I agree with you about slowing down the story, but one of my favorite books of all time is Huckleberry Finn, so that's definitely an exception...
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June 05, 2009
You can’t tell from my writing if I speak with an accent. (Hint: My rotten children used to fall over laughing whenever I referred to the stuff coming out of the tap as “wadda.”)
Which brings me to how a writer decides to present the speech of a character with a pronounced accent.
Do you mention the accent once, and then write the speeches in standard English? Do you render the words phonetically, as they would sound aloud? Do you toss in a few unusual or foreign words to give the flavor of the character’s speech?
My guide here is to consider the effect on the reader. I do not wish to plow my way through long paragraphs where I have to translate everything in my head. That slows down the story and annoys me.
I think the answer depends on how crucial the character is, and how thick the accent needs to be. I’m inclined to stick to standard English, with a “y’all come see me” and tres bien for flavor here and there.