Choosing Your Voice or Finding Your Voices

            When it comes to writing any kind of story, the characters are the most important part. They keep the story going by acting it out. Without at least one character somewhere in the story, there isn’t much there to go on. Also, a character can be anything from the most well thought-out individual to a simple narrator with no form or gender.

            When it comes to deciding on your characters' voices, it can be tricky. Depending on what sort of person you want them to be, the way they speak needs to change. I will give examples of good and bad voices later on, but for now let's just agree that it would get very boring without distinct voices.

            When writing your story overall, try to think of yourself as a character. You are the narrator, and you must have a distinctive voice. Are you wise and all knowing, or are you just as lost as the rest of your voices?

            Younger characters in stories will not have a wide range of vocabulary like an adult would. For example a child would say “I like blue,” but an adult would be more likely to say “My favorite color is azure”.  Some characters will speak with a special accent. Pirates (not to be clichéd) will not sound the same as a refined gentlemen: “Arg matey,” versus “Jolly good sir”.

            Make sure that when you do finally find the voice you want to use, you stay consistent. It wouldn’t make sense for you two have two characters speaking and their voices switch halfway through. Also, as I said earlier make sure that your characters have different voices; otherwise no one will know who is talking unless you tell them.

            “Hey man, I got a question… It’s kinda important, so don’t laugh…”

            “Sure, ask me anything, I’m an open book. I would never laugh at you.”

            “What’s the best way ta pick up chicks?”
            “Just stay classy.”

            “For real?”

            “Yes.”