HOW TO ROCK YOUR CHARACTER VOICE

[@suijin25]

When I finish a character profile I look at actors whose voices and mannerisms would best highlight that profile.

[@Dani_1012]

That's a good idea, though it may be challenging

[@suijin25]

@@Dani_1012 I kinda use the Tarantino methods of just watching a lot. Also, it works to mix and match. Right now I'm writing a novel with a character that's an amalgam of 3 different actresses. One for voice/cadence, another for appearance, and one for mannerisms.

[@AnkouBlake]

I "cast" my characters as I write them, which helps me with personality as well. Glad I'm not the only one who does this lol.

[@chrisbushman718]

Im doing that too with my current novel. It makes the characters feel more real in my mind

[@thespittake6636]

I like that

[@blueseaturtle6031]

1. Learn your character’s personality type 2. Make your characters polar opposites 3. Assign certain phrases to each character 4. Learn their form of manipulation 5. Use metaphors that reflect their world view 6. What your character does all day affects their world view 7. Create your characters desire fear and misbelief 8. (Bonus) give your characters a spine, Aka: an unconscious inner desire the character has that affects their outer goals

[@Chirpy-eo8jq]

Thank you!!!

[@Cotfi2]

Arigato! 😑👍

[@heatherkline6766]

A version of point 6 that I really appreciate comes from the mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle where Sherlock Holmes will occasionally use swordplay terminology. "We have found an opponent worthy of our steel" for instance.

[@_-drowsy-_]

2 is kinda ridiculous. No, they shouldn’t be too similar and it’s usually more fun to read about people that are very different from each other, but some simply work better with others like them.

[@holleyk8]

I’m a lifeguard and I’m tempted to say WALK to random running children 😂😂

[@prico3358]

I am afraid to die old without ever learning to swim. If a cruise ship sink.. can I jump overwater and make it.. or is it an automatic drown?

[@prico3358]

@AARON MEDDERS what I mean is, if you never swim before in your life, you never been more than 5 seconds in water deeper than 6 feet without a life jacket ..... Can you expect to jump to deep water to safe your life and instinct kick in? Or do you simply drown and have no chance? .. Is learning to swim obligatory in a life and death situation, or does instic help you live? .. Can someone who never swam before expect lo get a hang of it on the first try if it's a matter of life and death?

[@prico3358]

@AARON MEDDERS I'm asking to the lifeguard. He should now a lot about swimming.

[@localbandshow]

@@prico3358 I've coached swimming for over two decades. Swimming is not instinctual; humans are land-based creatures, and the act of swimming is counter-intuitive. Putting your head mostly under water helps your body float, the same way a crocodile has most of its head submerged while it swims, but all of our human sensory organs are in our head -- and putting it under water *feels* wrong. Unfortunately, we humans do not have eyes on the back of our head like the ancient crocodiles do. GOOD NEWS is that life jackets are fantastic, and there are thousands on any cruise ship. A coast-guard certified life jacket has all or most of its floatation on the front, which will lay the user back in the water into a back-float position (sometimes ears underwater but face is always out), which will make it so they do not need to swim -- they just try to relax their muscles, think warm thoughts, and stay away from anyone who is panicking until help arrives. It's not a fun experience if you are not a swimmers, but it is easy to survive with the right equipment.

[@prico3358]

@@localbandshow thank you very very very much. This answered perfectly my doubt

[@Janawrites]

"People are people, regardless of gender." - Abbie Emmons Thank you, yes!!

[@Tornacuum]

True, people are people. But still, in general, men and women see, think, feel and react differently to different stimuli. Because of hormones mostly. Environmental factors play a role obviously, like if a man grew up in a hypermasculine conditioning, for sure he's going to be even more, well, "stereotypically masculine". At least, he's going to ACT as if he was hypermasculine, probably because of some sort of inferiority/superiority complex, and he'll understand the world through this conditioning also. But mostly, hormones and biology are the reason why we ARE indeed different. We don't have different sexual chromosomes and biology for no reason. That's just the way it is. I think not taking that into consideration when writing can't really do any good :-).

[@luckywithpaint7773]

Yet there are male writers, that write blank bomshell females with no personality.

[@xtonibx5770]

Idk what the point of this comment was but men and women should be written differently because men and women are definitely different. They are people, but writers of any gender should do their research on how to properly write men *and* women. Even a lot of women struggle to write women, and lord knows a lot of men struggle to write women. Edit: The quote is from the girl in the video 😭🙃 I feel kinda dumb even though I stand by what I said lol

[@Tornacuum]

@@xtonibx5770 Absolutely.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

@@luckywithpaint7773 Because they lack knowledge on the subject (imagine a sci-fi writer lacking sci-fi knowledge) and think that's passable. Also, they make those female characters these unrealistic fantasy girl, their "manic pixie dream girl". Which is a usual telltale sign of a writer whose head is up their own ass most times.

