Millennial Voice Problem

[R. C.]

I received this from a highly-competent editor: "Keep an eye on dated allusions, esp. for the younger crowd. (This is also part of a millennial voice problem.)"

This is new to me - I knew it existed but not that it was a formal thing. Wow.

Is millennial voice problem and do you think about it in your writing?

R.C.

[TimothyEllis]

What is that?

[R. C.]

What is that?

It is a recommendation to avoid using terms not commonly known to millennials.

In my manuscript, a former Marine says to a former Army medic: "Watch your six."
And, I later reference "No Free Lunch" between a 22yr and a 29yr, both have had some college.

"Kind of odd that these youngish people are saying things like that. I don't know of many millennials who really know what 'no free lunch' comes from unless they are preparing a thesis in macro economics - Keep an eye on dated allusions, esp. for the younger crowd. (This is also part of a millennial voice problem.)"

Here are just a few suggested examples of change to accomodate the "problem."

ROI = Payback
Concerns = Decisions, decisions.
Relax = Easy, big guy.
Sitting on the couch to see the big screen = She took the prime real estate.

R.C.

[TimothyEllis]

Why is that the problem of authors?

If they don't understand my pop culture references or sayings, they can look them up.

I'm not pandering to any group as I write..

[Post-Crisis D]

Why is that the problem of authors?

If they don't understand my pop culture references or sayings, they can look them up.

I'm not pandering to any group as I write..

If your characters are millennials, they should talk like millennials.

Outside of that, yeah, they probably need to look things up or read a wider variety of books.

[TimothyEllis]

Why is that the problem of authors?

If they don't understand my pop culture references or sayings, they can look them up.

I'm not pandering to any group as I write..

If your characters are millennials, they should talk like millennials.

Nope. I write 600 years in the future.

[Lorri Moulton]

I guess my readers watch old movies because they seem to get most of my noir references.

[Crystal]

As a millennial, I will say, the vaaaaaaaaast majority of authors do not write accurate millennials or even *try* to write accurate millennials. Now that I have aged out of Romance Heroine Zone (God forbid a heroine be in her 30s), I am not irritated by this as often, but I do roll my eyes pretty often.

But I think it's pretty basic: write your characters the way they would speak. This can be stylized, sure, but that should be a conscious choice, not an accident.

IME, a lot of editors are overly concerned with dumbing things down for readers, but you do need to know *your* readers and your genres readers. For example, as a romance author, I assume my readers know a fair amount about the life of the average woman their age, about sex, marriage, kids, etc. I don't assume they know much about medicine or film, so if I write a film major, I make sure I reference *very* popular films or write my references in a way where the reader does not need any outside knowledge. (Pop culture references are tricky in general, IMO. They get annoying really fast. Use sparingly).

As for allusions, I have never heard "watch your six" before. I have heard six-o'clock; nine o'clock; etc; directional reference. I think "no such thing as a free lunch" is self-explanatory, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone my age use it... even on the Freakanomics podcast. I do not see a 22 yo and 29 yo discussing it, unless one of them is an economics grad student who grew up with a parent in finance. (I grew up with a dad in finance, and I still would not say it).

Millennials are NOT young people anymore. The youngest millennials are in their late 20s. Young adult and new adult age readers are Gen Z.

[LilyBLily]

Does anybody say "phat" anymore?

People all have phones and can look up baffling words and phrases.

The irony of middle-aged people copying the language of teenagers from television shows written by middle-aged people is acute.

The only teenager I've ever written about was (in today's parlance) neurodivergent, so just how likely is it that they would know current slang? I gave the kid some plausible linguistic quirks and left it at that.

[alhawke]

This advice is like avoiding sayings like "he's a turkey". I don't think this just applies to millennials, it's a tip for any dated slang, I'd think.

[Lorri Moulton]

Watch your six, Jerry's on the move, etc. are in a lot of WWII war movies.  I'm sure watch your six is in other places, too.  I learned a few French and German words watching old movies. The Gestapo agent yelling, "Schnell Schnell", while chasing Humphrey Bogart to the airport in Casablanca is one example.  Of course, I also learned zero in Klingon is Pagh on Star Trek VI.  I write what I like and hope the readers enjoy it too.


(Courtesy of Pinterest)

[Jeff Tanyard]

Nope. I write 600 years in the future.

One of the great things about our genre is that we're not straitjacketed by "millennial voice" stuff or any other such issues.  We can even invent our own pidgin/creole dialects as Heinlein did in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. 

Fantasy enjoys a similar freedom.  I suppose that's part of the appeal of the two genres, at least for me.  Even the sky is no limit.

If your characters are millennials, they should talk like millennials.

This.  Anachronisms only work when done intentionally for some legitimate purpose.  Otherwise, they're just goofs.

Outside of that, yeah, they probably need to look things up or read a wider variety of books.

And also this.

God help such people if they ever try to tackle any books written by Wodehouse or Edgar Rice Burroughs.   

I write what I like and hope the readers enjoy it too.

You're on the square.  I'll bet your readers keep you in the chips.   

[TimothyEllis]

'watch your six' is military speak. There's a lot more of it.

My proofreader trips over my Aussie slang more often than anything else. And half the time I'm not even aware I was using slang.

I'm not sure why this issue is Millennial based.

It's Gen Z that's really changed everything. They almost have their own new language.

[Jeff Tanyard]

It's Gen Z that's really changed everything. They almost have their own new language.

They've been raised by social media, the poor souls.  It's a miracle they're not all complete basket cases.

[TimothyEllis]

It's Gen Z that's really changed everything. They almost have their own new language.

They've been raised by social media, the poor souls.  It's a miracle they're not all complete basket cases.

The jury is still out on that.

[Hopscotch]

Jargon usually can be made understandable w/in the context but, as a reader, seems to me that too much focus on today's slang or current tech or Gen Z lingo - unless that's your object - quickly dates a text.  Except for Tim writing vernacular 300 yrs in the future.

[Crystal]

Right. If you're writing a military thriller, use military slang. It's a genre norm. If you're writing a cozy mystery, maybe not.

Who are your readers? How old are they? What do they know? What sort of language is normal in the genre?

I will not read books with made up languages or a ton of patois. I don't read fantasy, sci-fi, or historical partly for this reason. I am not interested in your fictional terms. (I only go as far as speculative fiction & only dystopia, as it tends to not have a ton of made up terminology).

If I saw these in a romance, I would think WTF is this author doing? If I saw these in a sci-fi, I would think, well, that's sci-fi for you...

If a reader doesn't know something, they don't know it. Maybe they should know it. They still don't. And they are still likely to put down your book if you use a lot of confusing or unclear terms.

I reference Kinsey & Masters and Johnson in page one of my WIP. I do expect most readers to recognize the name Kinsey. Not so much Masters and Johnson. But they don't *have* to recognize the names to understand the scene, because within the context, it is clear the names belong to researchers on human sexuality. They don't need any outside knowledge to understand what the POV character is saying & she is speaking the way she would speak (as a future researcher on human sexuality).

The point of the scene is not to show off how smart I--or my character--is. The point is to show her approach to sex and her own thoughts of sex. And to engage the reader in the process. (As she self-studies her own fantasies). This is a normal way to start a book in my genre (with self-love).

[PJ Post]

Keep it simple, write for the audience you want.