Holly Jahangiri
Jan 17, 2022

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Alfred sounded like Alfred, to me. In some ways, I WAS that child, and no one would've thought someone my age "would talk like that." But I agree that his voice needs to be his, alone - each character needs their own, distinctive voice and mannerisms, and Alfred is definitely not "Every7thGrader." That he shares speech and mannerisms with his mom makes a lot of sense - you get the feeling that you know where he came by it, but it's also clear why mom is sometimes so unaware of just how similar they are. This is one of the things I enjoyed most. She wants her son to succeed, and has these moments where the reader wants to say, "Oh - you can't see how he's a chip off the ol' block?" and others where she sort of has an epiphany about him and about herself in the process.

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Holly Jahangiri
Holly Jahangiri

Written by Holly Jahangiri

Writer and Kid-at-Heart, often found at https://jahangiri.us. Subscribe to my (free!) Newsletter: https://hollyjahangiri.substack.com

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