Ask a Published Author: How do you keep each character's voice fresh?

Julia Crouch (left) began her working life as a theater director and playwright. Her second NaNo-novel  Cuckoo  landed her a three-book deal. She spends her days writing at an untidy desk in a shed at the bottom of her garden in Brighton, with occasional changes of scene.

How do you make each character sound fresh, new, and realistic while making sure they’re not in the same “voice"? — Anonymous

Because I work on each book for so long, I get to know my characters very well. Sometimes, the character develops as I write so at the end, when I know the character better, I will go back and rewrite that character using my discoveries. Other times, the character is the first thing that comes to me. The characters Polly and Rose, for example, were the starting point for Cuckoo, as was Peg in Tarnished.

In either case, I will make up a sheet for each character with a physical description and biography (I use Scrivener, so this is easy). I add to the sheet as I write, and when I’m editing, I append all physical descriptions to the file as well, so I don’t find myself changing eye colour or hairstyle—easily done between drafts.

The other thing that has helped me with writing characters is my background in theatre and particularly actor improvisation. I worked once with a director called Mike Bradwell and we developed our characters through writing really detailed biographies, going out into town in character, buying clothes that our characters would wear.

Nowadays, I will walk around looking through my characters’ eyes, inhabiting them, if you like. How differently would they view those dogs running around the park? How scared would they be on this street at night? It’s the same when I write—I will often speak out loud in character to get the voice right. Which is why I don’t work in coffee shops very often…

Finally, I always cast characters, and put a photograph on the character sheet. For example, in Cuckoo, Kate Winslet is Rose and PJ Harvey is Polly. In Every Vow You Break, Christopher Eccleston is Stephen and Timothy Busfield (when he was in Thirtysomething) is Marcus. My current cast for my fourth novel Wrecked, which I am in the final stages of editing, includes a young Juliette Lewis and Mia Farrow circa Rosemary’s Baby.  I find having a clear visual image really helps to play the scenes in my mind. 

Next week’s head counselor will be Ari Marmell, fantasy author of the Widdershins novels and campaign writer for role-playing games including Dungeons and Dragons.

Ask him your questions here!