The two voices in writing belong to the author and their characters. An author with a distinct voice is recognizable across their many works. This may manifest thematically, stylistically, or in their tone. Conversely, the voice of characters the author creates will reveal their personality through word choice, attitude, and emotion. Author Voice You pick up a book. The author’s voice jumps out at you. Perhaps they always write about the environment. Or their stories always explore relationships. Maybe every story or essay has a political bent. Themes play an oversized role in an author’s voice. Another marker of author voice is their writing style. Do they use flowery…
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Cultural Appropriation
When writing a dialect it is important to be aware of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the arrogance of writing characters outside of your own background without personal knowledge or research. While this sounds harsh, a movement has sprung up to bring attention to the practice. Originally called Own Voices the movement is now referred to as We Need Diverse Books. Today’s post will look at three aspects of cultural appropriation: whose story is it, harmful stereotyping, and lack of respect. Whose Story? Can an able-bodied person write a disabled protagonist? Should they? In this case, I’m using disability as an example of a culture. I could just as easily…
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Phonetic Spelling and Dialects
Phonetic spelling and dialect often go hand-in-hand. It’s a way to capture the genuine sound of language but it can be challenging for your reader. When to Write in Dialect Let’s say your character is a Scottish immigrant. In order to establish his unique sound, phonetic spelling is your best bet. This will not only give him a voice distinct from his fellow characters, it will introduce challenges of interpretation. Down becomes doon, no becomes nae. Some characters will be unable to understand a heavily accented Scot, while others will misinterpret his words completely. Why Phonetic Spelling? You want your reader to ‘hear’ the words as your Scot pronounces them.…
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Give Your Characters a Distinctive Voice
Use dialect to give your character a distinctive voice. I grew up in California, completely accent-free. In my teens I met a Texan who scoffed at my “accent,” when clearly, he was the one with an accent. The reality is, we always consider our way of speaking as a baseline. Everything else represents an accent. In today’s post I will explore how culture, financial status and line of work affect your characters’ speech patterns. Culture Consider the many variations of English across the United States and the world. It sounds different in Cape Cod than it does in New Orleans, different in Ireland than South Africa or Australia. And of…
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Revisit Your Resolutions
Remember New Year’s? Whether you made a resolution, chose an intention word, or developed a system, reflect for a moment to gauge your progress. It’s time to revisit your resolutions. Here we are eight weeks into the new year. How are you doing? I went strong for the first two weeks, then started to fade. The house needed dusting. The dog needed walking. There’s that new cookie recipe I wanted to try. Too many distractions. What I need is accountability, encouragement, and grit. Accountability In January I developed a writing system. The problem is, I’ve eliminated step one—close the door and write for one hour every morning. Without step one,…
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How to Write a Platonic Relationship
So, you want to write a platonic relationship. Where to start? First off, realize that platonic relationships exist in many forms. Understand that a platonic relationship is based on deep respect and care for another person. They can be unbelievably complex, which makes writing them great fun! Friends or Lovers? Write a platonic relationship as a non-romantic friendship. Typically, readers expect a man and woman’s friendship to evolve romantically. The romance novel genre exists to fill this role. In reality, some friendships are just friendships. People who share a work space can have lunch and have deep philosophical conversations without physical attraction. Members of clubs or associations can discuss their…
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Flowers, Chocolates, or Poetry
With Valentines Day around the corner, have your characters express love with flowers, chocolates, or poetry. Flowers A simple way for characters to express their love is with sweet-smelling flowers. Whether it’s a single long stem rose, or a magnificent bouquet, the reader will understand the romantic intent. Special occasions have their own floral vocabulary. Corsages with matching boutonnieres for prom, nosegays for a casual date, bridal bouquets for weddings, and floral arrangements for important events such as birthdays, anniversaries, and retirements. The scent of a floral gift lingers and reminds the character of their lover’s intent. Chocolates Each bite of rich creamy chocolate reminds the recipient of their partner’s…
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Levels of Sharing Your Work
There are three levels of sharing work, each with its own purpose. In this post I will talk about brainstorming, feedback, and publishing. Level 1 Brainstorming The first level is the brainstorming stage where you kick around an idea with others to see if it has any weight. Think of brainstorming as a form of prewriting. Maybe you saw something on the news that you want to explore, overheard a conversation that piqued your interest, or have the seed of an idea that simply begs to be developed. At this level, sharing that idea can help refine the angle you wish to pursue. When you nail that down, write a…
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Create a Writing System
I’m developing a writing system instead of a resolution or intention word for 2025. Goals are important but I gave up on resolutions years ago when I realized they rarely made it past February. Intention words are a newer addition to the January goal-setting tradition. They have worked better for me but honestly, intentions and action aren’t the same thing. Remember the expression the road to Hell is paved with good intentions? No, this year I’m developing a writing system that I WILL stick to. In today’s post I’ll share the purpose, the process, and the particulars of developing a writing system. Purpose This January I took a class with…
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Body Language and Dialogue
Body language and dialogue play equal roles in communication. Sign language interpreters are engaging and expressive. While their hands sculpt meaning for the hearing impaired, their facial expressions drive home the emotional tenor. As a public official reads from a prepared disaster statement in calm tones, the interpreter punctuates the message with sharp movements and facial expressions that convey the true seriousness of the situation. Body Language When writing dialogue, channel the sign language interpreter. Have your characters jab with intensity and sway as if buffeted by hurricane force winds. Display emotion not only in facial expression, but with shoulders, posture, gaze. Imagine you are observing your character from across…
