The character voice

[BarryD]

It always intruiges me when I read a comment concerning dialogue and how it sounds on the page to another reader.

I'll give you an example:

An Aboriginal Lawyer
30s
Raised by white parents
Raised in Melbourne, Victoria -- A city boy
Religion C of E (Anglican)
Taught to surf by his dad
A good lawyer, but isn't passionate about it. It helps him fit.
Married to a white woman in the 70s (Not in HER 70s)

What elements of his character would colour his voice?

Would he be aware of his skin colour and aware of the reactions of those around him? Would this make him bitter and reclusive or stronger and more forthright?

In normal conversation would he sound like a lawyer and, if so, isn't that just creating a stereotype?

How do you find your characters voices?

[billythrilly7th]

Those are the decisions you need to think through carefully and make.

And it's all up to you.

That's the fun of being a writer. You are creating the character and the voice and those decisions can and will affect the entire screenplay.

So, when answering those questions for yourself, choose wisely.

[StephieM]

I think you are reading too much into it. Sure a character's background has a lot to do with who he/she is now, but that is only part of it. You can't force a voice into the character, the voice has to come naturally. It has to speak to YOU not from you.

IMO, dialogue is the hardest thing to master. At times it can get very frustrating when you think what your character is saying and how he's saying it is just right only to find out it's anything but.

An Aboriginal Lawyer
30s
Raised by white parents
Raised in Melbourne, Victoria -- A city boy
Religion C of E (Anglican)
Taught to surf by his dad
A good lawyer, but isn't passionate about it. It helps him fit.
Married to a white woman in the 70s (Not in HER 70s)

If he was raised by white parents he will speak like a white person act like a white person. As a lawyer it could go either way. He could be an average lawyer who speaks the lawyer jargon with big words and such that no one else could possibly understand.....or since he isn't passionate about it, he could come off as a slacker, a smart guy, but someone who doesn't put all his efforts into his goals, goofs off a lot. Maybe instead of a lawyer he wants to own his own Surf Shop, he doesn't have to talk Surfer Guy, but maybe just talks surf. Or maybe he does talk Surfer Guy, and as a lawyer this makes him stand out from the rest.

No one knows better than you how and why he should talk the way he does.

When I am writing dialogue for a specific character (Please no one cypber-shoot me) I think of an actor or actress's voice that would best fit my character's personality. It helps with speeck patterns, tone, dialect, ect. It's not recommended, but it could prove to be a good exersize when testing the waters of your character's voice.

Here's a list of questions Scripter posted awhile back on dialogue. (THANKS SCRIPTER!) Some may not pertain to your question directly but they may be useful in the future.

Is there a tug of war going on between the speakers?
Even if the banter is friendly is there some kind of goal being saught that creates a natural conflict?
What is being said between the lines?
If I shortened this up what happens?
Can I tell which character is speaking without reading the character name?
Does each character have it's own voice, rythem, word choices, speech patterns, expression, etc?
Does this scene need dialog?
Read the dialog out loud. Act out the character. Other then feeling a little silly, does anything feel forced? Unnatural? Do you know anybody that might actually say that?
Have you made up your own jargon?
Did you drop us into the middle of the conversation and do you yank us back out at the highest point? Get in late, get out early.

Hope it helps!
Steph

[billythrilly7th]

If he was raised by white parents he will speak like a white person act like a white person. [/I]


Yeah, but maybe he rebelled against his white parents and made it a point to NOT talk and act like them.

That's the beauty of character creation. You can do whatever you want. Just make sure there is a point to why you're making a decision on which way you want to go.

Don't just say "Yeah, that's cool, he DID rebel against his parents."

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

Just get it all hashed out in way that serves the theme and plot of the screenplay.

[BarryD]

Who is to tell you if it's the right choice?

Have you read someone elses work and come away thinking "Man, that dialogue just sounds plain wrong" ???

I'm coming at this from an actors perspective having worked in the industry since 1988. My ear for white-page-fodder is fairly well honed and it's taught me to write for the actor.

