Choosing the right words is a challenge for every writer but for those who speak English as a second language, that challenge can be even more daunting. ER doctor and author Rada Jones shares her favorite tips for writing in English when its not your mother tongue.
These days, I’m an American, but I still speak like Dracula’s first cousin. Two decades ago I left Transylvania to join my husband. After a painful metamorphosis just as astonishing as that of a larva into a butterfly, I became an American author.
I tried writing as soon as I arrived, but my stiff, formal English didn’t carry me far. My writing got stuck like a boat in shallow water, and wouldn’t take off. So I quit.
Did you know that languages are not all the same? Even beyond vocabulary and grammar. They each result from a specific culture and expresses a particular attitude. I learned that at an art gallery in Montreal.
Everything had an English description, also one in French. All the French descriptions were longer. Beautiful and nuanced, French rolls off the tongue richly adorned with adjectives and adverbs. So does Romanian, especially when cursing. English is short and to the point.
For thousands of pages I struggled with verb tenses, split infinitives and Oxford comas, wishing I was born an English speaker. From research papers to patient reports, I climbed English like it was a sand dune, more down than up.
Two and a half books later, I still strive to find the words that will make my prose sing. But I’ve learned that writing in a foreign language is not all bad. It keeps my writing fresh and authentic. It keeps my readers awake.
I’m blessed with a unique voice that I can’t get rid of. I sound like nobody else. So, as long as I don’t get overly creative with my grammar, it’s all good.
I’m here to share what I’ve learned from wrestling with English for twenty years. I hope you find it useful.
1. Read in English
A lot. In the genre you’re aiming for. Reread the works you love. Reread those you hate. They will both teach you.
2. Write with a thesaurus
The difference between the right word and the “almost right” one is the difference between winning and losing.
Say I’m writing: ”She left fast.” Sounds awkward. A better verb? “She rushed.” I work in Word (I’m too cheap for Scrivener) with a thesaurus open in my screen. I look for synonyms. Run, hurried, dashed, sprinted, flashed, scurried, charged, teared, tore, scuttled.
Which is the right one? It depends. Is she a mouse? Then it’s “scurried”. Is she a soldier? Then it’s “charged.” Is she infirm? Maybe “scuttled.” The thesaurus will get me the exact word I need.
[Note from Joanna: Another great thesaurus tool is the emotional thesaurus series from Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, which we discuss on this podcast episode.]
3. Adverbs are the devil
They are there to get you. Weed them out. Spend your time on important things – verbs, nouns, pronouns.
Artful sentences like: “Her watercraft moved slowly and gleefully over the translucent surface of the beautiful welcoming blue lake,” should become: “Her boat slid over the water.” They know the water is blue. If it wasn’t, I’d tell them.
Simple is good. Clear is great. Readable is priceless. Remember, not all readers have advanced degrees. A reader once told me: “I don’t read unless I must. I read your book in one sitting.” That made me proud.
4. Go heavy on the verbs
Short ones are better. Active ones are best. Avoid passive voice at all costs.
5. Keep sentences short
The longer they are, the harder to follow.
I had an ex who was devoid of periods. One of his paragraphs would cover a page. I had to read his emails over and over to make sense of them. I wouldn’t have bothered if we didn’t share custody. Don’t be like my ex. Periods are your friends.
6. Use short words when possible
“Ran” rather than “Contended,” “Administered” or “Participated.”
“Said” rather than “Enunciated,” “Articulated,” or “Imparted”.
7. Read aloud as you write
Listening to the music of your words helps you trim down the extras. It synchronizes you with the rhythm of your writing.
8. Use Grammarly
The basic version is free. The premium one is worth it. It helps you shed unneeded words and fix your comas. It makes your writing cleaner and clearer. [From Joanna: Click here or below for my Grammarly tutorial. I use it for every book.]
9. Partner with a native speaker
Somebody to laugh when you botch your clichés. That will teach you. My husband laughed through my writing, fixing “Passing out” for “Passing away” and “Looking like a flower” for “Looking like a rose.”
10. Hire an editor
I don’t do it for my blog – my medical jargon would stifle his style and his bills would stifle mine. I do it for my books, even if I may not recoup my money.
I don’t write for money, even though I like it. I write to tell the world what I have to say.
[Click here for a list of recommended editors.]
11. Color your writing with your culture
Use a foreign word to catch a glimpse of color, like stained glass in a window, once in a (great) while. Use the clichés of your native language to enrich your writing. They aren’t clichés in English. They’ll freshen your metaphors.
In Romanian, “The purring cat scratches the deepest,” “Lies have short legs,” and “Health is wealth.” Oh, and “Books will make you rich.”
12. Embrace your differences
Being an outsider gives you a unique perspective that most native English speakers don’t partake of. Being different is a niche. Own it.
13. Get inspired by the glory of others
Nabokov was Russian. Joseph Conrad was Polish. Jack Kerouac’s native language was French. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Japanese.
Their novels are some of the most celebrated works written in English. If they could achieve that, so can you.
Are you a non-English speaker? How do you deal with writing in a language that is not your native one? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.
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1 2 Next »Hi Rada!
Good tips all, thanks. I'd add one I use a lot: Google Translate. If I can't remember the correct word in english, I use Google Translate to get to some english word that I can at least plug into the thesaurus.
