Fun with Character Voice
When I finally shut up and let the characters do the talking
As I draw closer and closer to the finish line of my first book, I’m able to dig deeper into the details of the story.
One of those details is character voice.
The story is solid enough now that, as I read through it, I notice that most of it is written in the author’s voice. Unfortunately, that makes my characters all sound like the same person. Not good.
As I read each chapter aloud, I’m starting to hear the words each character wouldn’t say. It’s fun and exciting to change those words out for something more appropriate, and more telling about the character.
For example, the antagonist in my story is a young man from a formerly wealthy household. He’s working very hard to restore their past glory, while at the same time pursuing the means to marry the very wealthy woman he loves. He’s finding it difficult to please both his family and himself. But most importantly, he feels embarrassed and ashamed that his family fortune continues to dwindle. He’s angry that others find his misfortune a source of amusement.
As a result, he’s quite insecure about how others perceive him. He uses a lot of big words in an attempt to impress people with his education and intellect. He’s also arrogant and a snob, and very concerned with appearances. But on the inside, he’s lonely and afraid, and he just wants everyone he loves to be happy.
I relish getting into his psyche and playing around with his words. When he’s not the point-of-view character, I play with his dialogue and body language. On the rare occasion he is the POV character, I dig around in his thoughts and weave his much deeper inner monologue. I have the opportunity make him a richer character, which makes a much better story.
Of course, I have other characters to reveal as well. Both my hero and heroine have their distinct personalities, their own signature vocabulary (my heroine call people bad names in Veneto), and their own ways of viewing the world.
I think this has been my favorite part of the journey. It’s like bonding with another person. You learn their likes and dislikes, and it’s clear when they do something out of character. You know how they act when something is wrong. You get to express what they really want in life, and what they’re willing to do to get it.
What techniques do you use to build character voice?
Do you love or hate it, and why?
