Phonetically Speaking

Have you ever read a book written completely Phonetically?
It's an experience, I'll tell you that.

First off, let's explain what I mean by phonetic writing.
Phonetics (from the Greek: φωνή, phōnē, "sound, voice") is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds (phones).
So, when I say Phonetic writing, what I am referring to would be writing that is written as you would hear it. IE if you were to write a characters speech 'with an accent'. It's the idea that if I were to read the writing out loud, exactly how it is written, i might sound [ish] exactly as that character would.

A wonderous example of this, and the one on which I am now blogging, is the one and only Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh.
"Life's boring and futile. We start oaf wi high hopes, then we bottle it. We realize that we're aw gaunnae die, withoot really findin oot the big answers. We develop aw they long-winded ideas which jist interpret the reality ay oor lives in different weys, withoot really extending oor body ay worthwhile knowledge, about the big things, the real things. Basically, we live a short, disappointing life; and then we die. "

[one of the few interesting quotes that didn't contain a slew of swear words and the like.]

The book in itself, is an experience, made all the more 'authentic' [if I am allowed to say that] by the language in which it is written. It is not only dialouge that is written in the Scottish phonetic, but the entirity of the novel - internal monologue, narration etc which really helps to pull you in to the mindset and lifestyle of each of the characters. There is something thatp ulls you in that extra bit with the phonetic that makes the reader feel not only as if they were in the experience, but as though they were on a different level of intimacy with that character - not to mention upholding the authenticity of setting, situation etc within the narrative.

Phonetic written is an underappreciated art, I think. Have you ever tired to write a character with an accent? You probablly just ended up stating that they had a smooth tone, or a brotosh drawl. Writing an entire novel in common day slang, cultural dialect is something else all together. With Trainspotting in particular, it is all about a lifestyle - the characters being various individuals connected to or [more usually] deeply submerged in the drug world of the Scottish poor. Without the language, without the grit and grime of it, the entire narrative would lose it's punch, unravel, and be another fluff piece trying to make a statement about druggies.

Instead it becomes a living breathing story of individuals, of a way of life, that encompasses a mindset with its faults, failings, desires and demands perfectly situated in street pub life of the characters.

Though reading phonetic writing can take a bit of time to get used to, and the first two pages might turn you off - it can be easy to become lost and/or have no idea what is happening, what anyone is saying, and what the heck 'ken' means, I urge you, dear reader, to push through for a little while and I promise the full flavour of the novel the style of writing will not disappoint.