[@leigh-anjohnson]

Fanfiction really did help me to learn character voice. I already know the personality of the characters from watching the show so I wrote to match that in the tone, dialogue, internal narrative and feedback i got said it sounded just like how they imagine the character. It helped me learn how to write distinct voices.

[@Icantread766]

omg same I'm making a naruto fanfic so I say y'know and believe it alot for naruto lmao

[@Queennumen]

Same. Fanfiction helped me a lot

[@82dorrin]

People talk down about fanfiction a lot, but it can be a VERY good way to learn how to write great stories.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I am raising my hand. I started writing random scenes based on characters I am thoroughly familiar with and I have found duplicating their voices has been instructive and good practice. I had no knowledge of craft and am now trying to get the basics so that I can craft a fanfic story as a first attempt to write a full story. I’m saving my original ideas for when I get further along in understanding and execution. Thanks for your comment. It’s encouraging and validating.

[@oliverford5367]

@@82dorrin It's silly snobbery. People have always written works based on existing stories. Most of Shakespeare's plays are not original plots. Greek playwrights often chose the Trojan War, and Homer, as their setting.

[@amazonbookworm1154]

Another really good tip for writing dialogue, especially if it's between multiple characters, is to read it out loud. What you see is definitely not what you hear. What might read well can sound stilted or awkward once heard. I know when I first started writing, all of my characters sounded the same. Then I started reading it out loud and realized what to fix. The other thing is, observe. If you're writing a YA or children's book, go to a local mall and people watch. Watch how people in the age group you're considering writing about act. Obviously, don't be a creeper, but it is amazing what you pick up just sitting in the middle of a mall and watching people walk by.

[@TheThreeBookshelves]

I’ve never thought to assign MBTI types (which I’m literally going to do tonight because WOW) but I always think of what Hogwarts house my characters would be in! I also like to give each one a verbal quirk, based on who or what they are. In my WIP, one character drops the beginnings of his sentences a lot (e.g. instead of “Do you think it’ll rain?” he’d say “Think it’ll rain?”), one doesn’t use contractions (he’s an android, so it isn’t in his programming), and one refers to himself in third person (a former slave whose race doesn’t see themselves as having individual identities).

[@cheesecakelasagna]

You can do it with any personality types, really. East Asians are big on blood type personalities, some use zodiac sign, etc. You can even build your own chracter profiling system. For me, I curate playlists and movie recs as if my characters made them. They're essentially guidelines to remind you to keep track of your character instinctual personalities.

[@amandaleib489]

Omg yes I've always done like zodiac signs and hogwarts houses but never mbti

[@sobeautifullywritten4318]

This is a great way to look at it too! :D

[@violetevergarden5160]

My favorites are Enneagram and MBTI. I dont know all my characters types, but i often type them as i get to know them. Also for mbti, follow functions. (If u wanna get dragged into the rabbit whole that is)

[@Kurrokami]

@@cheesecakelasagna Good tips! Most of my characters have favorite bands and/or theme songs that I like to play when writing important moments for them.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Fun fact about Comic Sans font - I've heard it's actually one of the easier fonts for people with dyslexia to read. :)

[@britnihill9457]

I’m not a writer but I’m a reader and have toyed with the idea of writing but confession! Since finding your channel you have completely changed the way I read books. My reviews have gotten WAY stronger. So SHOUTOUT to You!!

[@user-gq5vs2eg9j]

1. MBTI types 2. make characters polar opposites 3. assign certain phrases to each character 4. Learn their form of manipulation 5. use metaphors characters would actually use 6. what your character does all day affects how they see the world 7. each character pov has its own font

[@heyjasminedanielle]

Even though I’m not a writer, I still want to support my girl! Abbie, you’re killin’ it with giving your subbies valuable content🌟 keep up the good work girlie!

[@AxleBoost]

How wholesome.

[@user-te7ws5sz1f]

This is amazing

[@th3logician]

POV: How to make dialog Womanish compared to Manish

[@LenaLovesgoodStories]

Three additional aspects that I try to implement to strengthen my voice with multiple protagonists: 1. Vary the degree of sensual perception in your characters. Example: I have a protagonist who is a werewolf and she describes sound and smell much more than my other protagonists because she has a heightened perception. But also with normal people, eg an overly intellectual person might describe these less than a more creative, sensual person. 2. Vary the degree of self-reflection. I try to distinguish between characters which are in tune with their feelings, name and reflect on them explicitly - and others with little internal dialogue who show their feelings through actions. 3. Make two characters describe the same place/person in very different ways. Eg one character knows the place inside out, whereas the other is a foreigner. How would their descriptions differ? Or let one protagonist call the same side character by their given name while the other addresses them with Mr... . How do the adjectives they use to describe the same side character differ depending on how much they like them. For example, my one protagonist characterises someone else as "self-confident", whereas the other calls them "bossy".

