Voice is determined by either the person telling the story (the narrator) or the person writing the story (the author), and can be further defined by the voices of characters in a story. [ ] The voice is an essential part of the way a story or piece of writing is delivered. Works of literature need voices to help them stand out in style and deliver stories and content in the most effective way possible.
Literary terms, "Voice", 2023 [REF]
In academia, three different voices operate:
Narrator's voice
Imagine that you are writing a novel and let the hero of your story tell what happens. If you have described your hero as a tough guy with a small vocabulary or a "man of few monosyllabic words", this must necessarily be reflected in how he tells the story. He can't use your voice. You probably have both a larger vocabulary and the ability to put together long sentences.
Voice of the characters
Your novel probably has a character gallery of a certain size, which probably consists of people with different histories and backgrounds. When you reproduce direct speech from one of these people in your novel, it is natural that your hard-boiled hero and the housewife from Bergen speak differently. Here it is not just about dialect but just as easily slang expressions, abbreviations and the use of adjectives and nouns to describe actions or objects.
Author's voice
The author's voice, that's your voice. Your voice is shaped by your upbringing, education, culture, personality and several other elements. Together, they form the basis for how you put sentences together, what vocabulary you have at your disposal, and how you use grammar.
In literature, the voice expresses the narrator or author’s emotions, attitude, tone and point of view through artful, well thought out use of word choice and diction. A voice may be formal or informal; serious or lighthearted; positive or negative; persuasive or argumentative; comical or depressed; witty or straightforward; objective or subjective—truly, voice can reflect any and all feelings and perspectives. A work’s voice directly contributes to its tone and mood; helping the writer create the desired effect he wants his words to have on readers.
Literary terms, "Voice", 2023 [REF]
I believe writers are most comfortable writing in their own language. We depend on all the influences we have been exposed to since childhood. I don't just think about what has gone on within the four walls of the home but just as much about the talented and inspiring teachers who fostered an interest in grammar, writing and reading.
Everything that has influenced us applies when we write and forms the background for the choices we make with the texts:
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Feel free to compare it to a painter. Our voices decide which colours to use when painting images with our texts. |
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