Character voice is what makes each character sound distinct from every other character in your story. It's the combination of word choice, sentence structure, speech patterns, and personality quirks that make readers instantly recognize who's speaking, even without dialogue tags.
Elements of Character Voice
1. Vocabulary and Word Choice
Different characters use different words based on their education, background, and personality. A professor might say "fascinating," while a teenager might say "cool" or "sick."
2. Sentence Structure
Some characters speak in long, complex sentences while others prefer short, punchy statements. This reflects their thinking patterns and personality types.
Academic Character
"I find it rather intriguing that you would suggest such a hypothesis without considering the potential ramifications of your proposed methodology."
Practical Character
"That won't work. Too risky."
3. Speech Patterns and Rhythm
Some characters speak quickly and excitedly, others slowly and deliberately. Some use lots of pauses, others ramble without stopping. These patterns reflect their emotional state and personality.
4. Cultural and Regional Influences
Background shapes voice through dialect, cultural references, and value systems. Be authentic but avoid stereotypes or offensive caricatures.
Developing Unique Voices
Character Voice Worksheet
For each character, determine:
- Education level and background
- Emotional default state (anxious, confident, skeptical)
- Three words they would never use
- Three words they use frequently
- How they handle conflict in conversation
- Their biggest insecurity or strength
Voice Consistency Techniques
Once you establish a character's voice, maintain it throughout the story. Create a "voice bible" with examples of how each character speaks, thinks, and reacts.
⚠️ Voice Pitfalls to Avoid
- • Making all characters sound like the author
- • Using accents or dialects that become difficult to read
- • Changing a character's voice without story reason
- • Making voices so extreme they become cartoonish
Voice in Narrative vs. Dialogue
Character voice appears in both dialogue and internal narrative (in first-person or close third-person POV). The narrative voice should reflect the character's personality and background just as much as their spoken words.
Testing Character Voices
Write the same scene from different characters' perspectives. If the voices are distinct, readers should be able to identify the POV character even without being told. If they all sound the same, you need to develop more unique voices.
💡 Pro Tip
Read dialogue aloud or have different people read different characters. Distinct voices will feel natural for each actor to perform. Use Cordecho's AI to help you analyze voice consistency and suggest character-specific language patterns.