[@readeroftheelderscrolls]

Kudos for a werewolf protagonist ❤️

[@kevinreily2529]

That's great advice. Every main character should have a "signature line". Exactly what I have found very helpful in working on the characters in my first novel. Plus, it helps you get deeper into that character.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I like the idea of a signature word or phrase but I would want to be careful using it to much. I would marry the phrase to a particular type of circumstance and then use it accordingly and sparingly within the same story. If you’re writing a series, then of course that gives the opportunity to pepper it throughout. A context I enjoy reading is when the mc’s signature phrase is intentionally mirrored back on him by another main character (like the second protagonist in a romance or even the villain). That could give it even more meaning and help to cement it to the mc without the mc being the one to say it again. In other words, I think it’s best to make it signature in a way that doesn’t involve him or her saying it every chapter. And I don’t know that I would have more than one character in a story have a signature…it might start to feel contrived. I’m not an authority by any means but I’m just relying on my own experience as a reader and for movies and tv concerning catch phrases and signatures. Fine line between the character overusing it and using it just the right amount. Bonus points if use of the phrase somehow reveals identity or relationship of the character to another. Example: in Age of Ultron, the scene where Ultron used a Tony Stark signature line and was thereby “identified” or better yet “accused” of being “one of Stark’s” by another character. Ultron didn’t like that by the way and chopped most of the guys arm off in rage. Doesn’t have to be that extreme but you get my point 😂. Would love one of your titles and the platform if you care to share… Cheers!

[@StephanieOplinger]

The personality test is such a genius idea! I never thought to use that, and now I will have to all the time 😁

[@KyrieW]

Do the test pretending you`re that character. I've gotten myself to answer as INTJ even though I am totally not that... lol. Even the questions they ask (and you are forced to answer) create more depth in your head about your character

[@SlipsunLightOfHeaven]

@@KyrieW YES! I did that like, first thing with my former MC (the new MC is his brother) and got ISTJ. Fits him very well, even though I myself am an ISFP.

[@syberyah]

How to write a little kid voice: have younger siblings

[@miagrace6677]

Syberyah yeah I’m really lucky that my brother is younger😂

[@privatecitizen9341]

Little kids react emotionally and in terms of sensory experience. They notice how things taste, smell, feel. They want the warm blanket, the soft stuffed animal, their favorite sandwich, etc. If they get their way, the judgment is fair. If they don't get their way, you are automatically unfair. Everything is fun or boring. No middle ground. New experiences are exciting or frightening for the most part. Hope this helps.

[@nuny4592]

Maybe my sisters will come into good use after all...

[@malloryo.4782]

Or cousins. They're very helpful too in my experience. 😊

[@hedgehogz_rockz9325]

Pro life tip: BE a younger sibling. Older siblings think we are dumb shallow inconveniences to there VERY important lives. (This is exaggerated btw)

[@StarbucksOwl]

One of the things I enjoy doing when looking for a character voice is that I will try to match them to an existing voice, be it a celebrity or a singer, an artist, anyone. I tend to lean towards singers because music makes me emotional and I consider it a very expressive form of art. So if I have a cocky character, I would look for cocky musicians until I find a voice that fits. Mind you, my character profile has already been made, but this addition really brings them to life in my eyes.

[@luckygardeniasdashboardcon9214]

Love this idea

[@KyrieW]

Don`t forget about Enneagram personality test! I have started to do both MBTI and Enneagrams for each character and the two tests are so helpful together in truly dividing your characters by personlity. The best part of Enneagram is that it (is supposed to) predict how a character acts when STRESSED. Enneagram 7 becomes manic and reckless while Enneagram 1 becomes withdrawn, for example. Gives me all these story ideas... lol

[@dion789]

I also write fanfiction. It's surprising how even though I've read the Harry Potter books a million times and you'd think I would know Harry through and through by now, it's still difficult to write in his voice. I recognise it instantly when I see it in other people's fanfics, but doing it yourself is a lot harder.

[@pinkypromisevintage]

You're probably my favorite authortuber. I can feel the passion in your voice when you talk about writing stories. And you put everything very simply so it's easy to understand. Thank you for making these videos! I was wondering if you can make a video on tips for writing a novel with more than one protagonist? :) that would be awesome!!!

[@taylorduarte6725]

I definitely use specific words for certain characters. I.e: one character says "Alright" the other says "Okay, fine." Etc. When I write different POV I put myself in their head. And try think if it makes sense. One of my WIP is two female twins who are nothing alike. One is super girly and the other is a badass/athletic. So the actions are clear that twin 1 wouldnt be shooting guns. I think if you sit back and just logically think "does this make sense to the character I'm writing?" It'll be easy to figure out.

[@malloryo.4782]

I do the same. 😊 Although sometimes characters can have surprising contradictions, just like real people do, just not too many of them. For instance, I could imagine the girly twin might have a hidden interest in guns (if she's especially girly she might even have a pink gun and matching gun bag) and be an excellent markswoman, while her athletic sister might have more of a taste for hand to hand combat or knives, but be terrible with guns and dislike them even. It's a fun angle to consider. 🤔

[@pennyrobinson6481]

This is the clearest video I’ve found on character voice so far. Thank you!