-Minzi
I use deepl for that, I think it translates better than google, the sentences flow more. But even with deepl and a thesaurus I sometimes do find it hard to get the correct word, as there are sometimes such fine differences ... and then add to that that your English should match the region the book is set in and suddenly somebody points you to the fact that this or that phrase might be used by a person from XY but surely not from YX ... (I am just working on a translation of my last book and I must say I fínd transalting something I wrote in my mothertongue - and even with slight regional accents - still a lot harder than writing in English directly!!!)
Thanks for your article, Rada :) I had to smile when reading it because I use similar "tricks". Funny: one of my protagonists is an "alien" woman (from the future) coming back to our time line, and here is where I use my non-native language and fuel her "confusion" with normal usual English (since in 5000 years language has changed). When she hears "a program has a bug" or something similar, she gets very confused. English natives wouldn't think twice, but I myself can hear it ;-) So, yes, just as you say, I'm using my non-nativeness to make my character more believable. Thanks again, Rada, and keep on writing! ps curious about your books now!!
This article is great. While it's geared towards foreign authors, the tips should be considered by all authors, even those who speak English well.
My only caveat? DO NOT rely on Grammarly. As a professional editor, I can tell you that Grammarly is incorrect at least 50% of the time. Unfortunately, most people do not know when Grammarly is incorrect, so they blindly follow the program's suggestions. If I changed half of the so-called errors Grammarly recommends, I would be doing a grave injustice to my work and my client's work. In fact, I would be adding a ton of errors.
Joanna, I am a huge fan of all things Penn. I've followed you for years, and share A LOT of your articles. You do an amazing job sharing your knowledge with others. But, I cringe every time you tell people to use Grammarly. And, I bet the vast majority of editors on your list do the same.
Hugs,
Dee
Hi Dee, I use a professional editor, then I use Grammarly and then I use a proofreader. I still use Grammarly for every book. I don't suggest people use it on its own, but it's great for a run-through. I am actually using it right now as I complete the chapters of Audio for Authors.
I love this post! I came to this country as a child. Although I was born in Brazil, I am from German decent (my grandparents are German and Austrian). I attended school here in the US from the sencond grade on. However, school can only teach you so much. No one knows better than I do how much of language is actually learned from our parents and friends. Most of my friends were third-culture children just like I am. As I grew older, I heard sayings and words in English that were completely unfamiliar to me because most kids grew up learning these at home. I love how the writer of this post sees the benefit of her multi-cultural background. I know lots of German sayings and never thought of the fact that they are not cliché in English. I love that! Thank you so much for sharing this with your readers. Joanna, I will also look into purchasing the two books you recommended in this post. Your posts are so helpful. Thank you.
As a non-native English speaker, I can attest you cannot read enough books.
Also, you cannot watch enough movies with subtitles on. Reading subtitles as you listen to the dialogue is a great way to learn a second language.
Great article, Rada!
~Ingmar
Awesome! I'm a native English speaker but these tips help me too. My husband is Chinese-American so he takes a long time to write because he wants to get it right. And he does. His grammar in his English writing is easy to understand and very professional (he writes nonfiction).
Thanks very much for this article. There are some great tips here! I feel in general getting to thoroughly know a language is very helpful, but also just acquainting yourself with writing techniques is what makes your writing great. Some of the tips you've mentioned I feel are wonderful ways for writers to upgrade their writing, whether it is their native language or not.
For me, your number 1 'reading' has made the biggest difference. And not just reading, but analysing the words, the plot, the character arc. According to Stephen King, the best way to go about it is to read a book first, get immersed, do not worry about the structure, do not analyse. Just enjoy. Then go back and read the book again, but now pay attention to the way the story is built and understand what makes the story great (or less enjoyable).
Dear Rada, I must praise your effort trying to convey the ways to overcome the difficulties inherent in the skillful art of writing for non-native. Most US readers ignore the fact that non native writers contributed to the culture of this great nation and it is good to remind them of this fact. As a French-born debut writer I meet a lot of inappropriate behavior when I mention I have written or am in the process of completing four manuscripts, all to be published in 2020. It is, in my view, important to note that technology helps writers in publishing their works. The anticipated prevalence of Artificial Intelligence will render this creative process even easier, maybe to the point where the author will no longer be needed, except to provide the original ideas and concepts. But as you pointed it out, reading in the secondary or chosen language is crucial to the development of the creative endeavor. It seems to me that some local authors sometimes do not read as much as they should - a pitfall highly visible when reading their prose. Which leads me to wonder if the generation of ideas, concepts should not precede the mastery of style, writing expertise and general literary abilities? In that case, the conceptualization would be more important than the act of writing itself, and consequently, the importance of being native versus 'non-native'.
Inspiring, Rada! I completely agree with your list! Especially, #12. "Be yourself as everyone else is already taken," right? Sometimes the editors, going through my texts, say something like, "What a comparison! How could you even come up with that!" Sometimes, they do not say anything but laugh a lot instead... Well! I hope one day I will publish a book with the inspiring stories of all the people I have interviewed!
So far, I publish them here https://thestoryfy.com/
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome tips for beginner writers! I will definitely use your experience. It will be really interesting to check much more your articles for non native english authors. I hope that you will continue sharing your knowledge in this niche.