Life Update (not that you need it, but whatever): The semester is halfway over. I did not get to go on the Creative Writing Retreat, nor did I finish a submission in time for Irreantum. But I have been able to work on my novel some lately, so that is exciting.
One thing that I’ve been thinking about recently is voice. Voice seems like it can mean a lot of things, but I think it is mostly the way the narrator sounds. You go through and read and can tell which character is talking by the way they say things, who is narrating by the things they notice.
My novel is written mostly from the viewpoint of one character, but there are many times when other characters tell the story better—or the main character simply isn’t around to tell it. In these cases, I switch points of view, but I’ve noticed that much of the narration sounds the same regardless of who is telling the story.
This is obviously not what I want.
To me, each of my characters is a different person, and some of them, I know better than others. Sometimes, the problem comes in when the characters I don’t know as well sound the same as the ones I do. Other times, I feel that the characters I do know are acting differently than they would around people they don’t know (like the reader). There are certain things I know about my character Marcus that the reader and most of the other characters don’t know, but because I know them, they show up when he’s narrating, even though he wouldn’t say that. Is this confusing? Probably.
Let me try to explain. This is a character who is very withdrawn, and his narrating style (his voice) should reflect that. The only people he opens up to are the ones he trusts, and that is very few people. The reader isn’t one of them.
How voice is used has a lot to do with how you want characters to come across to readers, the feeling you want to give them. I want my readers to identify most with the main character, so she gets the most “screen time” and lets them the farthest into her mind. Though I sometimes use the other characters, they will allow the reader into their minds at different depths.
How do you write that way? This is the question I’m trying to answer in my own writing. I’m trying to figure out how to have each character sound different. I’m the same person, no matter which of them I’m writing. They have their own personalities, and that should help, but I have to remember who I’m writing. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just a monotonous voice droning on in the background, but it should be lively and draw you in. I guess every writer has their issues, and Marcus is throwing plenty my way. In the long run, however, I’m sure I’ll figure it out. I believe most of voice comes from my knowing each character so well that I can’t forget who I’m writing. Part of that comes from actually having the beginning written down (remember my Storybook Weaver post? I’m still working piecemeal, and the beginning is losing the war for attention), but the best way to do it is just to write, and so I will write. I am a Writer.
