know the person well enough to do so without appearing rude, or because you are in fact being a rude bastard.
#2 by JM on February 10, 2010 - 7.20 am
I come from the Melbourne suburbs, so it could be a city versus a country thing. Most of the conversations I observe have some sort of interrupting happening. Some notice and don’t like it, some don’t seem to notice at all.
While I certainly agree that to write true to Australian dialogue, there is much more involved, this post was more about writing fast-paced by observing the way Australians speak rather than writing true-to-form Australians.
I have talked to some friends who hate it when people interrupt and consider it rude. It’s certainly not a ‘this is just the way we are’ accepted by everyone thing.
#3 by phill on February 10, 2010 - 11.52 am
Heh, you could be onto something in as much as I may not be noticing it. Perhaps too close to the culture?
In any case, I do think it’s a good exercise in writing. Too often you might read a person saying something really rough and not being taken to task immediately for it. If you know your character is going to go off his rocker as soon as he/she waits for them to finish speaking, then it’s usually possible to rearrange the previous speaker’s point so that it can be cut off without losing any information/plot points. And it certainly makes for dynamic dialogue!
#4 by JM on February 10, 2010 - 12.02 pm
It could be a city thing, a Melbourne thing, a Victoria thing… I’ve talked to Australians who absolutely hate the ‘interrupting thing’ and Australians who haven’t really noticed it. Random chance, perhaps. I just know that I married a bloke who has a tendency to jump in if I’m speaking too slowly.
As for dialogue, all the interrupting taught me that my characters are way too polite to each other when they are talking. Haha.
#5 by Elena Gomez on February 10, 2010 - 10.36 pm
Interrupting’s pretty rude generally. Then again, my best friend and I constantly interrupt each other but it’s what makes our conversations so fun and colourful.
Anyway, it could always be worse…
#6 by JM on February 22, 2010 - 1.25 pm
I think it is all in the context, really. There are times in Australia when it’s rude to interrupt and people here who never think interrupting is an okay or natural thing.