Dialogue woes...

[Dio]

Ok. I'm in sort of a rut with one of my characters. He's a Mayor of this city in my story and he has a speech impediment he received from a childhood disease that makes him speak with a lisp.

 

I'm frustrated because I like making my characters unique, but how do you write a lisp without sounded stilted and making it frustrating for a reader to read easily. As it stands:

 

Ith thort of like writing like thith for lineth and lineth and lineth, thentence upon thentence. Thouthandth and thouthandth of annoying mithpellingth.

 

So I guess my question is, for all you intrepid folks, how much is too much? Am I worrying about nothing here? Or what? I guess this applies to any accent you attempt to put into dialogue for that matter.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-dio

[reapersharvest]

I'd say simply write the speech normally, but make a note of its irregularity. Then only make a note of the mispronunciation when it's specifically relelvant.

[DomLuka]

I'd say simply write the speech normally, but make a note of its irregularity. Then only make a note of the mispronunciation when it's specifically relelvant.

 

This is good, I think. But to add to it, I

[Sparhawk]

I think these guys have the right idea, it would be hard to follow a story totally wrote in that manner.

 

Mike

[JamesSavik]

I want to warn you about overuse of this device. It makes the dialog hard to understand and follow.

 

If I were trying it, I think that I would use it sparingly and just enough to give flavor to the character and not difficulty to the reader.

[Dio]

Great! Thanks yall for all the great responses. I think I've found a happy medium between description and using it sparingly in the dialogue. I think I can get my point across without all thoth additionth.

 

Dom, you were right. I had a couple lengthy speeches in my dialogue, and it was: A) Annoying to write and B ) Painful to read. (And yes, he does happen to give the weather more than the news )

 

Thanks again for the suggestions!