But how . do you do that? Aren't words just words? NOPE! Here's how I make my character's voices...
1. Background Info
Background information about them is great for this! Obviously, some rich kid is going to speak different than someone who grew up in the slums... So use this to your advantage. Where does your character come from? How do they want others to see them? Do they care about using offensive language? Etc.
Basically... Just get to know your character. That alone will give you a lot of information as to how they should talk.
2. Uniquify!
Just like that word up there... Make it different. Give them some word that they use a lot, make them use big words that nobody knows just to mess with their friends, or... I don't know, but be creative!
Some good examples of this are in Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart; one character is constantly using ridiculous metaphors, and another somehow has both an Irish (Or Scottish, I forget...) and southern accent, at the same time.
Just give them some quirks. Ideally that make sense to their character, but you know, whatever works!
3. Do Something Funny and Maybe Mean...
Go beyond the stereotypes and do something your character will hate... Make it funny. Make your villain have some ridiculously high pitched voice, which is why they love robots so much, because he can change his voice!
Don't do this to all your characters... But if it makes sense and you can, then great! Give them a reason to always be so quiet!
4. Study How People Talk
Go out in public, watch a YouTube video, whatever works for you, and listen to how people talk. The phrasing, what kind of words they use now, if they talk in complete sentences or keep breaking them off, everything! That's how you make speech realistic!
Also, make sure you're studying the right group of people... Mom's aren't going to say "O.M.G. that is like, so kawaii!" and likewise, teenage boys aren't going to speak kindly and cleanly when they're all alone or nobody around can/will get them in trouble.
5. My Personal Biggest Problem...
My personal biggest problem is that I write teenagers, and most teenagers these days have potty mouths and have no issue talking about things that shouldn't be said...
I actually do have a problem with that, despite the fact that I am a teenager. But I'm a teenager who has never cussed, is mortified at the thought of it, and anything more descriptive than "They kissed." makes me feel like not reading the book. So write about that? Nope!
This poses a problem, however, because realistically people cuss and all. So how do I make my characters realistic and keep up with my own moral standards? Here's how...
Firstly, I've noticed in some books it's perfectly okay to say "He swore/she cussed/etc." whenever that's supposed to happen. That's what I do, if the character must do so that badly.
Second, I made one of my main characters come from the 1800's, and therefore he uses 1800's slang. "Vazey fustilarian gnashgab! Is what he calls people he hates. The worst swear word he's ever said is dammit, and that's because he just doesn't know anything worse. He also works as a nice filter for my other main character, who does occasionally cuss given that she's a teenager from the 2000's, and he just explains what she says as "Words I don't know the meaning of but don't sound like they're a compliment." Still, he doesn't use some of the worse language from that time, but unless someone who's an expert on the 1800's reads the book I doubt anyone will know.
Thirdly, I just put them in a world where things are different. In worlds that aren't like earth, or earth in the future, or whatever, you can say whatever you want. Give people new cuss words, whatever!
But yeah, if you know any other ways to avoid using those kinds of things in writing I would LOVE to know!!
Also, if you know any more ways to write good character voices I'd love to know that too. New stuff is great!
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