In a recent post on the Writers Helping Writers blog, September Fawkes offers tips on creating unique speaking voices for your characters. Fawkes defines character voices as:
What the Character Talks (or Thinks) about + How She Says it = Voice
Your characters have needs, opinions, and priorities. They probably also have a hobby, pet peeve, or something that’s on their mind a lot. Hermione Grainger loved to quote rules. Hobbits talk about food. “Their culture, interests, and experiences influence their voices,” Fawkes says.
These and other factors – including age, education, and culture – influence how your characters talk. “You will want to consider word choice and speech patterns, and when appropriate, slang and dialect,” Fawkes adds. “The character’s dominating emotions can also play into their voice’s tone.”
In addition to dialogue, character voice also will crop up in narration. To capture character voice in narrative, Fawkes advises you to write in deep POV, using the thoughts and attitudes of your protagonist. Use similes and metaphors that your character would use, leveraging their background as described above. Finally, watch for places where your characters can express their worldview. Do it well and you’ll have a group of characters with distinctive voices.
