3.2 Character voice and consistency
6 min read•august 20, 2024
Character voice is the unique way characters express themselves through dialogue. It encompasses word choice, syntax, rhythm, and attitude, reflecting their personality, background, and emotions. Understanding character voice is crucial for creating authentic, memorable characters that resonate with audiences.
Consistency in character voice is key to maintaining believability throughout a script. While minor variations can show growth or changing circumstances, the core elements of a character's voice should remain recognizable. Developing distinct voices for each character helps bring them to life and deepens audience engagement.
Defining character voice
- Character voice refers to the distinct way a character speaks and expresses themselves, encompassing word choice, syntax, rhythm, and attitude
- Understanding character voice is crucial for writing authentic, memorable dialogue that brings characters to life on the page and screen
Elements of voice
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- and vocabulary reflect a character's education level, social class, profession, and personality (formal vs casual, simple vs complex, jargon)
- Syntax and sentence structure vary based on a character's thought patterns, emotional state, and background (short vs long, fragmented vs fluid)
- Characters may speak in incomplete sentences, ramble, or be very precise and articulate
- Rhythm and pacing of speech indicate a character's energy, confidence, and state of mind (rapid-fire vs halting, steady vs erratic)
- Attitude, , and emotion infuse a character's dialogue, revealing their outlook, mood, and intentions (sarcastic, sincere, anxious, confident)
Voice vs characterization
- Voice is how a character communicates, while characterization encompasses their entire persona, including appearance, , and behavior
- Well-crafted voice supports and enhances characterization, providing a window into a character's inner world and
- Distinctive voice makes characters more engaging and relatable, helping audiences connect with them on a deeper level
Consistency of voice
- Characters should maintain a consistent voice throughout a script, even as they experience different emotions and situations
- Inconsistent voice can be jarring for the audience and undermine the believability of the character and the story
- Minor variations in voice can reflect character growth or changes in circumstance, but the core elements should remain recognizable
Developing unique voices
Personality and voice
- A character's personality traits shape their voice, such as confidence, sense of humor, empathy, or pessimism
- Extroverted characters may have a more animated, expressive voice, while introverts may be more reserved or measured in their speech
- Characters with strong opinions or beliefs may use more assertive or persuasive language
Background influences
- Factors like age, education, profession, and regional background impact a character's voice
- Older characters may use dated references or expressions, while younger characters may employ more contemporary slang
- Characters with higher education might use more sophisticated vocabulary and complex sentence structures
- Regional dialects and accents can add specificity and flavor to a character's voice (Southern drawl, British RP)
Verbal tics and quirks
- Unique speech patterns, catchphrases, or mannerisms make a character's voice more distinct and memorable
- Verbal tics like stuttering, trailing off, or overusing certain words can hint at a character's insecurities or thought processes
- Catchphrases or signature expressions can become associated with a character, reinforcing their personality (Bugs Bunny's "What's up, doc?")
