: Finding the 'voice' of a character This is a very general question that I want to throw out there just to get some insight into different approaches used. I have my own, but am intrigued

@Angela458

Posted in: #CharacterDevelopment #Characters

This is a very general question that I want to throw out there just to get some insight into different approaches used. I have my own, but am intrigued to know what others might try.

I'm wondering what processes you might go through in order to develop a unique 'voice' for a character? I'm concerned specifically with applying this to stage plays, although any insight into character voice development for novels or other I would also be interested in hearing about.

Thanks in advance

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@Dunderdale623

@Dunderdale623

Having a series of common dilemmas handy allows you to specify how character x differs from character y e.g.

The character you are developing was really hungry last night but short on cash. They went to the refrigerator and found a slice of pie belonging to their flatmate. What do they do?

If they eat it do they scarf it quickly stood by the fridge terrified of being caught? Or do they eat it sensibly? Do they even get a kick out of the act of theft?

It's the next day, their flatmate discovers that their pie slice is missing. They ask loudly who stole their pie. How does character x react?

Do they admit to their crime? If so how do they explain their actions to their angered flatmate? Do they make a concrete promise to replace the missing pie? Do they intend to follow through if they do?

The purpose in running the character through these simple diagnostic actions is to find out whether the character would cheat. And if they would cheat how they would deal with the situation.

Cheating is something human beings are attuned to be interested in and to consider carefully. A psychological experiment called the Wason Selection test shows how human beings find it easier to deal with logic tests when they are contextualised as being about people cheating or betraying social norms than when they are presented as dry facts. People are built to think about cheating and cheaters. So to find the measure of a person, or aid yourself in considering their character it is likely to help if you think about how they would cheat, whether they would cheat and how they would react if they were caught.

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@Kevin153

@Kevin153

I do it by interviewing my characters. The main idea is to probe and challenge the character, then follow the character's energy.


Ask a question that invites the character to tell me something new
Listen for emotional intensity in the answer. Sometimes the emotion is subtle, and other times it’s big and obvious.
Ask my next question based on that emotion.


Here's a slightly expanded explanation, with example interviews: dalewriting.dale.emery.name/2008/09/interviews/
In most of these interviews, I was surprised to find my image of the characters changing. Each one left me with a clear sense of the character's voice.

I also found the numerous character exercises in Will Dunne's The Dramatic Writer's Companion enormously helpful. They're not the usual laundry list of boring questions about characters. Dunne's exercises help you dig into the characters' beliefs and attitudes about things that matter in people's lives, things that generate conflict, story, and personality.

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