Method Writing

“One of the marvelous things about the novel is its many-voicedness, it’s polyphony…. It might seem that the writer needs a gift of mimicry, like an impersonator, to achieve this variety of voices. But…[i]t’s more like what a serious actor does, sinking self in character-self. It’s a willingness to be the characters, letting what they think and say rise from inside them.”—Ursula K. Le Guin

While, as the ever-wise Ursula suggests, the myriad voices that give life to a story are often what makes it marvelous, creating distinct, consistent voices for your characters can also be marvelously challenging. Free writing with an ear to a character’s voice can help. Even if your draft is not told from the subject’s point of view, letting them speak through you as part of your free writing or early drafting process can help you delve into their interior life. It can also help you find and hone their distinct voice among the polyphony of your cast. Think of it as communing with a character, but not necessarily in a way tied to plot or story. Ask the questions you want to know about your character, or places you want to hear them describe. Your job here is to transcribe these imagined conversations.

If this freeform sinking into character seems too nebulous of a task, approach it as a diary entry or a series of letters. If there’s a thorny section or key event with which you are struggling, try centering these personal missives around that challenge. Imagine, or hear, how she would tell her closest friend about the event. What would her unguarded thoughts in a journal entry about it reveal?

Don’t think of this as drafting content for your manuscript, even if you hope some revised version may find its way there. This is about deepening and developing your character and getting to know them better. While some bits of this may ultimately become dialogue or part of your text, approach the task without putting that burden on the prose. Or as Ursula says: “Listen. Just be quiet and listen. Let the character talk. Don’t censor, don’t control. Listen and write.”