tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post511370324299088609..comments2023-10-29T12:28:26.775+00:00Comments on Charley Robson's Leaning Tower of Plot: To Each Their Own - Charley R's Guide to Distinctive Narrative VoiceCharley Robsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-26286927045984485642012-09-19T20:36:08.281+01:002012-09-19T20:36:08.281+01:00Wow. Dealing with all those voices on paper, and t...Wow. Dealing with all those voices on paper, and trying to keep them from crashing into one another, must be a nightmare xDCharley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-13720637692789614502012-09-18T21:14:49.454+01:002012-09-18T21:14:49.454+01:00I come across this a lot, being a multiple 1st per...I come across this a lot, being a multiple 1st person narrators kind of person.<br />Cormac - is old, so his voice is very formal. No contractions. He doesn't believe in hell or heaven, being a fairy, so he'll never say 'what the hell'. He uses Irish slang sometimes.<br />Alex - is very sarcastic, used to being on the run. He uses a lot of contractions and generally speaks in a much more concise manner, because he's never had a need for fancier language. <br />Both reference their past as opposed to pop culture, since they're both out of touch but have lived a long time.<br />Bronwyn, on the other hand, references pop culture all the time, from Les Mis to the Incredible Hulk, because that's her background. She likes Torchwood, she likes Doctor Who, she listens to Chameleon Circuit. They're very different.Miriam Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10516402325473855925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-18701347036641973982012-09-15T08:25:43.807+01:002012-09-15T08:25:43.807+01:00Give it a try and see if it works for you, I say. ...Give it a try and see if it works for you, I say. one never knows :)Charley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-90560535526170566842012-09-15T00:09:04.390+01:002012-09-15T00:09:04.390+01:00Well I *should* be able to do a good stream-of-con...Well I *should* be able to do a good stream-of-consciousness, eh? :) But (confessions) I've never actually thought of streaming by my characters. I'll give it a go. Good adivce, eh?! :] CG @ Paper Furyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954615708675952085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-33174772492115572392012-09-14T15:01:45.331+01:002012-09-14T15:01:45.331+01:00Indeed. Threaten Travis with a soaking from my goo...Indeed. Threaten Travis with a soaking from my goo gun if he tries to misbehave - it worked on his brother *cackles*Charley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-42667129566477001082012-09-14T14:13:59.448+01:002012-09-14T14:13:59.448+01:00I hope so. I did some plot transcription into Scri...I hope so. I did some plot transcription into Scrivner the other day, and I think I might be getting Andrew down at least. (Thanks in part to our e-mail conversations.) Now to work on Travis. I think I need to do some writing excersises with him... Now why did he start to try and sneak away when I said that?<br /><br />Geash you'd think I was you or soemthing. *cackles* :}Cathryn Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14816869021658935999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-12875051350995645882012-09-14T07:46:54.649+01:002012-09-14T07:46:54.649+01:00Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
A good way ...Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.<br /><br />A good way to pin down a character's voice is, literally, just to try writing out a stream-of-consciousness inside their head. I do that with my more difficult characters, and it really does help you sort out their little quirks of thought and stuff like that :)Charley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-64486389248308779422012-09-14T00:46:44.519+01:002012-09-14T00:46:44.519+01:00Great post! I really liked it and you had some exc...Great post! I really liked it and you had some excellent points there. My trouble (okay, *one* of them) is getting how I *know* my character's voice is down on paper. I have it in my head. But on paper...eek. Anyway, REALLY liked this post!! :) Really clear.CG @ Paper Furyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954615708675952085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-55886277036081385662012-09-13T20:41:20.990+01:002012-09-13T20:41:20.990+01:00Fair enough to you - the author's morals are a...Fair enough to you - the author's morals are an entirely separate entity to the characters, and it's always your choice as to how you present them. Even if you don't want to use swearing, though, this sort of thing might still be useful to help you hash out more distinct personalities for the characters, if you're stuck in that situation (I used to have issues like that, until I discovered the joys of creating weirdos).<br /><br />Speech and dialogue is, a mon avis, perhaps the most important way you can make your character distinct - I won't say otherwise. However, say you have a character who doesn't do a lot of talking, making them more distinct in other ways can help the reader engage with them in a different way to how they might engage with another character.<br /><br />Depends on the story, really. And, of course, the preferences of the author as to what they think is important in a story. It's not as if I'm the oracle on all things writerly, is it? Charley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-25590502412106927102012-09-13T20:37:55.584+01:002012-09-13T20:37:55.584+01:00Haha, I hope this post helps you out then! Boys ar...Haha, I hope this post helps you out then! Boys aren't that hard once you have them pinned down, honest! ;)Charley Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09542608515324640174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-81089673754058470802012-09-13T19:32:30.427+01:002012-09-13T19:32:30.427+01:00Me, I just try to keep my characters from sounding...Me, I just try to keep my characters from sounding British-- beyond that, I give up.<br /><br />Seriously, though, I don't like to focus too much on voice because of the number one thing on your list: in short, slang. I don't like slang, if you haven't noticed. I don't like abbreviations, swearing or things like that. I like straightforward words that could be understood in any time period or context. Thus, I don't let my characters swear, use obvious accents (as Jacques does more often than not), or actually have their own voice. Yes, I could add the other things you mentioned, but the main factor is the local manner of speech, in my opinion.<br /><br />And of course there's the other fact that all my characters have the same type of personality...Liam, Head Philhttp://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553951271806645988.post-46283699873618741882012-09-13T19:01:27.404+01:002012-09-13T19:01:27.404+01:00This is going to be a big challenge for me as I en...This is going to be a big challenge for me as I enter NaNo this year. I know I can do the girl. She's likely to have a voice similar to another character of mine, only a bit more 'old fashioned' if you will. It's the boys I'm going to have an issue with. I've never done a teen boy before let alone two brothers that are going to be at odds - one with his mind always straying to the ladies. :}Cathryn Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14816869021658935999noreply@blogger.com