Oh, help!

[neensz.livejournal.com]

I've been struggling horribly these past few weeks with an assignment I've set myself. I know that writing in dialect either turns out great or utterly horrible (usually the latter), but I've been trying to write a Louisianian (?) accent. The problem is, I don't know what it sounds like (apart from Hollywood's interpretation, and we all know how accurate Hollywood tends to be)! It feels like I've looked everywhere online (though I know I haven't), and can't find a real Louisiana accent clip. I don't even know if the Cajun accent extends throughout the whole state or not. Short of just dialing a random number in the Louisiana area code and hoping someone picks up, I don't know what to do. So please, if you've got tips, or even better, links, please let me know! Thanks.

Comments

[awproductions.livejournal.com]

This is just something randonm, and you don't even have to listen to it. But I always found that the character Gambit from the X-Men had a really good accent.

The one from the 90's... make that late 80's early 90's comics. And If i remember correctly from the X-Men cartoon from the 90's... Now that i think of it, I might have to go back a watch that to see if Im remembering correctly.. lol

[starlight83.livejournal.com]

lol -- Despite my eternal and everlasting love for him, I always thought Gambit's accent from the animated series was a little comically thick. But I've got no real life experience to compare him to, so maybe he's right on the money.

He was totally my first thought when I saw this post, too. :)

[polkadot-cat.livejournal.com]

Advice from someone who grew up in the South:

Instead of relying on comics, perhaps a better route would be for you to take reference from some literary classics. You have a whole spectrum of great Southern writers to choose from--Flannery O'Conner, William Faulnker, Tennessee Williams, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Robert Penn Warren. Read their dialogue and see how they captured Southern accents (especially Tennessee Williams, who actually lived in Louisiana). If you're looking for a specifically Cajun accent, find a novel with Cajun characters, but be a careful reader--depending on the author, it can be easy to use Southern stereotypes in dialogue. But I'd suggest using the classics as your first source, because you won't find stereotypes as much as you'll find accurate representations.

(And just FYI, Cajun culture is prominent in Louisiana, and an important part of Louisianan culture. But it's also regional, so make sure your geography is correct when determining your characters' backgrounds.)

:)

[neensz.livejournal.com]

Thank you all so much! I will definitely be checking out the Gambit X-Men comics as well as Louisiana authors and novels set there, because you're totally right; I need to write it, not speak it. I haven't decided on a specific region yet, I left that vague simply so I could decide after I found a dialect I liked the most for the story.