[@amberandrews6692]

I can agree with the fanfiction thing! I write Avengers/Irondad & Spiderson fanfiction and a lot of us fic writers are practically capabable of sounding like we've written the script. Tony's pretty difficult to write but easy once you get it! Like, all of the nicknames he uses and the way he waves off people's concern for him and the way he always drinks coffee and sits in the lab without sleeping or eating for days straight. Peter's more of a bubbly blabber. He always goes on tangents about things and can speak so fast that he rivals Tony when he's talking science. I feel like they're both the same in that aspect, though I guess that's the fic writer's/fandom's personal belief or take on their personalities.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Tony’s penchant for giving everyone nicknames is hilariously acted by RDJ. It’s so signature for him. I assume by your description that you’re talking about Tom’s Spiderman. Neither Andrew nor Toby really go off on tangents. I imagine Tony’s voice is fun to write. He’s such a complex character. Peter is much more what you see is what you get with a youthful enthusiasm and spirit. The scene in Endgame with those two is heartbreaking. I totally consider Tony to be Tom’s version of Uncle Ben because we never see Tom’s Peter’s Uncle Ben’s death happen on screen nor do we see him relating to his Uncle Ben. He doesn’t cause Tony’s death but it has ramifications for him in the movie that followed for sure. I’d love a title and platform if you care to share? If not keep at it and congrats. I’m working on my first ever wip. It’s an exciting process. Abbie’s been a huge resource and I love reading the comments on her vids as well.

[@theboogyman569]

I’m tryna be a writer but I’m new and by brain juices give the the ideas in movie ideas so I know what characters do and feel, but can’t describe it or say it correctly, so I’m learning

[@henryhamilton9574]

I find that as I write what the characters are saying, I'm recalling things from work in the trades about how guys would talk among just guys (and even that would change if they were a group out someplace on the town, rather than a group on a worksite)...and how that language changed when around girls in mixed groups. It was so glaringly obvious that you could see when some guys were just putting on airs. Next one also finds out that if you are the only guy in a group of girls...they almost feel like since they almost have a full monopoly on gender, they can talk about girl-only stuff even with one guy there and you start to see how they are guarded when in mixed groups. The dynamics of socializing changes depending on gender-content in the group. ~HH Thanks Abbie

[@casey4290]

One of my characters voices I have nailed like I know what she could say or what her actions will be but my other character I have no clue what his is

[@magsML122]

I was reading My Policeman and instantly knew when the pov was changed. the vocabulary and the sentence structure hit

[@thespittake6636]

Love this video, very helpful. Whenever I'm writing a scene, especially one that's supposed to be emotional and dialogue heavy, I like to act it out. Let myself get lost in the moment. Sometimes I'll focus on an old memory that evokes a similar emotion to what the lead character of a scene is feeling. I'll let myself fester in that feeling for a little bit as I ad lib. I'll go through a whole scene like that. I often find this as exhausting as it is cathartic. Also, as a general rule, reading your scenes out loud can help you figure out if the sentence structure and character responses makes sense. If a character has a more articulated way of speaking, would them getting emotional change the way they speak? As an example, when I get upset, I tend to draw upon my large vocabulary to help distance myself emotionally from the situation so that I can keep a calm head. When I'm sad, I tend to speak more plainly with a lot of pauses because I have a hard time expressing myself when I'm feeling vunerable. When I'm happy, I speak plainly, but very fast, I tend to stumble over my words and stutter in my excitement. Please feel free to use these three as templates for your written works, if you so desire.

[@eddhead101]

Oh my god, I totally agree with number 3 ( I thought I was the only one) I normally give each of my characters one unique word that only they say: Example: I have a character who instead of saying cool, they say nifty, there the only one in the book who says nifty ☺️

[@malloryo.4782]

These really are some of the best videos I've found on writing. Thanks, Abbie! 😊

[@ncm2738]

God i love this channel. another tip is base your character on a person you know well, ex. friends, family or heck even yourself

[@Mouserocksnerd]

The font trick is blowing my mind! I've tried the comic sans trick and tbh it really works! It helps take some pressure off of it and from what I've learned, it's largely because it's a "print" font, like how we learn to write/read (no serifs or fancy a's etc) so it really helps you simplify it visually and keeps your mind focused in the story instead of the task of reading. But wow! Definitely doing the font thing tonight!

[@ismaelvargas-osiris6108]

My first book had four (main) characters and every chapter was written in each one's POV. There was this 8yo happy innocent little girl and her manipulative, obsessive, angst-ish 17yo babysitter; and this smart and reflexive 10yo boy confined to his bedroom and also a cat with ridiculously high levels of self-esteem. Somehow the voices were so unique but I didn't really understand how I made it sound that way, so here I am trying to look behind the curtain in order to perfect the technique. Your videos are such a BIG help for me. Greetings from Mexico!

