Rave (cheloya) wrote in happenstance, @ 2008-03-11 17:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | against the moon, original, university |
[ATM] Exercise: Voice, Foregrounding
Write something in a voice totally alien to you. Play. Before you write, list four characteristics of the voice you want to capture: Velocity of language. Verbosity (including the types of words used). Viewpoint – are we up close, or very removed, what person? Vision – what kinds of things does the narrative voice OBSERVE? Write for a while and then foreground a moment or object by playing a variation in voice against the rest of the text.
Velocity: Swift. Short sentences, simple ideas. Short attention-span.
Verbosity: Simple words. Slightly more refined ideas on smell and sound.
Viewpoint: Immediate. Very close.
Vision: Concerned primarily with sound and scent; sight a lesser concern.
(I apologise in advance for the general lack of coherence; it’s set toward the end of a novel from the perspective of a relatively unfamiliar character.)