Your Character's Voice: Is it deep? Scratchy? Maybe a little sultry?

I was sitting at my computer last night, messing around on the ol' facebook, when a man's voice blared from the bedroom.

"Who is that?" I yelled to Lovemuffin. "I love his voice!"


robert-downey-jr-2.jpg Robert Downey Jr image by bluehipposmom

It was Robert Downey Jr., one of my favorite actors. No wonder I loved the voice! (I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about a man's deep voice that makes me swoon. I've been that way since high school, about *mumble* *cough* *cough* years ago.)

Hearing Robert Downey Jr. on the television in the other room made me wonder. What exactly was my main character's voice? I'd never thought much about it. It's one of those things I take for granted, I suppose - I write as her mainly, so I automatically hear her voice as my own. (For those of you yet to hear me, I have no clue what to tell you 'bout that one. Anyone wanna help me out with that?)

The men are a totally different story, however. I hear their voices all of the time. My protagonist's husband sounds like a mix between Bruce Willis

brucewillis.jpg image by munchi5gal
and

lg3.jpg picture by munchi5gal

Gerard Butler. (His American accent, not his actual one. Though I do love me some European accents... but all of my characters are from the US, so that won't work this time around, at least!)


Another male character who takes up a decent amount of pages on his own in I'll Love You Until sounds pretty close to Ryan Gosling.

normal_interview01-1.jpg picture by munchi5gal


I'll save a few of my female characters for another post sometime in the near future - one of them being the town gossip! (I bet everyone has a specific voice come to mind for that one!)

So who do your protagonists or antagonists sound like? Are they voices of famous people? Relatives? Your neighbors when you were a kid? How do you hear them as you write dialogue or what's going through their heads?

8 comments:

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm a visual person, so I usually select an actor or actress who most fits the appearance of my character and use it as reference. In doing so, I think I probably hear that person's voice as I write as well.

And I love Hugh Jackman's voice! Something about that accent...

Jen said...

I do contemplate my character's voices! Funny, but I never really thought about it, that other's wouldn't I mean. Honestly, I have a character who sounds like Ewan McGregor (his real accent, not American one).

Fun post!

Happy Weekend,
Jen

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

I wasn't sure if, when other writers heard/imagined the voices, they heard specific ones (as in recalling a voice they already knew) or what. And regarding how the characters look, I usually see one face yet a different voice;)

MC Howe said...

Some, but not all, of my characters have such distinct voices they dictate what they say.

One of my characters is a parrot who sounds just like Higgins from Magnum P.I.

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

A parrot! Does he sit on your shoulder as he tells you what to type?

SwEEt PeA said...

I, myself, attempt to recall interesting voices of people I have encountered throughout my life -- which has turned some of those close to me into scamp/scoundrel characters. (Oops!)

In regards to appearance, I try to imagine a new character, but it is often difficult not use someone famous...at least as a reference, of course.

I, like you, see one face and a different voice. (which is a good thing...otherwise, how could I face people in my daily life)

Kerrie said...

Robert Downey Jr. makes me stop dead in my tracks too. The only fiction I write is short fiction and I never thought before about whose voice I actually hear in my head. I am not sure...very interesting.

Susie Talbot said...

I consider myself a writer, but I don't think I hear voices in my head??? Uh oh!!! :o)