Real kids don't talk like you.
Sep. 29th, 2006 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
naomikritzerMy critique group, the Wyrdsmiths, met last night. Kelly is working on a (really fabulous, REALLY dark) YA novel with a teenaged protagonist. Someone (Sean, I think) complained that Kelly's protagonist says "It is, indeed," in response to a question, and asked if any kid anywhere really talks like that.
"I did," Bill said. "Until it was beaten out of me."
We discussed the language a bit, and how it related to the setting of the story, and then moved on.
I thought of this tonight, because we ate out. We went to this little restaurant near our house called the Town Talk Diner. Lake Street (the street it's on) is under construction right now, and so we had to drive two blocks past the restaurant to find a parking space.
On our way back to the car, Molly grumbled, "This walk is so tiresome. Why didn't you park closer?"
Tiresome? Tiresome? Who talks like that?
*
The restaurant, incidentally, was great. The Town Talk Diner is a Minneapolis landmark. It was closed for a while as the building was rebuilt, then re-opened under new management. It's still a diner, but it's a diner run by foodies. They serve all sorts of diner standards, but done really well, with really good ingredients. Molly ordered the grilled cheese sandwich; it was made with cheddar and gouda and was really excellent. The grilled cheese usually comes with a side of fries, but Molly doesn't like fries, so I asked whether they could make her some sort of fruit cup. They had a lot of berries on hand for brunch tomorrow, so they gave her a cup of strawberries and blackberries. Kiera had the hot dog and fries. Ed had the "Kitchen Sink" burger, which he said was a great hamburger, and I had a pulled pork sandwich, which was also really good.
For dessert, the girls shared a lemon pudding cake; Ed and I had the crunchy banana split, which was the weirdest really fabulous dessert I think I've ever had. They cut up a banana, put the pieces into wonton wrappers, and deep fry it. They sprinkle that with cinnamon, and serve each wedge between scoops of ice cream, with homemade syrups. Wow. It sounded utterly bizarre, but I was so glad I ordered it.
They also have alcoholic milkshakes. And an "Irish float," which is Guinness with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it -- that sounds disgusting to me, but probably there are people out there that would think it was great.
Service was excellent: friendly, accomodating, and attentive. There were other kids there, all of them clearly pleased to be there. When we arrived a little before 6 the place was pretty empty, but it filled up, despite the rain and the road construction.
There is a Denny's across the street. It was nearly deserted.
"I did," Bill said. "Until it was beaten out of me."
We discussed the language a bit, and how it related to the setting of the story, and then moved on.
I thought of this tonight, because we ate out. We went to this little restaurant near our house called the Town Talk Diner. Lake Street (the street it's on) is under construction right now, and so we had to drive two blocks past the restaurant to find a parking space.
On our way back to the car, Molly grumbled, "This walk is so tiresome. Why didn't you park closer?"
Tiresome? Tiresome? Who talks like that?
*
The restaurant, incidentally, was great. The Town Talk Diner is a Minneapolis landmark. It was closed for a while as the building was rebuilt, then re-opened under new management. It's still a diner, but it's a diner run by foodies. They serve all sorts of diner standards, but done really well, with really good ingredients. Molly ordered the grilled cheese sandwich; it was made with cheddar and gouda and was really excellent. The grilled cheese usually comes with a side of fries, but Molly doesn't like fries, so I asked whether they could make her some sort of fruit cup. They had a lot of berries on hand for brunch tomorrow, so they gave her a cup of strawberries and blackberries. Kiera had the hot dog and fries. Ed had the "Kitchen Sink" burger, which he said was a great hamburger, and I had a pulled pork sandwich, which was also really good.
For dessert, the girls shared a lemon pudding cake; Ed and I had the crunchy banana split, which was the weirdest really fabulous dessert I think I've ever had. They cut up a banana, put the pieces into wonton wrappers, and deep fry it. They sprinkle that with cinnamon, and serve each wedge between scoops of ice cream, with homemade syrups. Wow. It sounded utterly bizarre, but I was so glad I ordered it.
They also have alcoholic milkshakes. And an "Irish float," which is Guinness with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it -- that sounds disgusting to me, but probably there are people out there that would think it was great.
Service was excellent: friendly, accomodating, and attentive. There were other kids there, all of them clearly pleased to be there. When we arrived a little before 6 the place was pretty empty, but it filled up, despite the rain and the road construction.
There is a Denny's across the street. It was nearly deserted.
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Date: 2006-09-30 02:44 pm (UTC)In my family I am famous for having said to my grandmother, at age two and a half, both "Unfortunately, I do not care for milk" and "Grandma! You have such beautiful little yellow teeth!"
Perhaps the reason the (YA, fantasy) book I'm writing decided to set itself in a sort of indeterminate Jane-Austen-esque era was so that all the characters could talk like that ...