How do you give your characters a distinct, unmistakable voice?
What people say and how they say it is a big part of character development. And each character has a unique way of speaking and interacting.
In this episode, we’re going over 5 ways to bring your characters’ voices to life – to make them distinct, compelling and believable.
These elements help bring authenticity and depth to your characters by reflecting their cultural backgrounds, age, experiences, and the setting in which they live and interact with the world.
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Episode at a glance:
[04:53] Establishing character voice is essential in sparing your story from excess exposition or details, including a character’s age or mood.
[05:15] There’s a difference between your voice and your characters’ voices. Each character within your story speaks with his own voice as much as, if not more than, your voice. So it’s good practice to separate yourself from your narrative voice and tune in to the particulars of character.
[08:33] 1. Age
This is the most obvious and often the easiest way to establish character voice.
[11:23] 2. Diction
This refers to the words a character chooses. Diction gives dialogue and character voice precision.
[12:21] 3. Slang
These are informal words and phrases that are typically common to a particular context or group of people.
[14:54] 4. Syntax
This is the order in which words are expressed. It gives character voice its own flow, rhythm and pace.
[17:07] 5. Dialect
Not all characters need dialect, but if your characters are from a specific region or social group, you’ll want to pay close attention to how it’s done.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 144: Four Ways To Give Your Voice Presence And Purpose
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Also Listen To:
Episode 145: Four Levels To Deeper Character Development
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