You Want To Write In What?

Yzabel / January 18, 2006

No kidding, I must really be doomed when it comes to short stories.

I’m working on a quick plan for a text in French, one that I will send to the Harfang association. I don’t have that many hopes, since everybody here knows how much I suck at short stories, but one needs to start somewhere, and if I don’t try and practice, I’ll never improve.

Now that I’ve found an idea, I don’t know how to begin the story.

I’m hesitating between first and third person. However, and this is way more of a bother, I keep on feeling like I should write it in English. I’m on the verge of banging my head against the table, because this is so very stupid. For once that I decide to work on an imposed theme and try to see if I’m able to pull it through, I’m hindered by the choice of the language.

I don’t doubt that in a few days at the most, I’ll be able to go past this block and write the story for good, but this is aggravating all the same!

FILED UNDER : Planning , Writing & Stories

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Comments

  • Fredcq

    Why don’t your write the first page or two in in first person then do it again in Third person? You will probably find out in no time which one works better with your story.

  • Benjamin Solah

    I know a writer who writes in both English and German and prefers English because of the diversity of words. Is this the same with French?

  • Jennifer

    I’ve never had the problem of chosing which language to write in :)Though I’m having issues myself trying to write a short story. I cannot for the life of me seem to keep it short. The idea just starts to morph (sp). It’s a bit frustrating. I should be able to handle 4000 words or less right?Good luck, I’m sure you’ll succeed!

  • Yzabel

    Fredcq, funny that you mention that, it’s exactly what I did yesterday evening/night (my connection dropped dead until lunchtime today, so I used the free time in a useful way ;)). I guess 3rd will work better, in the end.

  • Yzabel

    Benjamin — I’m not sure if there’s a wider diversity of words (I assume that I have less vocabulary in English than in French, anyway), but I think it comes from two things: the chosen theme (for instance, when it comes to writing sci-fi/stuff related to the web, I’m more at ease with English), and the fact that the English language is “easier” for certain things, such as creating verbs or composed nouns. I need to wonder about this more, because it may be an interesting problem to inquire.

  • Yzabel

    Jennifer — That’s a curse you won’t have to do with, then ;)I agree, we should be able to handle 4,000 words and less. Let’s say it’s an exercise in itself, for us to learn how to write something short?

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