Writing 101: Voice in writing

August 28, 6:51 PMCreative Arts ExaminerCynthia Reeser

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Edgar Allen Poe used voice in a unique way.

What is voice in writing? How do you find your narrator’s voice, or for that matter, your voice as a writer? Having a sense of voice in your writing will help your story to come across as authentic and your characters as convincing. Read on for the gritty details.

While voice in writing can be difficult to pinpoint, much like style and tone, it has to do with the overall effect conveyed by your words. Your narrator or speaker influences the voice of the story to a large extent. For example, if your narrator is a 60-year-old widower from the Bronx, he will add a different style than if he were, say, female, Cuban, and 40 years younger.

Developing the ability to create an authentic voice takes practice and plenty of revision. When you are developing a story, your first efforts may be spotty. Characters may not feel fleshed out yet, and the narrative voice may be inconsistent. Knowing your character well is helpful for creating authenticity. Before you begin your story, or if you already have a manuscript, before you continue revising try making a list of as many character traits as you can think of for your protagonist. Then do the same for each of the main characters. Note traits like physical appearance, likes and dislikes, job, education, social life, and what they would do in several given scenarios. By the time you are finished, your character or characters should feel as familiar to you as your best friend.

After completing a character list, take another look at your story. If you are coming back to an existing manuscript, try comparing the dialogue and character’s reactions with her list of traits. How do they measure up? Make adjustments where necessary. Keep in mind that voice is, to a large extent, a reflection of the style or personality of the speaker. What she says, how she reacts, how she tells the story, and the lingo she uses are all contributing factors to the story’s voice.

If you enjoyed this article, see other Writing 101 topics, such as Creating characters, Setting the scene, and Style in writing.