Darkhawk, you are a goddess

[paradox]

Quote provided by Darkhawk:

"A man once asked me--it is true that it was at the end of a very good dinner, and the compliment conveyed may have been due to that circumstance--how I managed in my books to write such natural conversation between men when they were by themselves. Was I, by any chance, a member of a larged, mixed family with a lot of male friends? I replied that, on the contrary, I was an only child and had practically never seen or spoken to any men of my own age till I was about twenty-five. 'Well,' said the man, 'I shouldn't have expected a woman [meaning me] to have been able to make it so convincing.' I replied that I had coped with this difficult problem by making my men talk, as far as possible, like ordinary human beings. This aspect of the matter seemed to surprise the other speaker; he said no more, but took it away to chew it over. One of these days it may quite likely occur to him that women, as well as men, when left to themselves, talk very much like human beings also."

--Dorothy L. Sayers

Comments

[openhands.livejournal.com]

That's a really good quote. I definitely prefer books where the characters speak in convincing, realistic ways...how people talk in real life. Stereotypical phrases or cliches, whether they're based on gender, age, or location...not so much. I know it happens, but some authors can go overboard.