Southernish

There’ve been a few posts over the past coupla weeks where I tried to write more the way I talk. My Southern drawl is not real thick, but it is noticeable. I don’t say “thang” or “wont” [want] but I do say “y’all” and “fixin’.” I tend to drop the “g” from “-ing” — “waitin’,” “thinkin’,” “readin’.”

I’m actually a bit proud of my accent. A Southern accent sounds gentlemanly in a man’s voice, and a Southern accent is adorable in a woman’s voice. Although, to some outside the South, a Southern drawl makes the speaker sound ignorant and uncultured. Fortunately, though, the US and the world have become more mobile, and more people have been exposed to Southerners, either by the Southerners going to other parts of the country and world, or by others coming to the South. Most people have learned that just because we talk slow, don’t mean we think slow.

This blog is for me what a sketchbook is for an artist. It’s a place where I can practice writin’, play with words, test phrases, and just generally experiment. Also note, almost none of my posts here are polished pieces that I would consider publishable quality. They’re written in about 30 minutes, and then later proofread for about 5 minutes.

I want the tone of this blog to be conversational — like I was talkin’ to friends over a good meal. So I started writin’ like I talk. But it comes across weird in a written form. And it comes across as just half-assed if it’s not taken all the way into redneck-speak.

So I just don’t know which way to go with this. You may see me experimentin’ in later posts, or you may see me using perfectly standard prose. Just don’t thank ah’m losin’ my mind if ya see me wrattin’ in some strange way.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com