[@linglingwannabe9135]

i do interviews with the characters with regard to very random things, like even in a historical setting i might put them in the position of someone that does something they like, like modern au, or give them an interview regarding their setting, and see how they fabricate lies if applicable, and if they do lie, i write down their actual thought process

[@GiI11]

Hi Abbie, Thanks again for another great video. I struggle more with understanding my characters than the driving social forces affecting my world, so voice is particularly a tough nut for me to crack. I'd like to point out that the enneagram might be a better reference than MBTI for some writers.

[@nikhilmukherjee8643]

I started watching your videos three days ago and I have gone through 5 playlists. I never felt all of this so easy (and interesting) before. Thanks a lot!

[@Someone-fn3ij]

"Sure you have the chapter headings that tell the reader whose POV they're reading..." I wish all writers did that, but I've read a couple of books that didn't have that! Always a strange experience, especially in the first few changes

[@terriannmuller794]

I recently came across your channel and I love what you’re putting out to KZbin! Thank you.

[@JeeZwriter64]

I just bought your book, I am excited to read it!

[@ZubatTheDubat]

I just discovered your channel and I'm binge-watching every video, they make great listening while I write my uni assignments! Much love from Australia

[@avawhistler6739]

TOTALLY called Book Thief :) And this video came right on time like always! Thanks Abbie!! :)

[@yasutakeuchi]

love your channel so much. Thnak you so much for these videos!

[@AegixDrakan]

Oh yeah, the MBTI character type test was really helpful to me in the past. It can provide a useful foundation for whenever you're unsure about a character's voice, words, or actions.

[@premamuthukumar5352]

4:50 Thats so true, i never thought much about that!! One of my friend says 'Deal with it' a lot and the other says 'Lovely' to basically anything.

[@Darfaultner]

15:43 - Impressive finger-snap

[@ncm2738]

Thanos would be proud

[@mikaylacooney]

I came here already having every character's MBTI type AND different fonts! Apparently I knew more about voice than I gave myself credit for! Thanks for all of the other tips

[@patrickhoscheid7223]

When you say that character voice just "clicks" at some point, I just had that happen a few days ago. It was a huge breakthrough and I couldn't describe it better! Thank you!

[@munafausta327]

You make learning so fun, Abbie. I'm so glad I stumbled on your channel and I'm spreading the word likeeeee❤

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Isn’t she the best? 💯

[@munafausta327]

@@nikkinewbie6014 inarguably the best🤗

[@sharoncastle2177]

Oh my goodness!! I didn't know you read Nancy drew and hardy boys!!!

[@devuajith3479]

I NEED THE JANCY FANFICS. IVE READ ONE BOOK THAT WAS PUBLISHED AND GOSH I LOVED IT.

[@sharicebryant8149]

First off, your bookshelf is very pleasing to me. I love color coordinated anything. 2nd, I just found your channel (new subbie) and I’m so so so thankful I did because my literary agent is on my ass about character voice for my first children’s fiction book of a planned series, going into submission soon lol. thank you for the tips! Keep them coming.

[@qamarmasri9331]

These tip are like BOOM 💥 for me. I am participating in CampNaNoWriMo this month and it's the first time that I try to write from different POV. So the video was so so helpful for me! Thanks Abbie! 💛

[@miagrace6677]

I’m not sure if this is helpful or not but I tend to just write for one character in that sitting rather than switching every chapter. This way I find I stay in that certain character’s head and thoughts and don’t get them confused😁

[@alexishasler4857]

Honestly, I think writers would make the best actors since we’ve become so used to morphing into so many different characters 😅

[@jenniferroberts9406]

Characters' pet words & phrases. Preferred metaphors & similes. OMG, thank you!

[@ethankennan212]

In the alien xenofiction I’ve been working on, there are multiple characters with different ideologies about what it means to do what the morality of their species revolves around. I sometimes like to start at the center of their species’s morality, then go down to smaller and smaller factions and groups until I get to the individual.

[@magi6704]

I was skeptical about this video when I first clicked it. The thumbnail threw me off a bit. But damn, thank you. I needed that. Informative, logical, no fluff, and thought provoking answers.

[@galaxylucia1898]

Using different fonts that correspond to different characters POVs is brilliant! Great suggestion.

[@FablestoneSeries]

I would NOT recommend using different fonts for different characters. Your book should contain no more than 1 or 2 fonts. There is a philosophy within the publishing world about when to use certain fonts and when not to, and it is far more complicated and technical than you could ever imagine. Years of research has gone into which fonts are best for which situations. For example the US government recently decided to transition from Times New Roman to Calibri as their default font. YEARS of research went into this decision. it was NOT taken lightly. Using multiple fonts is a common newbie mistake. Writing professors will come down hard on you for doing this. It is not a substitute for being literary. But the chief reason you shouldn't do it is because any visual information on a page is being lost when the book is being read aloud. 60% of digital downloads are audio books, and you must think about this when writing. Making your book pretty isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as i said, it isn't a substitute for quality writing. It turns your book into what looks like a poorly designed web page from the late 90's. I CAN NOT say this often enough. Multiple fonts and over use of italics is a HUGE RED FLAG to literary agents. It screams that you have no clue what you are doing. For the love of god DON'T use multiple fonts.

