Favorite Technique for finding voice

[jeregenest]

One of the things I continuously need to work on is making NPCs sound distinct. What are your favorite techniques for doing this?

Comments

[imnotandrei.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in single verbal or accentual tics, and rehearsal beforehand. ;)

(Seriously -- I recall once writing a series of speeches, each about exactly the same thing (the first time the NPC met a given PC) in the NPC's voice, and then read them aloud until I understood how they were different.)

Also, ask your friends what *your* verbal tics are, so that you can either a) make sure that they fit the characters you're using, or b) you can work on consciously eliminating them when speaking. I know, for example, that my saying "So...." in a certain voice calls my players to attention at the table, because it's how I start narration or gaming sequences -- to have a *character* use that would be confusing.

[that-cad.livejournal.com]

I wish I had one. All my NPCs sound British.

[mgrasso.livejournal.com]

I don't do accents as much as I used to, so I find that other verbal tics -- mostly tics in conveying a character's attitude -- are the best way to make them sound distinct. One might sound petulant, another might sound calm and collected, etc. I take one or two predominant emotions and use them, at least on first or second introduction, to make the NPC memorable.

[vaklam.livejournal.com]

For my latest game I wrote down a specific character from a movie or TV show to base each major NPC on. I'm not mimicking accents much but I am using their mannerisms. It's worked well so far. My players seem to be able to tell them apart.

[mytholder.livejournal.com]

Best I can do is body language. Occasionally an NPC will click and get its own character, but most of mine tend to speak like refugees from Blackadder.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

I tend to just sit differently, which alters a lot of the way my voice works and affects my word choice.

[spiritseeker.livejournal.com]

I use techniques similar to when I do LARPing or character acting: find a distinctive phrase, posture, pose or affectation that constantly recenters me in the character.

And an exercise. Go out into a busy place and pick three very distinctive and not you people that you observe. Then go home and try to replicate, not the person exactly, but the exagerated traits of that person, be it their distinctive, shuffle, wandering eyes or prim posture.