Monday March 1st, 2010

The exercise:

Tonight I open up Lessons in the Dust, my NaNoWriMo novel, for the first time since the end of November. Let the rewrite begin!

Assuming I survive the experience, I shall be back here tomorrow to let you know how it goes. Until then, your prompt today was inspired by the light-hearted theme of the closing ceremonies last night: fun with stereotypes.

Mine:

I've got me a pet beaver,
I went and named him Bucky;
He helped me build our igloo
And he brings me good Lucky!

Every night for dinner
We have us some baby seal;
Some people think that's so cruel
But I laugh and say, "Get real!"

Don't be so down on this dish,
Y'all really need to cheer up;
Try a bite and if you like,
You can add maple syrup!

Well it's time for me to go,
I got me some wood to chop;
Then it's time to play hockey
With our bright red mounted cops!

But feel free to come over,
We'd love to show you our ways;
And if you behave yourself,
We'll throw in a couple "Eh"s!

4 comments:

Greg said...

Wow, you're on to the rewrites now! This seems like it's going to be a productive year for you :) I shall sit down and re-read Lessons in the Dust and sent you some thoughts if you'd like them?

Heh, all of your stereotypes surprised me a little, and then I realised that since I've been to Canada (and encountered exactly none of those stereotypes!) I'd kind of revised my opinion. About the only stereotype I think was actually reinforced was the Canadian pronunciation of about!
Good poem, though here and there the metre slips (last line of the first verse).

Fun with stereotypes

"Why do I have to be the villain?" James looked at the teacher, puzzlement creasing his young face, looking as though he might start crying.
"You're British," said Miss Hazlewood patiently. "Everyone knows that they're sarcastic and have bad teeth and are always the villain. It's a rule."
"Yeah," said Peter, his youthful voice as clear a bell. "My dad's a cop, and he always arrests the British guy first. He says that they're always up to something."
James pouted and went and sat back down in his seat. He didn't see why the bad guy had to be British all the time. He picked up his eraser and thought about throwing it at Miss Hazlewood. If he was already cast as the villain... he laid the eraser back down, thinking hard now. If he was already the bad guy then maybe he ought to live up to his stereotype....

Marc said...

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, if you have the time.

Don't get me started on 'about'. We say it just fine! :P

Loved your bit. Especially the stereotype causing the continuation of the stereotype, haha.

g2 (la pianista irlandesa) said...

Aiight, lemme get a few tings straight'eah. Fihst off, naht all New Yoawkers live in d'city. Tha's Manhattan. Weah a statea nineteen millyon people, y'can't fit that many intah Manhattan, y'jus can't. Theahs a lot northa the City, an' I don't just mean th'Bronx r'anythin' like that. B'sides, theahs a lot moah t'the City than Manhattan. Theah are five burroughs, afteh all.

Seconly, becawuse th'whole state's naht the City, we don' all live in twelve-floha walk-ups. They exist, but they aren't everywheah. Weah not all in one sardine can up heah (hey, canya scoot oveh, I need some space heah).

Third... hey hey hey, you. You listnin? I can't tawk if youh not listnin to me. Hey hey hey, lookit me when I'm tawkin t'you. Yeah yeah yeah, that's good. Third: us New Yoawkers aren't all rude. You just think we're rude becawuse you aren't payin attenshun when weah tawkin.

An speakina tawkin. Not all New Yoawkers have that typical Nineteen Fowahties Gangsteh accent. Well, some do, but not all'v'm.

Well. Now dat we have dat outta d'way, I need you t'get outta my way befowah I run yehs ovah.
- - - - - -
Man, I think that's the thickest New York accent I've ever donned. Ever. That was actually pretty fun. ^^

And don't go on about that Can-ah-DEE-an "aboout." Personally I find it amusing, but at least it has a nice round vowel, and not an awful horizontal Northeastern vowel... when some folks say "about" up here (or rather down here, depending on latitude) it sounds like they're in pain with their "abowts."

Haha. Dialect writing's fun. This made my day.

Marc said...

Haha, that is crazy thick. But I was able to understand it all so you must not have gone too overboard with it :)

Glad you had a good time with that prompt :D