** This section is not dedicated to the traditional art of translating full works as a profession. It's for ESL learners who are looking for advice on how to prower through writing while translating. **
Translating
Many times, people whose second language is English prefer to write their stories in English instead of their native language and that’s perfectly fine. The downside for some, is that they tend to get stuck on words or can’t find an English equivalent to the word they’re looking for. Other issues that arise include slow progress, awkward sentences, and lots of frustration.
Obviously, frustration with learning a new language or writing large works in a language that isn’t your mother tongue is unavoidable. However, there are ways to handle it that may help you out depending on which method you prefer.
Native Language to English
With this method, the author would write in their native language and then translate the finished product into English. While this may be the easier option for most, I wouldn’t recommend it if you plan on translating word-for-word. The reason being is that English has some words that don’t exist in other languages, and vice versa. Additionally, you’ll have to translate it yourself unless you plan on sending it to an editor who does both translating and editing, which may cost more than just normal editing alone. The plus side is that if you ever decide to release the book in your native language, you’d just have to get an editor for it and be done with it.
Translating While Writing
This method is similar to the option above, except you may write your notes, concepts, and character and world building things in your native language, and then write the story in English. Usually, this process is tedious if you don’t have a good grasp of English and your mind is stuck in your native language. You may find yourself looking up more words than necessary, and even have a difficult time switching between the two constantly.
Google Translating
This is probably the worst method simply because Google Translate cannot pick up on context and slang 100% of the time. You might end up with a sentence that is understandable, but out of context, or just completely incorrect for multiple reasons. I’d say stay away from this unless it’s for singular words.
Stuck on Words
If you find that writing in English is taking a long time, make a list of reasons why you’re having trouble. Ask yourself the following questions:
Am I writing at my writing level?
Should I practice the language more before writing a full novel?
Am I trying to make things too complex?
Is the majority of this extra time spent looking up words and phrases I don’t understand?
Is it just writer’s block or is my story underdeveloped?
If you’re being slowed down by phrases and words that you have to look up, try to rephrase the sentences with similar words. If that doesn’t help, leave the word or phrase in your native language and come back to it later. You might think it’s inconvenient to do so, but it doesn’t matter for a first draft! You’ll have a second draft and probably a third before you settle on wording and a finalized piece. You may find it unnecessary to use that phrase once you hit the second draft.
The good thing about creating a manuscript in a writing program is that it allows you to highlight things or make comments on the side to come back to them later. Utilize those features as much as you can. Remember, it takes time to write a book and it takes a lot of time to write a good book. Don’t compare your progress to others or you’ll end up unhappy and unmotivated.