Wk.4 Wiki: Voice- a Narrators Point of View

Voice can be described as the unique quality, tone, or style that jumps off the page in a given piece of writing – but while voice involves tone and style, style and tone are not synonymous with voice. “Voice” in a piece of writing also takes on different meaning according to the genre and purpose.

1) The Character’s Voice
The voice which emerges from the MAIN CHARACTER, not the author. Each point of view character is defined; we see their view of the world, their attitudes and feelings about life, through the words they speak as well as the thoughts they ponder. Their inner and outer “voice” is consistent in pattern, word choice, rhythm and attitude. And, voice involves not only what the main character says and thinks – the “voice” of this character might better be thought of as a lens through which the reader experiences every aspect of the story. Therefore, when the author wants to describe a story’s critical character, setting, or object, she/he must do so only in and through the life experience, strengths and weaknesses, prejudices, beliefs, and vocabulary of the main, point-of-view character.

2) The Author’s Voice
a relationship between the author and the reader. Therefore, the reader is exposed to and responds to, literally, the “author’s voice”. It is impossible to have voice if the humanity, the first person perspective, is removed. Unlike in narrative writing,this style welcomes the “real” voice of the author. It can be interesting, entertaining, and exciting to feel as though we know the writer, that this person is actually speaking to us.