[@galaxylucia1898]

@@FablestoneSeries dude calm down. 🤨Obviously there is a standard for publishing that needs to be adhered to. My original comment was in reference to using different fonts during my DRAFTS, as in the zero draft and subsequent revisions that only I would see.

[@FablestoneSeries]

@@galaxylucia1898 IS IT OBVIOUS? Because it has become an epidemic in self publishing, and it is being encouraged by people like Abbie. Why do I care? Why should any of us care? Because self-publishing already has a stigma that it is fighting against. Many people, and rightfully so, dismiss self publishing books without a second of consideration. Between writers not getting their work edited and tacky stuff like this, it affects all of our livelihoods. Eric Gill once said "There's not much you can do better with more fonts than you can with a single one." And that has been the mantra of publishing for 170 years. Traditional publishers will ONLY accept your manuscript in Time New Roman and there are NO exceptions.

[@symmoneg]

7:45 I live in South Dakota! Lol I just get oddly excited when I hear someone mention anything that has to do with where I live

[@col.strayga1389]

This is by far you're most useful tips you have put in your videos.

[@Danny_the_Platypus]

Regarding the bonus tip and the 'make them polar opposites': I've used those before in a science project! We had to write a story about the water cycle, or more specificly of a specific water drop or molecule going through the water cycle. I had decided that I was going to have two main characters who are writing in this scientific jounal on their journey to learn more about the water cycle. So I decided that I was going to write this by hand, and that the best way to do character voice was to make them SO different, like Elliot would be over here writing only in science-y language and writing only what he had to, but Ella pretty much used the journal as a diary, kinda dispursing the scientific stuff thoughout her throughts and feeling. I also decided that Elliot was going to have red pen and messy print handwriting, whiltst Ella wrote in cursive with a blue pen. EVEN THOUGH I *SUCK* at cursive and had SO MANY hand cramps when writing as Ella. P.S. - I even had to ask my friend to write down the alphabet in capital cursive letters because I only knew the lowercase ones at the time. RIP past me's dignity and right hand.

[@kathyl6677]

Just glad I'm in the revisions phase. I get to go back and add and change things. So much to look out for. I lead such a "G" rated life, some of this character building/story building has been challenging. (My first lesson was: Why is my story so boring? ans: No conflict.) So much to learn! love it.

[@yuurou7927]

I'm currently readying for a huge fanfic of Love Live. I write gothic horror short stories and adventures mainly before so it's a new genre for me to tackle. However this means so much to me that I have to give it my best. I'm re-evaluating my entire writing process through your videos. A lot of thick mist has been cleared, your channel is exactly what I need.

[@missdameenor]

Oh... my... gosh... I am currently reading “story genius” and this content just goes hand in hand with her methods. It’s all becoming so clear now! By the way... Are you starting a Patreon anytime soon?

[@Jekoea]

Thanks so much, these are great tips. I recently just started a story and I just jumped in to it no planning whatsoever. and I just stopped and realized I needed to work on my characters and just everything in general.

[@aresaurelian]

When I write dialogue I move into that character and gain all that characters perspectives, fears, misbeliefs, beliefs, hopes, desires, intent, and manipulative skills. It is so rewarding to find that the character comes alive within me and shows a new perspective on the same storyline of the current scene. It is easy to fall in love with all your characters doing this, as they become you, and you become them. This is a good way to form proper character voices and behavior. It is just so much fun. And it also enables great comedy.

[@mom2many166]

Holy CRAP! This is so much more helpful than other character development vids...wow. Thanks!!

[@phmo4519]

I saw you had the book “The Sun Is Also A Star” that’s a really good example of character voice. You can really see the diferente voices between the two main characters in the writing style alone also in the way they think of the world and people around them.

[@paulapoetry]

Great tips, Abbie - thank you. I totally agree about giving each character different phrases in their dialogue. If all the characters say the same particular phrases, it generally means they're ones we use ourselves. I definitely notice it in published novels, and it does make the reading experience less immersive. Worth addressing, for sure. 😃💝

[@kykel4948]

