Writerpedia discussion

I am writing a fantasy novel about immortals that are very old (like around 2,000 years old) and it is in the first person. I want them to have an old-fashioned voice, and I want to base them on language in the Victorian age or around that time. Can someone give me works or novels or whatever to help me study their literature so I can complete my novel? Thank a bunchies! :D

And, yes, I did just say bunchies... >.>

I am a new author to Goodreads. I think you are searching the wrong place for style of dialog that will be appropriate for your two thousand year old characters. We have no style for characters that old. Maybe Shakespeare-era we do. What you have to go for is 'real'. Universal. Someone once said that 'to be universal you have to be intensely personal.' That's the key. Get into your self and write your deepest personal feelings and intimate situations with your characters. That's what your readers are looking for. And that's going to be true whether your characters are today or two thousand years ago. Intensely personal. That's what makes us human and that is true for any age.

Thanks for the advice!

I think that to write in Victorian English (or Shakespearean) is likely to sound contrived and not really resonate with the concept of ancient immortals.

Personally I'd keep it straightforward but with your own "flavour" (Yoda in Star Wars is an example of this approach). But mostly you must avoid any modern idiomatic expressions or phrasing - and be absolutely consistent.

Remember too that if this immortal is still around today then they would have altered their pattern of speech to 'fit in'. Just a thought.

Thanks Pat and Sam! I will take both of these into consideration when I am revising. :3

Marlena wrote: "Thanks Pat and Sam! I will take both of these into consideration when I am revising. :3"

Keep in mind that 2000 years ago would be around the time of Christ. Maybe you need to go back farther if you are using immortals. But don't try to copy the ancient languages too much, or it will sound stilted and stuffy and hard for readers to get into. Writers like Homer were around a few hundred years before Christ. Maybe read some of the Greek writers who wrote about the gods.
You might try reading one of Jean Aul's books (Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses, etc.) I liked the comment about them being around today as well, even though they are old, they would adjust their speech to fit in. Just don't have them sound too modern, or that might be awkward as well.

Modern is definitely not what I want. I don't like how in YA I have read that the immortal character says stuff like, "Yo, what's up?" It's not realistic to me. And I have looked into Greek writers, and other writers after, and I plan on doing a little mixture here and there, for more variety. But thanks a lot for all of your advice! It really helps me think on what I have to do.