How to Make a Character Voice
No matter if you are writing a novel or short story, the most important thing to make it a memorable piece of literature is the characters. Conceiving a character is not enough rather you should bring uniqueness in their voice to keep the reader engaged.
Making a character voice means deciding the word selection, diction and emotional expression. This is not as simple as you think. You will have to consider multiple factors like character’s educational level, emotional associations, life experience and the locale.
Remember, it is the character voice that makes the entire story noticeable and unique. To help make a character voice you should follow some basic techniques that can get you started in the right direction.
Things Required:
– Character Information Chart
Instructions
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1
Make an information chart:
You should start by making an information chart of your character. This chart will comprise the age, sex, mental calibre and life experiences of your character. Moreover, you will also include details about the place where the character was raised. This information will help you in understanding the real personality of your character and ultimately you will be able to make a unique voice. -
2
Refer to your chart:
Now, when you have done all the home work, it’s time to start working on developing a proper character voice. Make sure that you are consulting the above mentioned chart before writing any dialogue or monologue. Your character’s vocabulary, diction and enunciation should reflect his or her personality. You should justify everything your character says or does otherwise it will be considered a serious flaw in your work. -
3
Avoid stereotypical dialogues:
The most common mistakes people make is to give stereotypical dialogues to the character. You must avoid this and try to be creative and use different language. You must understand that every word or sentence is not suitable for everyone. You must try to make the character have his or her own diction and style. However, make sure that the language and word selection is appropriate to convey the message to the reader. -
4
Give extra attention to the language:
Making a character voice does not mean using intensive or offensive language. Though, this trick can register your character voice but it will be temporarily. However, if you think that there is no other option then there is no harm in using such language. -
5
Check the consistency:
After completing the story, you should check the consistency. Remember, your character must have a permanent set of expressions. It must not be different in every second situation.
