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Writer's pictureS.L Briden

Why do I write in British English rather than American English?


Reading my work and seeing a typo? Stop and read the passage again.


Is it a typo, or are you reading British English?



The famous Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw said, “England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” In some ways that’s true. There are differences between the American and English language, but I see neither one wrong or right.


Being born, and still living, in England, I wrote my book series, Shadows of a Phoenix, in British English because of the location of the main story being the UK and the characters.



But if my series was about a location in the US and my characters were American, would I still write in British English?


To that question, I would probably say “No.”


I truly believe that to write in the mindset of where your characters are based, gives an authentic aspect to a novel. Now I’m not saying that this is a law to follow. Having a unique take on things is healthy. But for me and my characters in my series, they are British, so I write in my native tongue.


Here is a handy guide by SkillYouNeed.com about some of the differences of written English between the US and UK



To learn about the differences in written English between the US and UK, follow this link to the Skill You Need | Helping You Develop Life Skills

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