Voice is how your character (and you as the author) speak throughout a book. It’s part word choice and part personality with a dash of attention.
Character Vocabulary + Character Personality + Character’s Interests +Authorial Voice = VOICE
Vocabulary – each character has a different vocabulary. How much of it overlaps and reflects the people around them cues the reader into their social network. The vocabulary will reflect their education, era of birth, and life experiences.
- Slang is an important choice. While some slang is universal many words are specific to regions or subcultures around the world. You can differentiate between two groups quickly by giving them their own slang or verbal tic.
- A verbal tic is a unique word that only one or two people will use (or one specific group). For example, a 1st grader using the word Overmorrow to describe the day after tomorrow, it’s an unusual word and not normal for a 1st grade vocabulary, but it is something a well-read child may have picked up.
- A group of friends might all say, “That’s Sebi!” because it reminds them of their friends Sebastian (Sebi) and it’s an inside joke.
- You can use rare and unusual words to signal the reader about something. The masked figure uses a word that only someone in a certain group does, and suddenly your suspect list is a lot shorter.
Personality – how a person uses their vocabulary is a reflection of their personality. A shy or angry person may only give short answers. An animated person will talk more.
Interests – a person talks about and notices things that interest them. If I don’t like cars I won’t say “Porsche 918” I’ll say “Sports Car”. If someone has no interest in knives they won’t know the difference between a filet knife and a combat knife. It’s a knife. The end.
Authorial Voice – everything above is contained by the outer boundary limit of the author’s vocabulary and writing style. Certain simply don’t use certain words. They don’t like the word, or they think it’s a bad word, or they don’t know the word. Readers don’t expect every author to use the word Anguilliformic or Ranid in their books. They’re perfectly good words, but they are rare.
- How you form sentences and what words and word patterns you choose will define your Voice as an author.
- It will grow and change and become something more as you continue writing.
- Eventually you will hit a point where a reader can see short sentences from your work and recognize the words from your style alone. And yet, within those limits, you’ll always be able to make your characters sound unique and different.
- This is a skill that comes from writing, writing, and then doing more writing. Keep at it and you’ll get there.
On verbal tics and fingerprint words – https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/09/fingerprint-words-verbal-tics-that-define-us-and-how-they-spread-to-others.html
ON VOICE – https://megan-cutler.tumblr.com/post/185252845515/what-you-need-to-know-most-about-character-voice