Techniques for consistent voice
Character bible for reference
- Creating a detailed that outlines each character's key voice attributes and examples helps maintain consistency
- Writers can refer to the character bible when crafting dialogue to ensure they stay true to each character's established voice
- The bible should include notes on diction, syntax, rhythm, attitude, and any specific or mannerisms
Dialogue pass focusing on voice
- After completing a draft, do a pass focusing solely on dialogue to refine each character's voice
- Read each character's lines in isolation to assess consistency and distinctiveness
- Make adjustments to word choice, syntax, and rhythm to better align with the character's established voice
Feedback from table reads
- Table reads with actors can provide valuable insights into how a character's voice translates from page to performance
- Hearing the dialogue out loud can reveal inconsistencies, awkward phrasing, or lack of distinction between voices
- Incorporate feedback from table reads to refine and strengthen character voices in subsequent drafts
Voice in different genres
Voice in comedy vs drama
- Comedic voices often rely on exaggeration, irony, and setup-punchline structures to generate laughs
- Dramatic voices tend to be more grounded, nuanced, and focused on revealing character psychology and relationships
- Some genres, like dramedies, blend elements of both comedic and dramatic voices to create a mix of tones
Stylized vs naturalistic voice
- Stylized voices, common in heightened genres like farce or satire, prioritize wit, wordplay, and rhetorical flourishes over realism
- Naturalistic voices aim to mimic everyday speech patterns, complete with pauses, filler words, and imperfect grammar
- The choice between stylized and naturalistic voice depends on the genre, tone, and intended audience of the script
Genre conventions for voice
- Certain genres have established conventions for character voices that shape audience expectations
- Film noir often features hard-boiled, cynical dialogue peppered with metaphors and similes
- Period pieces may incorporate archaic language, formality, and cultural references specific to the era
- Sci-fi and fantasy scripts can invent unique slang, jargon, or speech patterns to create a sense of otherworldliness
Common voice pitfalls
Clichéd or stereotypical voices
- Relying on clichéd or stereotypical voices can make characters feel flat, unoriginal, and even offensive
- Stereotypes based on factors like race, gender, or age fail to capture the complexity and individuality of real people
- Aim to create unique, multi-dimensional characters that subvert or transcend stereotypes
Inconsistency over course of script
- Inconsistent character voice breaks the audience's immersion and undermines the script's integrity
- Avoid sudden shifts in diction, syntax, or attitude that don't align with a character's established voice or arc
- If a character's voice does change, it should be a deliberate choice that reflects their journey and growth
Lack of distinction between voices
- If character voices are too similar, it can be difficult for the audience to tell them apart or connect with them as individuals
- Differentiate voices through specific word choices, speech patterns, and attitudes that reflect each character's distinct personality and background
- A script with homogeneous voices often feels flat and fails to capture the richness of human interaction
Strengthening character voice
Subtext and implication in dialogue
- Strong character voice goes beyond surface-level dialogue to convey subtext, revealing characters' true feelings, desires, and motivations
- Implication allows characters to communicate indirectly, hinting at deeper meanings and relationships
- Subtext and implication add depth and nuance to character voices, inviting the audience to read between the lines
Specificity and detail in voice
- Infusing character voice with specific details and references can make the dialogue feel more authentic and grounded
- Incorporate elements from a character's background, interests, or experiences to give their voice a sense of history and depth
- Avoid generic or vague language in favor of precise, evocative word choices that paint a vivid picture
Rewriting for voice consistency
- Refining character voice often requires multiple passes and rewrites to achieve consistency and clarity
- Read the script aloud, focusing on each character's dialogue, to identify and correct any inconsistencies or awkward phrasing
- Solicit feedback from trusted readers or collaborators to gauge the effectiveness and distinctiveness of each character's voice
- Be willing to cut or rework lines that don't serve the character or story, ensuring that every piece of dialogue has a purpose and aligns with the established voice
Key Terms to Review (18)
Antagonist: An antagonist is a character or force that opposes the protagonist, creating conflict and driving the narrative forward. This opposition can come from various sources, such as another character, a group, or even an internal struggle within the protagonist themselves. The role of the antagonist is crucial in shaping the protagonist's journey, as their motivations and actions influence the growth and development of the main character.
Backstory: Backstory refers to the history and background of a character or situation that precedes the events of the narrative. It helps provide context for characters' motivations, decisions, and relationships, enhancing the audience's understanding of their journeys and the overall story.
Character Arc: A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story, illustrating how they change in response to experiences, challenges, and conflicts. This evolution is crucial as it provides depth and relatability, connecting the character's development to various narrative elements like storylines, pacing, and relationships.
Character Bible: A character bible is a detailed document that outlines the essential traits, backstories, and development arcs of the characters within a television series. This resource serves as a reference to maintain consistency in character voice and behavior throughout the show, ensuring that each character remains true to their established identity as the story progresses.
