: Re: Is there a technique to help me write this character's notebook entries? I wrote a short story in which the protagonist (Vasily) has a notebook. During my rewrite, I wanted to really emphasize

@Murray165

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Have you ever done any acting? This I find to be a good way to establish a voice. Pick up plays and try out the various parts. Think of the point of view of each of the actors and try to say their lines as they are motivated from a unique, idiosyncratic perspective.

When you hear your voice uttering these words out loud, you may experience a transformation. You may become the character. In this case, your voice will not sound like your voice. It is good practice.

It also works for other aspects of your writing, such as the production of dialogue and interior monologue. You have to become each and every one of your characters the same way an actor inhabits a role. Have a careful ear: Listen to the way people talk and see how they express themselves. If all your characters speak the way you would speak and say the things you would say, then you won't be creating a convincing world. You have to let the world in before you can let it out.

As an exercise, you might try writing the same journal entry as written by several different characters. Make sure to convey their moods, their prejudices, their past hurts and desires, their innate assumptions about life. Don't explain any of this. Just project it.

The more you write different characters differently, the easier it becomes. The point is, you have to write a lot. So don't try to be perfect right off the bat. If something isn't working, set it aside and write more, then come back to it. It may be that when you have finished your story or novel or screenplay you will go back and see things (like a character's journal entry) that don't ring true. If you do, simply change them.

When I write I hear the voices of my characters in my head. They are all different personalities and nearly write themselves. It's as if they each have something to say that they wish to say, and they behave as they wish to behave. A lot of the time what they say and do comes as a surprise to me. Writing is a process of discovery. What you discover is what you have assimilated over the course of your life, and that includes everyone you have ever known.

I don't know if any of this will be helpful to you, but it can't hurt to try.

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