I already know where I stand on this subject and I have a pretty good handle on character dialogue. I just wanted to toss the cat amongst the pidgeons and get your thoughts on this palava?

[dpaterso]

Barry, I have to agree with the above posters, it's your character, it's up to you to find the character's voice and deliver it. Who else but you can even guess the situations that would influence the character's dialogue? He's in a redneck bar that won't serve coloreds; he's trying to rent a hotel room but the Indian clerk says mixed races can't share a room; he's trying to buy railway tickets but the white ticket clerk says coloreds must travel third class, whites travel first and second class; a hungry Aborigine boy asks him for a dollar. Different scenarios like that are going to influence how he speaks to whom; the audience must trust you to supply authenticity. Unfortunately my only experience of Aborigines is the Crocodile Dundee movies and Quigley Down Under so that rules me out, pardon my ignorance, and sorry if that's not the answer you were looking for.

-Derek
My Web Page - naked women, bestial sex, and whopping big lies. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57)
Stop reading this and get some writing done instead.

[BarryD]

Hey Derek,

I'm just interested in how others in here view this part of the process.

[xhouseboy]

I'm coming at this from an actors perspective having worked in the industry since 1988. My ear for white-page-fodder is fairly well honed and it's taught me to write for the actor.

I already know where I stand on this subject and I have a pretty good handle on character dialogue. I just wanted to toss the cat amongst the pidgeons and get your thoughts on this palava?

Barry, you're correct in that respect. I've worked with actors, and the first thing to go when they get a hold of the script is dialogue.

Derek's also right, in that the writer should first find a voice for each of his characters. But when the actor brings him/herself to the project, gets a feel for the character, decides how they're going to play it, then dialogue is often trimmed, disposed of, etc. The good actor gets under the skin of the character you've created , even if only for a short period of time. And I've heard it said by actors, 'Sam (your character) wouldn't say that, he would respond differently, etc.'

It's the old adage of the real writing is in the rewriting. The dialogue will be trimmed and honed at the read-through, and also on the set where director and lead actors really start nailing your characters.

[dpaterso]

Hmm, fair enough, but the same thoughts and questions came to me when I read the "Actor needs help..." thread on the critique board. I think whatever scenario your character finds himself in is going to influence his voice, which is going to change to suit the circumstances, e.g. who he's speaking to, whether they blank him, or openly insult him, or challenge him, or cooperate with him, or show him respect, or whatever. That's where I'd look for the character voice -- in his emotional response to the situation and the people he's talking to. And if it's a true response then the actors are going to agree with you.

-Derek
My Web Page - naked women, bestial sex, and whopping big lies. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57)
Stop reading this and get some writing done instead.

[xhouseboy]

And if it's a true response then the actors are going to agree with you.

-Derek
My Web Page - naked women, bestial sex, and whopping big lies. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57)
Stop reading this and get some writing done instead.

Again, very true.

But that's not to say they're going to respond exactly as it's written - not unless they're working for the Cohen brothers.

Both responses may be true to the character and the situation, but the actor will interpret it his way, more so if he's experienced and has clout. This won't happen throughout the script (if it does, you're in trouble, and you'd better rethink on how to write your dialogue), but on the few occasions when it does, it normally has a positive rather than negative effect.

I've very rarely seen a script that survives dialogue changes after a read-through. It's also a great learning curve for the writer. And an eye-opener.

[BottomlessCup]

In a general context, people talk like their friends. I read about a study where they looked at kids raised in the US by non-english-speaking parents. Even in the home, the kids spoke with an accent identical to their schoolmates. We pick up the speech patterns, vernacular, and rhythms of our friends - or those we wish were our friends.

I try to use that as a base on which to build dialogue. What group are they trying to fit in with? Nevermind who they are; who are they trying to be?

Also, don't forget that most people - especially 'educated' people - are fluent in multiple dialects. I can speak very differently depending on whether I'm debating a plot point with my writing partner or shooting the breeze with the guys at the moving company where I work.