by Elton Gahr

Created on: May 13, 2009

Joss Whedon once pitched his science fiction series Firefly as "nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things" and this is perhaps the most perfect description of an interesting and unique character voice that is available. The voice of the character is not based so much on how they speak to the reader but how they see the world. What is the filter that everything in their universe must pass thru.

There is no doubt that Joss Whedon is able to create characters with distinct voices but how do you as a writer develop your own characters that can carry the weight of their own stories? What is it that defines a character and their voice?

The three most important factors in understanding a character, his voice and his place in a story are his strengths, his weaknesses and his goals. Each of these will develop the characters voice in a new way and when melded together well that voice will become distinct to that character.

Strength can be the most difficult of these to choose correctly. Too much strength and the character becomes flat and boring. No one is interested in a character that doesn't struggle through the story, but at the same time the reader must at some base level desire to be that character. For this to be true there must be some strength in the character. An internal willingness to do the right thing even when it isn't what you want to do.

Often easier, but also more often overlooked are the weaknesses of your character. In order for a character to have a truly distinct and believable voice there must be at least one glaring weakness. This weakness is something that the story will put to the test but will also define the voice of your character more than nearly anything. Consider the difference between a man who's weakness is being an alcoholic and a second man who's weakness is fear of failure.

The third thing that defines a characters voice is their trajectory. Often the most basic and immediate goal of a character is defined by the story itself but in most cases the goals should be more than simply that. Also important in this is internal conflict. Create two goals for your character, and then build a story in which each can be achieved but only by the loss of the other and you will have a character that has a distinct and interesting voice.

Creating a unique character voice is a skill that takes time and effort. Yet, if you can learn to create characters with internal conflict, external struggles, strength, weaknesses and an interesting perspective on the world then it becomes a far easier task and one that will help to create the stories you want to tell as well as the characters that are in those stories.

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