I am at this point, binge watching your videos more than a new netflix series. XD Your writing advice on this channel is amazing! So glad I found you and thanks so much! Also, thanks for the tip on the fonts. Hadn't thought about that before. Will definitely be implementing that. My character voice method (with 2 character examples): On another note, my book has 6 POVs and one of the things I did early on to really help each of them stand out is what I call a Conscious Perspective Trait. The idea is that everyone thinks, analyzes and responds differently, regardless of the situation. Sure, the outcome might be the same to each person but the process by which we each get to it is different (mentally). I assign each character a perception based trait, similar to the DFM. It's the dominant perspective of their personality. How I write each character is influenced by this specific trait. Example: My antagonist POV is an interrogator, essentially as close to a human lie detector as one could get. His personality is dominantly cynical and as a result his Conscious Perspective Trait is Distrust. His entire perspective is influenced by analyzing and reading anyone and everyone, always looking for a tell or give in their body language or behavior that he can take advantage of to get the truth. Everything he sees or does is influenced by this perspective. When I'm writing, I get into character, telling myself at every interaction that this opposite character is lieing and looking for a tell of it, even if in the greater story the character is actually telling the truth. To Victor, everyone lies and is only looking out for themselves. He is essentially projecting a mirror image of himself on everyone else. Literary Tricks(to show this): Some tricks here are his internal monologue makes judgemental assumptions and he pays more attention to body language than any other character in the book. He says things to elicit specific responses from people and even makes certain physical movements to influence their behavior. Text: “I asked, how old are you?” The question made the boy swallow and Victor took note of the undistinguished adam’s apple. “I’m sixteen sir.” He replied, still paralyzed in place. “You should have told me fifteen. I might have believed that.” The boy stared a moment as though unsure how to respond, pursing his lips. “I’m fifteen sir.” Victor didn’t have the see his eyes divert up to his left eyebrow to know he was lying. The boys posture had noticeably stiffened. One final example is Lilian. She starts out in a very low place, trying to solve her brother's supposed murder, the objective of her DFM. Her personality itself doesn't have a single dominant trait within the book because her character arc results in significant change but you could argue that for events of the book, her personality's dominant trait is Resolve, as this most heavily influences the quality and quantity of her character change. She has no help or leads but refuses to quit and the entirety of her perspective in the book is a blend of Desperate Resolve. She is desperate enough to take obvious risks, sometimes naive and other times fully aware of the danger she's in, but she's also too resolved/determined to quit. So, anytime she comes to an obstacle or dead end, I ask myself, what would someone too determined to quit do here? This is so ingrained in her perspective that when she doesn't know what to do, she asks herself what her brother or Keslar (her love interest) would do in this situation. She is willing to make decisions that would normally be out of character for her seemingly timid nature because she is simply desperate enough. Literary Tricks: When stuck or confused, asks herself what others she looks up to would do. Stands her ground and doesn't back down when told no or looks for another avenue of success. Resorts to out of character methods such as breaking the law despite being raised by both her father and brother, both of whom were law enforcement, when she believes it will get her closer to her desire. Text: "Can we help you mam?" Asked the older man. "Yes. I'm looking for information on something and I was told somebody here might be able to help me?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "A lady like you came down to these parts, at night," he said, pausing for emphasis, "to find someone you don't know, to ask questions that only someone in a place like this could answer?" She was unsure if tone of the latter half of the statement was surprised or mocking. "Um, yes." She said, straightening. He and the younger man erupted into simultaneous laughter. I find giving my characters a Conscious Perspective Trait really helps me differentiate the character voice more easily. I ask questions that someone with that perspective would ask. The whole idea of you coming to a brick wall with a sledgehammer in hand. How would you verses the person next to you handle it? If your dominant CPT is Efficiency, you might determine going through is faster and easier than over. If your dominant CPT is Enjoyment, you might also choose to go through the wall because who doesn't like smashing things with sledgehammers, am I right? Either way, these two people look at the solution differently, and even how the analyze the wall is going to be different. This also makes for fantastic dialogue conflict.

[@johnnyb.5281]

@8:15 #6... My friends and I are mostly all in construction or demolition and our parents were also. The electricians call confrontation, Resistance; but the carpenters and framers call it Friction

[@johntabler349]

I wrote a short novel for my granddaughter based on a game we played when she was 5 about the further adventures of the seven dwarfs writing each dwarf was great practice

[@ConnecticutDAVID]

i really dig the common character phrase tip. so true and yes, it's a helpful distinction

[@mrplatink]

Thank you for saying that about writing for different genders!

[@mikeljones4673]

Great stuff! I've already written my first novel. But I want to improve it before I send it to the publisher. (Which is why I'm watching a lot of videos like this one these days.) I've already done some of the things you recommended. Like personal catch phrases. For example, one of my female characters says "mister" a lot, when she's being playful, while talking to a man. The main protagonist gets addressed by the women closest to him, as Derrick. His closest male friends shorten his name to Dirk, and his fellow FBI agents call him by his last name or his job-given nickname, "Prof." Things like that. After watching this video, I think I can expand on that quite a bit. Give more uniqueness to all the characters. Thanks so much!

[@A.H._]

I always wait for Wednesdays to come because of you videos. You light up my day! I just got curious: how many words does 100DOS has? I was just wondering 😅 Anyway, keep it going and thank you for your tips!