Character traits: Character traits are the qualities, characteristics, and personality attributes that define a character's behavior, thoughts, and emotions in a story. These traits are essential for creating relatable and believable characters, as they help establish consistency in how a character reacts to situations and interacts with others.
Continuity notes: Continuity notes are detailed records that help maintain consistency in a television script or production, ensuring that character voices, traits, and storylines remain coherent throughout episodes. They provide essential information on a character's personality, motivations, and development, which aids writers and directors in keeping the narrative seamless and believable. These notes also serve as a guide for actors to portray their roles authentically, reinforcing the importance of voice and character consistency.
Dialogue authenticity: Dialogue authenticity refers to the quality of dialogue in a script that accurately reflects how real people speak, capturing the natural rhythms, cadences, and nuances of human communication. This concept emphasizes the importance of creating believable character interactions that resonate with audiences and enhance the overall storytelling experience.
Diction: Diction refers to the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, which significantly impacts the tone, style, and clarity of communication. It plays a crucial role in establishing character voice and ensuring consistency across dialogue, helping to convey a character's personality, background, and emotional state.
Distinctive dialogue: Distinctive dialogue refers to the unique way characters communicate, marked by specific speech patterns, word choices, and emotional tones that reflect their individual personalities and backgrounds. This type of dialogue not only serves to convey information but also adds depth to characters, helps maintain their voice, and ensures consistency throughout a story, making them more relatable and memorable to the audience.
Flashback: A flashback is a narrative technique that interrupts the chronological flow of a story to present events that occurred at an earlier time. This method is often used to reveal character backstories, provide context for motivations, and deepen emotional connections, making it a crucial element in storytelling that enhances character development and plot structure.
Flaws: Flaws are imperfections or shortcomings in a character that make them more relatable and complex. These flaws can drive a character's decisions, create internal conflict, and affect their relationships with others, especially between protagonists and antagonists. By showcasing these imperfections, writers can highlight the struggle between opposing forces, while also establishing a character's voice and consistency throughout a narrative.
Inner monologue: Inner monologue refers to the expression of a character's internal thoughts and feelings, often presented in a way that reveals their motivations and conflicts. It provides insight into a character's mind, allowing the audience to connect with their experiences and understand their decision-making process, which is essential for creating a distinct character voice and maintaining consistency throughout a narrative.
Motivations: Motivations are the driving forces behind a character's actions, desires, and decisions in a story. They shape how characters respond to events and interact with others, making their actions feel genuine and believable. Understanding motivations helps in developing a character's voice and maintaining consistency in their behavior throughout the narrative.
Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character in a story, often faced with conflicts and challenges that drive the narrative forward. This character's journey typically involves a quest for personal goals, emotional growth, and overcoming obstacles, often placing them in direct opposition to an antagonist. Understanding the protagonist's role helps explore character dynamics, motivations, and how they interact with various archetypes.
Quirks: Quirks are unique characteristics or idiosyncrasies that define a character's personality, behavior, or speech patterns. They add depth and individuality to characters, making them more relatable and memorable in storytelling. These traits can enhance character voice and maintain consistency, helping the audience to understand and connect with them on a deeper level.
Stream of consciousness: Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that attempts to capture the flow of thoughts and feelings running through a character's mind. This style often disregards conventional structure, allowing for a more intimate portrayal of a character's internal experiences. By reflecting a character's thoughts in real-time, this technique enhances character voice and consistency, providing depth to their emotional landscape and motivations.
Tone: Tone refers to the overall attitude or emotional quality of a piece of writing, which shapes how the audience perceives the story and its characters. It influences everything from the characters' voices to the atmosphere, helping to establish genre conventions and ensuring consistency with source material.
Voice differentiation: Voice differentiation refers to the unique qualities and characteristics that distinguish one character's voice from another in a script. This concept is crucial in ensuring that characters have distinct identities, enabling audiences to easily recognize and connect with them. Effective voice differentiation contributes to character consistency, making their dialogue feel authentic and true to their personality.