I have problems finding different "voices" for each of my characters. Could you help me by maybe explain the different aspect that can change one's voice? Thank you!
Hi, love! Thanks for your question and your patience :) I love writing unique character voices, both in dialogue and narration, just because it can make a story completely different just through the way it’s told. There are a lot of different aspects to a character voice, though, so I’ll just go through the basics I run in my mind when I develop voices.
Aspects of Character Voice
Education – To be as realistic for your character as possible, you need to consider the level of education they received growing up. There are too many characters in modern fiction who speak eloquently, confidently, and grammatically correct, yet don’t have the educational backstory to support this. This is especially important if the character has to speak publicly, which many overlook as a skill that must be developed.
Influences – People learn how to speak, how to joke, and how to appeal to others from their family, friends, and idols. For example: my aunt is much more reserved than my father and uncle. She’s a quiet, thoughtful psychologist – but every once in a while, she shows her roots over her education by engaging in some of the awful puns that run in my dad’s side of the family. Puns seem uncharacteristic of her at first glance, but it adds depth to who she is by reaching back into her childhood.
Communication Style – I touched on this in my post on character traits, and it probably applies even more here. Your characters aren’t all going to speak up at the same times, about the same things, in the same ways. Some people avoid confrontation; some people can’t ignore irritants. Some people are open about their personal affairs; some don’t feel comfortable sharing their middle name with friends. Some people think out loud, and occupy the room subconsciously. Some people use humor to mask their feelings, and rarely speak without a hint of irony in their voice. Some people are horribly self-aware, and some people talk without really hearing or filtering themselves. It’s all important.
Demeanor – Mood, countenance, disposition – basically, what is the character’s general attitude? If someone were to describe them in a couple of words, what would they be? Some people are generally positive, and some are generally negative, or irritable, or uncomfortable, or emotional, or just really strong in whatever direction. I had a friend in theatre describe me as “anxious at rest”, and I think that pretty much covers my demeanor. Now, no one behaves one way all the time – this is just more of a “default emotion” that colors how they approach certain situations.
Example: Because I’m “anxious at rest”, I feel happiness like butterflies in my limbs, and sadness like it’s raining bullets in my stomach. Because my brother is naturally chill as hell (my words), he feels happiness like a warm, gooey piece of pie, and sadness like a thin, wet sheet clinging to his skin.
Social Skills – This can tie into education and influences, but also has a lot to do with personality. A character can be raised to know and value social convention, or they can pick it up themselves; or they can disregard social “rules” despite any kind of education. How does your character handle awkward situations? Are they blunt with strangers? Are they respectful to authority? Do they keep their opinions to themselves, or speak up no matter what? Do they at all change themselves or their behavior to adapt to new situations? There’s a spectrum there, between 100%-Integrity and Chameleon status, and your character’s somewhere on it.
Sense of Humor – I’ve talked about this before, too, but for posterity, I’ll add it here. When writing a character’s voice, you have to think about what amuses them – and it’s not necessarily what amuses you. I think of the show The Office, which is basically a playground of different senses of humor. There’s Michael Scott, who works with things like “that’s what she said” and celebrity impressions; there’s Jim Halpert, who’s both sarcastic and a diehard prankster; there’s Pam Beesly, who can only offer puns along the line of, “I’ll put out an A.P.B. – an Ask Pam Beesly.” These small details make characters sound distinct from each other.
Introversion/Extroversion – Lastly, a lot of how a character communicates depends on how they experience social interactions. Are they energized by conversations and social events, or do these things drain them? Do they seek out others, or do they wait to be addressed? Are their thoughts focused outwardly – on what’s going on around them, what others are saying or thinking, on how they appear to others – or inwardly – on their internal thoughts and interests, on what they’re thinking and feeling? This will affect how they speak and how they narrate the story, even if you’re not writing in first-person.
Anyway, that’s basically what came to mind when I saw your question. If this doesn’t help you, be sure to send us another ask with more information :) Good luck!
If you need advice on general writing or fanfiction, you should maybe ask us!
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