[@antoniodossantos5960]

Unique, authentic touch...applies to write any book... Thanks Abbie 🌎

[@J_Baxter]

This helped me out a great deal. Series a my character's personality is no different, but my protagonist, I'm having trouble getting his personality down. This helped me a lot 😃

[@yasutakeuchi]

Hell yeah Katie. That font tip is hella meta

[@threeismynickname980]

there is thing for me which happens around 2AM when im writing where I'll get into the zone and right amazing dialogue and characters but aside from that and detailed writing and plot im pretty mid these videos really do help when im writing thank you Abbie

[@malloryo.4782]

I've tried drafting in Comic Sans before, but I'm not a fan of it. Instead, I find that I tend to draft most easily in basic Arial italicized font. I really like using italics. I think it's because when I write by hand I always use a form of cursive. Italics get me closer to that familiar experience, while still being very plain and easy to read. 😊

[@bigmanmike04]

Thanks for the videos. I'm a new writer and these have been very helpful. I read horror/Sci-Fi/ fantasy all the time, and my friend and I have decided to write a book together.

[@myheatgoesboomboomboom1655]

Damn she got the answer to everything

[@corkandi]

Hi...Thank you so much. I'm writing my second book but my first adult crime thriller. I was kinda struggling with separating the personalities of the main characters, so your advice and those graphs help a lot. I've subscribed.

[@hannahs3981]

Nancy drew was my CHILDHOOD Edit: was that a Sans the skeleton reference I smell? You are officially my favorite writing advice channel

[@CelynBrum]

Thank you for this, I've been looking for resources to help with character voice! Regarding tools I use: 5th Edition D&D has a great little set of prompts in the background selection, intended to help a roleplayer quickly build a distinctive character personality and get to playing them. The 5e version comes with tables (of course) but you can easily use the same categories for a kind of character quick-start. "Personality Trait" - a specific quirk of how the character comes across or behaves (eg: "I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter."). "Ideal" - the greater concept or virtue that the character holds to (eg: "Might. If I become strong, I can take what I want-what I deserve (Evil)"). "Bond" - something the character is legally, socially or emotionally bound to, such as a responsibility, an organisation, or a person (eg: "I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny."). "Flaw" - some personal quality the character is lacking (eg: "I'm convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure"). (Examples here taken from the "Folk Hero" background).

[@amandaodom2413]

I have two POVs in my current story. One is very familiar with certain people in authority. The other was raised to look at things very respectfully and formal. The former addresses these people by one word names or nicknames. The latter uses their full titles at all times. A small thing, but I think it helps set them apart.

[@satana8157]

I watched a lot of videos about voice, but nobody could even describe what voice is good enough. But this video was awesome. Not only I understand it really good now, I actually have a toolbox of what I can do to make it happen. Nice job!

[@ourpeachscones]

This is an amazing video. I'll definitely be using this for my stories from now on.

[@merenwen4495]

6:35 If you have chosen a certain mbti type for your character, there are video’s made by CS Joseph in which he describes how each type can be easily manipulated.

[@ItsTheNatShack]

THIS WILL HELP SO MUCH WITH THE INDEPENDENT ANIMATION I'M WORKING ON THANK YOU

[@josephvanwyk2088]

#3 & #6 also known as Character Spine. A single sentence that summarise their core behaviour. There are several types of spines. See if you can find the "how to generate character spine" video on youtube.

[@spacechampi0n]

The Enneagram personality system is very useful for writers because it's all about Ego, and how it is structured. Egos are triggered by instincts, and generate anger, shame and fear. We react with either projection, introjection or rejection of the core issues, so those 3 reactions times 3 emotions makes for 9 types of egos. Then the 3 instincts of sexual, social and self-preservation multiplies that into 27 subtypes.

[@calleeentzel7748]

Oh my gosh so helpful! Totally agree that people are personalities, not genders!!

[@EmmanuelGoldstein3]

Comic Sans is actually a great font. It apparently breaks most of the rules that are supposed to make a font good, but people seem to find that it's very easy to read, and of course it tends to put us in a good mood. P.S. I love it that you arrange your bookshelf by color, and even have them in the right order.

[@Relicangel]

I write Threads of Fate fanfiction... and your tips on character moulding really helps heaps. :) I use the Yin-Yang affect for main teen characters Mint and Rue, but in my fic they’re cast as adults, with country boy/big city girl vibes. ;)

[@satyestru]

This is probably my favorite of your videos I've seen since discovering your channel. Thanks! Also, I love deep female voices, and yours is great

[@rutepereira7628]

abbie, ngl the comic sans font thing works. i wrote two entire chapters using that method after being stuck for weeks. also! amazing video as always

[@mclcorner4425]

Hello Abby I'm happy to hear that writing fanfiction does help in voicing the character. I'm practicing my English writing by writing fanfiction because seeing other writers describe the same character helped me to write a better description. And I just realized I just "click" with the characters. No wonder it's a fun choice to practice 😁 Feeling less embarrassed now haha

[@thanthar-j6s]

Yeah,I noticed the mbti type for ,my characters!!

[@centpushups]

That description of tess and weston is exactly my current growing romance. Sent shivers hearing it. We are complete opposite and our relationship started with an argument but grown over over time.