Alright, I am reminded of my Harry goes back to young Dumbledore's time story and want to take it up again. The major, major problem I have writing that story is to make the other characters of that time sound like they are from that time, and not 1990's Harry Potter.

I thought I'll just pick up a book written in the 1800's which is representative of British Literature and emulate the dialog in it...but I don't know which book/writer captures the way of speech at that time.

So any students of British literature out there have suggestions of books or authors, lets me know. The time period I am writing in is mid-19th century and onwards.

If you want to see which story it is, you can follow the link: In the Clockface, Weighted and Weary.

 

I know that the original version of Dracula is available on the Net somewhere. It was written around that time period, if I remember correctly. How accurately is represents the society I do not know.

 

Find a copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Its an incredible book, was published in 2004 I believe, and it is written as if it were a period 19th century work, although because the author wasn't being paid per word (which is why Dickens and the like tended to write so "flowery") she avoids being too tedious and still emulates the style.

A very good read, I think I have an ebook copy somewhere.

 

Our class studied literature from the Victorian era last year in English.

I would recommend Picture of Dorian Gray by Wilde, Frankenstein by Shelley, Wuthering Heights by Bronte and Great Expectations by Dickens. Apart from capturing setting and dialogue of the 19th C they are also good reads.

Also if you like poetry you should check out Robert Browning, his work is epic.

 

The only advice I can really give is to just use big words. The people back in the day had a far larger vocabulary then we did. Words such as perforate and things you would see out of Charles Darwin's book of Origin of species or even our modern day Biology text books were not uncommon.

The modern english language uses roughly 40k words currently to get by if you know about 40k words then your fine, back then they had more, i am not sure how much more might want to google it.

But I have to agree Frankenstein is a good idea. Though its a horror so in another way its a bad idea. Very bad idea.

Either way I am glad you started picking up on your work, the only other fic I found with that pairing is Back To the Place Where It All Began. If you are on this thread you probably know wha story I am talking about, I am not even going to explain it.

I am trying to be honest.

 

Just be careful not to fall into this trap.

 

Protip: Do not click on Rin's link. That site WILL suck you in like a triple-cunted hooker. Or so I heard.

 

Go for Oscar Wilde, fo' sho'. His is the example I try to emulate. And I'd advise against using too many idioms and phrases from that time, as well as colloqualisms. Mostly, I've found, they turn people off. If the dialogues your fic reads too much like a century or two ago, it's possible that you'd achievemore anachroism than what people like.

Just keep a mostly neutral dialogue flow, with little bits thrown in so that readers don't forget when it's all at. I guess you'd understand better than me though.

 

Your sure putting a lot of work into this? Got any idea when you might want to release this story? That last chapter was addictive as sin.

 

Quoted for Truth.

David Copperfield would be an excellent model of comparison with Harry Potter, imo.
Even down to the gimpy basement dwelling nemesis.

 

Oscar Wilde is too gay for me. You can actually feel the homosexuality oozing off the pages.