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We’re at the halfway point of Writing Tips 101 now and - as mentioned last week - we’re transitioning from micro tips about sentence level structure to macro concepts that should be consistently applied through the entire story or novel, things like voice.
Voice is more than just what the characters say in dialogue, it’s how they say it. It’s likely there are people you would know by their texting even if their name was hidden because their manner of speech and turns of phrase would give them away. In the same way that people you know don’t all speak the same, you need to make sure that your characters don’t all sound alike. Dialogue has never been the easiest part of writing for me, but I’ve found that the better I know my characters, the more distinctive their voices become and the more naturally the dialogue flows (for them and me). Different writers have different methods of getting to know their characters - some people interview a character by literally writing out a set of questions to ask the character about themselves and then write out the answers. Character sheets can also be a good method, and templates can be found online or in writing tools like Scrivener. Some writers base character or speech traits or on people they’ve met or observed in public (remember that it’s polite to file the serial numbers off beyond just changing the name unless you have a person’s permission to use them as a character). However you develop your characters, make sure they have depth, and feel like real people instead of cardboard cutouts or clichés. You don’t have to work every detail that you know about your character and their past and personality into the story, but if you know it, it will come out in their mannerisms, reactions, natural sounding dialogue, and in their distinctive voice.
Another tool for learning how to write effective dialogue and voice is to read as much as possible. In fact, I can’t emphasize the importance enough that, as writers, you should be reading as much as you possibly can to help you constantly grow in all aspects of your writing. Reading a range of styles and expertise is good for seeing what works and what doesn’t, but be sure to read far more of what works well and study it as you read to see why it works. You can even do a search to find authors known for certain strengths, such as Elmore Leonard and Douglas Adams often praised for exceptional talent with dialogue.
Voice is more than just what the characters say in dialogue, it’s how they say it. It’s likely there are people you would know by their texting even if their name was hidden because their manner of speech and turns of phrase would give them away. In the same way that people you know don’t all speak the same, you need to make sure that your characters don’t all sound alike. Dialogue has never been the easiest part of writing for me, but I’ve found that the better I know my characters, the more distinctive their voices become and the more naturally the dialogue flows (for them and me). Different writers have different methods of getting to know their characters - some people interview a character by literally writing out a set of questions to ask the character about themselves and then write out the answers. Character sheets can also be a good method, and templates can be found online or in writing tools like Scrivener. Some writers base character or speech traits or on people they’ve met or observed in public (remember that it’s polite to file the serial numbers off beyond just changing the name unless you have a person’s permission to use them as a character). However you develop your characters, make sure they have depth, and feel like real people instead of cardboard cutouts or clichés. You don’t have to work every detail that you know about your character and their past and personality into the story, but if you know it, it will come out in their mannerisms, reactions, natural sounding dialogue, and in their distinctive voice.
Another tool for learning how to write effective dialogue and voice is to read as much as possible. In fact, I can’t emphasize the importance enough that, as writers, you should be reading as much as you possibly can to help you constantly grow in all aspects of your writing. Reading a range of styles and expertise is good for seeing what works and what doesn’t, but be sure to read far more of what works well and study it as you read to see why it works. You can even do a search to find authors known for certain strengths, such as Elmore Leonard and Douglas Adams often praised for exceptional talent with dialogue.
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