Characters · Tip 23 of 82 · 4 min read
Give Every Character Their Own Voice
Make each character sound so different that readers know who's talking, even without a name.
Close your eyes and imagine your teacher, your best friend and your grandma all saying hello. They'd each sound different, wouldn't they? Your characters should too. That's called giving them a voice.
What makes a voice?
- Word choice: fancy words, slang or made-up words
- Sentence length: some people chatter, some people grunt
- Favourite sayings: a phrase they always use
- Mood: cheerful, grumpy, worried, bossy
Hear the difference
Here are three characters who all find the same muddy puddle. See if you can tell them apart.
"Brilliant! Last one in is a soggy sock!" yelled Jake. "Absolutely not. These shoes are brand new and they are suede," said Lady Clementine. "Hmm. Deep," said Gran, and walked straight through it.
Jake is excited and loud. Lady Clementine is fussy and posh. Gran uses hardly any words and doesn't care about mud at all. You learn who they are just from how they speak.
The cover-up test
Cover up the names in a conversation you've written. Can you still tell who is talking? If every character sounds the same, give one of them a catchphrase, or make one speak in short bursts and another ramble on.
Okay 😐
"I think we should go," said the robot. "I think we should go too," said the pirate.
Wow! 🤩
"Departure recommended. Probability of danger: ninety-two percent," said the robot. "Aye, I'm with the tin can," growled the pirate. "Let's scarper."