Writing

Military pilots joke that we would fall apart without acronyms and jargon - well, I joke about that.

Aviation has a language of its own. Can you decipher this:

"Ghost 11, Jacksonville Center, descend at pilots discretion, you are cleared BIGGI at or below flight level two-four-zero."

By Christine Kohler

I have lectured on voice, dialect, and using foreign language within English-language texts. In many cases it is difficult to separate the three, especially in a novel liike NO SURRENDER SOLDIER (Merit Press, 2014) which is set on a Pacific island and all the characters are POC (non-white). However, for the sake of brevity I’m going to touch on just highlights of how to write authentic dialect and leave the issue of voice and using foreign languages for different articles and workshops.

Casualty of War

By: Jon M. Nelson

With a terrified look upon his face,

I wonder what he’s doing in this place.

There are bombs exploding and bullets flying,

He’s curled up in a corner scared and crying.

I know that he did not ask to be here,

And I know he’s overwhelmed with fear.

Where are the parents of this child lost,

As he screams out in this holocaust?

I can feel his pain as I see his tears,

But his cries will fall upon deaf ears.

The sounds of war drown him out,