I took an insightful writer’s craft workshop about finding your voice and tone. We studied a variety of literary examples and given a few exercises. So, if you’re an author, this exercise is for you.
Questions to assess your character’s voice:
1. How do they speak? Loquacious and long-winded? Terse
and to the point? Cracking jokes? Using idioms and
metaphors?
2. What is their personality like and how does this manifest in
their thoughts and dialogue? Are they broody but funny?
Caustic and dark? Optimistic and cheerful?
3. What other influences shape their voice? Geographical
location, a job or hobby, the influence of other people,
culture, family, language etc?
4. Write a few lines of this character introducing themselves to
us, as though they’re here in group with us.
My Submission for Assessing a Character’s Voice:
Celine Monroe:
-
- She’s terse and to the point. An entrepreneur and marketing consultant. Creative but direct. She uses metaphors at times but prefers direct communication.
- She’s ambitious, intelligent, and ordered. She thinks in terms of win or lose and sometimes struggles with nuance in people and situations. She talks directly without exuding overwhelming warmth. She can be broody, yet witty. She’s an optimist believing she can push through difficulties. She’s defiant when challenged. Fair, wanting win win scenarios and encourages others. She cares about people but struggles when others’ needs supersede or interferes with her needs especially in business.
- Influences: Her dad and Papa were executives in business. She’s learned to interact in the business world. Profits, sales, financials. She lives in Tulsa, OK but doesn’t have a southern drawl since she lives in metro Tulsa. Yet, with her French mother and visiting her French grandma, Celine’s cultivated an appreciation for aesthetics. Why she pursued marketing, marries business and the arts.
Celine introducing herself:
I’m a leader like my dad and creative like my maman. I struggle with the French side when it conflicts with the American business mindset of work much harder than you play. I have no problem mixing business with pleasure- I enjoy Chateaubriand while discussing business strategy with a client-even though Maman considers this bad taste. Yet, I enjoy spending hours, observing impressionist art in the Musée D’Orsay, especially if gaining inspiration for an ad campaign.
I’ll admit I score low on empathy – you know the spiritual gifts test? But high on leadership and discernment. While I may not weep with you for hours, I’ll coach you from the sidelines as you get back on your feet and hit you on the back, yelling, “Great job!” Or warn you to steer clear of that wolf in sheep’s clothing. Okay, okay. I did attach myself to one, but I won’t be fooled twice. I can sniff those wolves from a mile away.
If you like green tea, I might be your friend. I’m mildly sophisticated with hints of caffeine (Maman would say I’m an expresso. Compared to her, yes. But compared to my ex, not by a long shot.)
Enough about me, how about you? Which beverage are you?
- If you enjoyed this lesson, author, editor, and book coach Jordan Rosenfeld taught this workshop.
Featured image by Thom Milkovic.