Comments for Making Constructed Languages for use in my Fiction

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Translated conlang
by: Anonymous

In the story I'm writing, the dialogues are in my conlang, with the translations next to it.

re: translations
by: Glen

Again, I would say there's no need for the conlang dialogue beyond a few words for colour.

It takes a pretty diehard fan to want to learn a conlang, and with a first book you won't have any of those. It may be of interest to you, but that's because you already are a fan of your story world.

You need to hook the readers on your main character and story before they will be interested in your world. Passages written in a conlang are a needless distraction from the characters and story.

What does work sometimes is to give your main character an unusual but compelling voice. Books like "A Clockwork Orange," or "Riddley Walker," do this by incorporating unique slang or spelling. But even then, the extra effort it demands on the part of the reader has turned some readers off.

Magic language use
by: IndigoTohshi

So I am working on a world where there is true name magic and I feel like I should make up a conlang for that true name magic. I have no intent on anyone having conversations in that language just want to have non-gibberish for my mages to scream at eachother while flinging fireballs. That and have some consistency. Do you think this will be too much exposure to a non-english language in the book?

Oh also I totally cast thread necromancy here.

Re: Magic Language
by: Glen

I don't see a problem here. (It's similar to what Ursula K. Le Guin does in the Earthsea series.)

Even if the readers don't know what the magic words mean, they will likely understand their intent from your description of the scene, as well as the effect of the spells.

This is quite different from using a language in a way that makes it hard for the reader to follow the story.

Consistency in your made up language may also help create a sense of authenticity.

Best of luck.

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