To Dialect or Not to Dialect?

Is that even a question any more?

I have it on good authority -- my agent's and a variety of editors' -- that using dialect in novels and short stories is a hard, if not impossible, sell.

I can't argue that too much. I don't use dialect all that often. I'm a firm believer in the 'one vocal tic per character' rule.

And yet, there are plenty of works done in dialect that I enjoy. And not all of them are from the 19th century, either. Sure, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens used dialect all the time, but today's response is that they were writing at a different time. But I've read dialect-heavy stories in The New Yorker, and those recently. Most of them weren't in the Western genre, however.

So, what're your thoughts? Love it, hate it, couldn't care less about it, it's fine if it works but it's hard to make it work?

Yours,
A.E. Stanton

Happy Holidays, Pards!

Hope all my pards near and far have a most glorious holiday season, no matter what holiday they may celebrate.

Keep the feelings of love and joy going all year long, and here's to everyone having more than they need and all that they want in 2009!

Yours,
A.E. Stanton

Howdy, Pards

Like so many of my peers, I’m dragging myself into the world of blogging. Why? Because I’m an author and it’s one of the things we’re told to do. I’ve resisted as long as I could -- I love reading other folks’ blogs but haven’t wanted to do my own -- possibly because I’m worried I’ll run out of things to say.

I write historical novels set in the Old West and futuristic novels set in what I like to think of as the New West. I’ve dabbled in a few short stories, but mostly I’m a novelist. I have a great agent who’s shopping my first historical. Will it sell? I believe so, yes, but since it’s set in the Old West there’s a tendency to hear “We’re not looking for Westerns”. It’s the risk I knew I was running when I started out. But, like horseback and motorcycle riding, I write for the love of the thing.

I’m going to focus my blog on my two passions -- writing and riding. So, welcome, friend, and set a spell.

Yours,

A.E. Stanton