Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [voice]

This tag should be used for questions about the literary voice in your writing, e.g. questions about active/passive voice, evoking a certain style, or representing sounds used for communication.

This tag should be used for questions about the usage of a literary voice in your writing. These can be questions about active vs. passive voice, about words that can be used to evoke a certain narrative style, about the process of choosing a voice, or about the representation of sounds created to communicate between two members of a species, for example.

You can use this tag in combination with other tags to narrow down your question and specify the details in the question. For example, use it together with if you are interested in general guidelines about common words and phrases appropriate for this field, or use it in combination with for questions about representing something that is related to the literary voice of your characters or narrator.

76 questions
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Using fake swear words without them seeming out of place to the reader

This is not a question about slang, but about swearing and word creation. I have a character who uses swear words, and this is part of his voice. I do not use real swear words. I want the sense of those words in the story. But not the words. Other…
SFWriter
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Writing in a Christian voice

I'm Jewish. My middle-grade fantasy novel is very Jewish. Most of my characters are either Jews or converts/future converts or people with at least one Jewish grandparent. But some are not. My main character, Ruth age 12, is 100% of Jewish…
Cyn
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10 answers

Is it possible to narrate a novel in a faux-historical style without alienating the reader?

One thing that often annoys me in historical fiction or fantasy books is the dissonance between the writing style and the events and historical period described in the book. The writing is usually very modern, it's fast-paced and uses modern idioms…
PoorYorick
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5 answers

How do male and female writing styles differ?

Many of my stories have two protagonists, one male, one female, and are told alternately from both viewpoints. I don't find it difficult to show the differing personalities through the different ways the characters think and behave, but what I…
user29032
14
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3 answers

Instruction manuals: should the end-user be addressed directly (passive vs imperative)?

Manuals come with virtually any appliance, and they typically target the end-user. Among other things (legal specifications, part numbers…), these documents contain specific instructions on what to do and what not to do with the appliance. Should…
Philipp
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How do I stop my writing sounding like a bad imitation of whatever author I've just been reading?

I like to read across a variety of authors, genres, and publication dates. Whenever I sit down to write something of my own immediately after marathoning a book or series, I tend to unconsciously use words, grammar, or style reminiscent of whomever…
Kitkat
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4 answers

When should I avoid the passive voice? When might I use it?

An opinion exists that overusing of the passive voice can make writing harder for reading and understanding. Is it true for all kinds of writing? How to follow this advice without overemphasizing it? Is there ever a good time to use passive voice?
rem
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8 answers

How do I differentiate between the "voices" of my characters in a multi-character POV?

I'm currently writing a novel with 3-4 character POVs in it - two male, two female. Each have different upbringings, different cultural backgrounds, different professions, different motivators and driving factors - in short, how the characters…
Bumble Bee
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Is italicizing parts of dialogue for emphasis ever appropriate?

Is it ever appropriate to use italics to emphasize parts of dialogue to show which words the speakers is putting emphasis on? I used to do this quite frequently, but I was told that this was a sign of bad writing. More specifically that it's a red…
user2352714
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What points should a "Character Interview" method for character building hit?

What should a character interview contain to be successful where the goals are: characters with strong voice who are established with a distinct 'personhood' (?) and are generally interesting to follow? Why I'm asking A common weakness in my writing…
Kirk
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Alternatives to Second-Person POV Narration

I am someone with no formal writing background, who has come to love writing for the fantasy adventure role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (fifth edition) during my free time. I am currently running the adventure that accompanies the Starter Set…
user39970
9
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3 answers

When *should* I use passive voice?

Is there ever a good time to use passive voice in nonfiction?
Lynn Beighley
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Is the strategy described here an effective one, to distinguish character voice?

I have roughly 30 speaking characters; about ten speak often enough that their voices should be well defined. I have compiled, from web sources, various considerations when building distinct character voice. Originally, they all sounded similar to…
SFWriter
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How can one not let their voice show through in all the characters?

I was critiquing a friend's novel and I noticed that all the characters seem to have the voice of my friend. Speech fillers, vocabulary, sentence structure all seems the same throughout. How can he avoid this?
AJL
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How do I achieve a lyrical voice despite the lack of available synonyms in English?

To write lyrical prose, one must use wording that conforms to a lyrical voice. When the wording is altered, the cadence is altered as well. Some cadences fit one voice, while other cadences fit other voices. To certain cadences, wording must conform…
Mocha
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