Translate Your Own Stories †Perks for the Multilingual Writer

Translate Your Own Stories – Perks for the Multilingual Writer If you are fluent in more than one language, you may want to consider translating your own manuscripts. Here are six reasons why you should give it a try. 1 Practice makes perfect The good news is you dont need to be a professional translator to tackle a translation project. While I happen to hold a degree in translation, I learned that it is something you become good at with practice, just like writing. And being a writer, you already have a solid foundation of knowledge and techniques that will help make the process easier. The trick, of course, is not to make your writing sound like a translation. Otherwise, dont bother sending it to Hope (or most editors, for that matter). I have it on good authority that this will not endear her to your work! 2 Spot and eliminate flaws If your story or article is unpublished, translating it into another language allows you to take a step back from your work and see it from a different perspective. Its an excellent way to pinpoint flaws and weaknesses. For instance, if a sentence does not translate well, theres a very good chance that it is poorly written. Simply rewrite it until it flows smoothly in both languages. As you go along, you will sharpen your editing and revising skills as well. 3 Boost your creativity Translating your own unpublished manuscripts is not as restricting as translating texts that have appeared in print (either yours or someone elses) or which have been requested 4 Double your chances of success 5 Give your stories a second life If a particular piece is already published, check your contract to make sure you have retained the translation rights. If so, you will be free to approach new publishers in your target language. In this instance, you may not have as much creative leeway during the translation process, but you will still be able to strengthen weak words and sentences in the translated text. 6 Get unstuck Finally, if you are stuck for inspiration or suffering from writers block, translating your own stories can help you get back in the flow. You wont have to deal with a dreaded blank page or wrestle your muse for inspiration - but it could lead you to new ideas and opportunities!