Subject: As far as I know, "Spock Speak" is just heightened English.
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Posted on: 2024-03-06 04:17:57 UTC

You shouldn't need a translator; just a dictionary and maybe Wikipedia. (I'm assuming English is your native language; correct me if I'm wrong.)

As for whether you should write a character who talks like Spock, if you're not comfortable with at least a college reading level, this probably isn't a type of character you'll have fun writing. Writing a character who sounds smart requires an extensive vocabulary, heavy on specialized Latinate terms. (There are complex historical reasons for this.) You also have to know the nuances of how those words are actually used; just looking up everyday words in a thesaurus and swapping in the biggest ones won't convince anyone.

Writing a character who is actually more educated than you is even more challenging. You'd have to be willing to do research on unfamiliar subjects, sometimes above and beyond a quick dip into Wikipedia to be really sure you understand what you're talking about.

For a beginning writer (especially if you're writing in a second language), it's better to stick with characters who have a level of life experience and general knowledge/education similar to your own.

~Neshomeh

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