Learn About Authors Voice in Fiction Writing

Learn About Authors Voice in Fiction WritingLearn About Authors Voice in Fiction WritingThe term voice in fiction writing has two very different meanings Voice is the authors style, the quality that makes his or her writing unique, and which conveys the authors attitude, personality, and character orVoice is the characteristic speech and thought patterns of the narrator of a work of fiction. Because voice has so much to do with the readers experience of a work of literature, it is one of the fruchtwein important elements of a piece of writing. The Authors Voice Your tone, choice of words, choice of content, and even punctuation make up your authorial voice. The authors voice is usually fairly consistent, particularly in third person narratives. As a result, it is usually possible to identify the author simply by reading a selection of his or her work. For example, the following is an excerptfrom Charles Dickens famous story. Notice that Dickens talks to the reader as if the reade r could respond (let any man explain to me...), and is practical and even a little humorous in his description. He is also characteristically wordy Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of London, even including- which is a bold word- the corporation, aldermen, and livery. Let it also be borne in mind that Scrooge had not bestowed one thought on Marley, since his last mention of his seven-years dead partner that afternoon. And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any intermediate process of change- not a knocker, but Marleys face. The Characters Voice Every person has their way of putting together words, phrases, and ideas. These elements make up the persons voice. Some people are authoritative others are pompous, funny, chatty, warm, or a combination of different qualities to make up a single complex personality. Authors must find a voice for each of their characters that are believable, appropriate, and consistent. In addition to being a master of narrative voice, Dickens was also highly regarded as being a writer who could create memorable character voices. One of Dickens most famous characters was Uriah Heep from David Copperfield. Heep was a nasty character who called himself umble (humble), but while he pretended to be humble and unambitious he had a scheme in mind for bettering himself When I was quite a young boy, said Uriah, I got to know what umbleness did, and I took to it. I ate umble pie with an appetite. I stopped at the umble point of my learning, and says I, Hard hard When you offered to teach me Latin, I knew better. People like to be above you, says father, keep yourself down. I am very umble to the present moment, Master Copperfield, but Ive got a little power