Author Advice: Getting the Voice Right

I loathed the thought of appearing to her like a silly love-sick teenager. 'But you are a love-sick teenager!' Ana's ever-present and helpful voice pointed out.- Blood Omen Book I: The Vampire Wars

The main characters of my books are usually aged between 17 and 26 years old, with an occasional "older person." I write from both female and male perspective.

But I'm a 34 (nearly 35, arghh!) year old woman, mother of three, married. My clubbing days are few and far between (how I miss them!), as are my days of passion and flirting (ditto!).

So how do you write another person's life? Imagination is key, as is experience. Research comes next, as does keeping your finger on the pulse of what is "hot."

That said, while smartphones, Facebook, Instagram & Twitter are the current hot things, I decided to avoid them in Blood Omen for the most part because I don't believe they will be around forever (whereas I hope my story is!). And, in a way, I want to show my teen fans (many of whom say my world is "so believable") that there is, was and will be life beyond that tiny screen. I hate going to restaurants and bars and seeing groups of friends sitting together but...not...together- thumbs and noses stuck in separate worlds. I haven't read a book where the characters act like today's teens- but I guess it would be a pretty dull story if it existed.

Sorry. Back to the theme. I've read some books, also written by authors in their mid-30s to 40s, who get the voices of their teenage characters totally wrong. A book I enjoyed recently, but which let me down in the 'voice' category, was Vampire Girl by Karpov Kinrade (a husband-wife team). The American main character, a girl, had just turned 18. She worked in a bar. She (as we are repeatedly reminded) has a lot of 'sass,' and yet once she moves into the medieval society of "Hell," her speech becomes at times like that of a medieval princess.

Some examples:

"You are...mortally wounded by my sun."
(In reality, an 18-yr-old would more likely say: "My sun can kill you.")
"I am not ruled by desire or lust."
(In reality, she'd more likely say "No way I'd ever fancy him!")
"I don't believe you. This is madness."
(In reality, she'd more likely say "This is crazy." / "WTF!")

In most cases the first versions sound more dramatic. But they are not true to the character.

This isn't a post to dis Vampire Girl. I just want to point out that when you're not the same age, race, sex or are of a different cultural background than the character you're writing about, you should pay attention to making that character BELIEVABLE through how he/she talks and behaves.

Some people read my first book and criticise the main character, Dea, for being too selfish. But, to be honest, I was like that at her age and I remember it well. Some call it "only-child syndrome"... (haha!). Dea's self-serving attitude came naturally when I started writing her; it wasn't calculated. And I can see that by Book 5 (which I am drawing to a close now) her character has developed- her experiences, as with all of us, changed her and matured her. She is no longer selfish. She's still 18, she still cries and screams, but she becomes stronger as the world around her changes. Naturally. And she talks like a typical teen.

I also admit that sometimes I write Dea's words and then, on editing, realise that a teenage English speaker would be unlikely to say it. I guess the vampire realm and need for dramaticism sometimes makes me forget her age.

My advice to you: don't forget. Choose your character and get their voice right!