A “How To” Guide for the Prospective Writer – Step Four on the Writing Journey
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 4
- 5 min read
Written by Melissa Velasco, Accomplished Indie Writer
Melissa Velasco is an Indie author with a quick wit, edgy writing style, and bold willingness to take a flying leap into the unknown. She is the author of the Hollywood High Chronicles book series, a metaphysical thriller deep dive into the trials of a pack of metaphysically charged teen misfits growing up in gritty 1990's Hollywood.
You’ve made it through three steps of the writing journey and you’re well on your way. Now it’s time to tackle the next step.
A writer’s voice
Think of it this way, we all have a distinct way of talking. One of the key factors in comedians successfully performing imitations is capturing the voice and intonation of the person they imitate. When they get the inflection and mannerisms right, their audience howls with laughter. The same should be true of your style as a writer. You need a ‘voice’ so distinct that a fan could pick your writing out of a line-up.
Why does your book need to have a distinct voice?
Because it’s the voice in the head of your reader as they read your tale. The voice needs to be consistent. Your reader should settle into your story and get lost. A clear and concise communication pattern is key. Developing your writing voice sounds easy, right? You likely have spoken your entire life. If only it were so simple. The reality is that we speak differently than we read. I use quite a few catchphrases in my book series, The Hollywood High Chronicles. While I often use catch phrases in my natural speech, I’ve found that they read differently on the written page than they sound when I speak them. That’s because tone is so easily misunderstood in print.
Unpacking tone
Tone plays a huge part in communicating. A lack of tone creates many misunderstandings. We’ve all been caught up in a moment when you send a text, and it’s received in a completely different way than you intended it. Readers of your book have the very real possibility of misunderstanding the tone in the same way.
How, then, do you build tone on the written page? Descriptors
Descriptive words, adjectives, and adverbs are your new best friends. Describe, describe, describe! You must surround your dialogue with description.
For example, “Fred didn’t arrive.”
Okay. That simple statement leaves so many unclear possibilities. Is this fantastic news because Fred is annoying? Is Fred the life of the party? Do we want Fred to arrive? Do we dislike Fred? Is Fred a colossal pain in the rear? Are we scared for Fred? Is Fred a player who’s at it again, leaving his girlfriend to wrestle with being stood up? Is Fred feared dead? We can cure this conflict with descriptors.
“Fred didn’t arrive,” Trevor blathered as he skidded to a frantic halt.
Now we’ve got something to work with. We’re clear that Fred is missing, Trevor is desperate to impart the news, and it’s our duty as members of this squad to be concerned. That is the voice. The clearer your voice, communication, and description, the more likely that your audience will continue turning pages. You want readers to stick with you and readers need to know what happened to Fred! It doesn’t stop there, though. The voice of your story has an exciting subcategory.
Individual character voice
Now for the hard part. Every single character in your story needs their own distinct way of speaking, acting, and being. Yes. Every single character.
“But, Melissa, how will people keep all that straight when they read?
Won’t that confuse them?”
No. It won’t. What it’ll do is make your characters relatable and three-dimensional. Just like people in real life have quirks, mannerisms, catch phrases, and ways of being, so should your characters. You keep real-life people’s differences straight in your mind. Readers will do the same with your characters.
I’m often approached by hopeful writers who ask me to read a chapter from their aspiring creation. I’m generally willing to and honored to be asked. The number one note that I give is, “Who are your characters?” The secondary note is, “Where are we? What does this place look, sound, smell, and feel like?” A lack of descriptors leads to confusion. Your readers need a map. If you describe your characters and settings thoroughly, then readers know where they are and who they’re with. This is imperative if you want your readers drawn into your story. They’ll forget reality and be in the tale as a character if you give them enough to immerse themselves with.
The importance of character voice is so monumental in my own series that I’ve had in-depth discussions with my editor about how a character would never use a certain word. We’ve also discussed how a descriptor can’t be used for certain characters. For instance, the word “weep” could easily be used for my very sweet female character, Finley. She’s a soft, emotionally connected, and thoughtful teen. In contrast, the lead character of my series, Melanie, would sooner die in a blaze of glory than weep. She falls apart cataclysmically while furiously trying to curb her meltdown. One of Melanie’s flaws is a lack of soft humility. She doesn’t weep. She sobs.
The importance of individual character and word choice
Word choice matters a great deal, and carefully choosing the words your characters use, or are described by, is key in creating distinct and vibrant characters who are unique individuals. I highly recommend keeping a “choice word” list of synonyms at your disposal. I also recommend keeping a list of words that you uniquely use for each of your characters. They don’t need to be long lists, because you need words at your general disposal, but certain incredibly emotionally descriptive words like “weep” can be useful in establishing characters' tones.
Stay true to your character voices. While your characters should grow and evolve throughout your story, they’re still them. Voice remains as the storyline develops.
How do you know when the voice is off?
I call moments where the voice isn’t consistent “hiccups.” As I’m doing what I always think is a final read of an edit (there’s always another read, but hope is eternal), these little moments will jump out at me. I’ll read the sentence again, and if it proves to be grammatically correct, then almost always the problem is character voice or character inconsistency. There is usually a word that’s out of place. It doesn’t belong to that person.
One of my favorite sayings in “real life” is, “I’ve been called a lot of things, but _____________ isn’t one of them.” The word you can put in that blank spot is precisely the problem in character hiccups. Replace the word and you gain continuity.
Stay tuned for the next step of the journey: Story Arc.
Melissa Velasco, Accomplished Indie Writer
With a quick wit, often edgy mouth, and loud laugh, Melissa exuberantly embraces life. Melissa Velasco is a true explorer of the arts. With a well-rounded background as a choreographer, professor, dance teacher, stage manager, and author, she thrives in creation. At her core, she believes that the arts save lives and provide a route for passion and connection. With five books currently published from her Hollywood High Chronicles metaphysical thriller books series, Melissa Velasco is an accomplished Indie writer.
Image Photography Credit: Broken Chain Photography, Tino Duvick
Photo Model: Lillian Cordero
