Are you hoping to break into the world of ghostwriting? Or are you curious about how a ghostwriter adopts an author’s voice and style?
Whether you’re a ghostwriter or a merely curious observer, understanding the difference between “voice” and “style” is key to successful collaboration.
In this article, we’ll explore how ghostwriters find and borrow an author’s voice to produce works that blend naturally into the author’s current repertoire.
Ready? Let’s go.
How do you define author “voice”?
Many readers make a decision about a book within the first few pages. It might be challenging to get into, or the action might leap off the page. Whether the story resonates with you is almost immaterial in whether you continue reading—it’s the author’s voice that draws you in (or puts you off).
Author “voice” is effectively the author’s personality on the page. Through those opening pages (and, hopefully, the remainder of the novel if you stick with it), we gain insight into the author’s unique perspective on the world. We feel their joy, darkness, cynicism, or hope through their words, and this is what ghostwriters aim to adopt.
Author voice often determines “how” the story is told, and each focus or priority can be determined by asking questions:
- The author’s priorities: Do they focus on character or world-building? Do they focus on action, dialogue, or description? Are they allegorizing or recontextualizing something about the world?
- What they notice: Are they people watchers? Do they build characters through the minutiae of their actions? Or do they observe the world from unusual perspectives? They may be satirical or sarcastic. Or maybe they’re a hopeless romantic, building a love utopia for the reader to indulge in.
- How they emphasize things: Do the characters have clear and distinct voices? Does the author appear to be withholding information or drip-feeding plot points? Are they concentrating on character or concept?
- The density of their text: Do they favor action over description? Does the story build through texture and world-building, or do we hit the ground running?
What is “author style”?
In a nutshell, an author’s style refers to the technical aspect of their writing—the choices they make with the words they choose, including:
- Syntax: Sentence length and structure. Does the writer use long, reveling, languid sentences? Or Short. Staccato. Passages?
- Vocabulary and rhythm: The density of language and how it dwells on moments or drives the story forward. Is their text swift and action-driven or slower and atmospheric? Or both, and when?
- Punctuation: While punctuation is a grammatical norm, many modern writers use these rules fluidly. For example, “No, I won’t” has less emphasis than “No. I. Won’t.”
While writers can often manipulate their voice based on their intended audience, it’s the style that many authors use more fluidly across publications. Many authors can adopt a range of styles, adjusting the syntactic mechanics of their prose to best serve the story.
For example, Ernest Hemingway wrote with a generally minimalist and direct style, whereas Anne Rice tends toward a rich, embellished palette, full of adjectives and atmosphere.
What is character voice?
Character voice is different from author voice, but it’s worth noting because the distinction is often misunderstood.
Whereas author voice is the author’s personality on the page, “character voice” refers to the way characters communicate and the words they choose to express themselves.
The playwright’s mastery of character voice
Playwrights tend to be the masters of character voice because their primary storytelling tool is in active dialogue—characters using their words to pursue their objectives and “do” things to each other.
A good test of character voice is to hold your hand over the character tags in a script, and you should still know who is saying what. You can work out who is saying what because the playwright uses:
- Rhythm: Do characters speak in short, clipped sentences? Are they verbose and long-winded? Or do they say anything at all?
- Colloquialism: Is the character’s lexicon a product of their origins? Do they use regionally-specific language?
- Objective: If the character is pursuing a clear objective, their dialogue is born of what they want. This helps build a tone for each character and helps differentiate them on the page.
A quick character voice exercise
This exercise helps find character voices, but it’s also valuable for identifying a writer’s voice.
Write a list of synonyms for the following words:
- Car
- Cellphone
- Cup of coffee
- Television
- Going on holiday
Maybe for “car,” you’ll have: motor, wheels, drag, whip, banger. Now, think about the type of person who would call their car their whip. The choice of words suggests someone’s age, social standing, and where they’re from.
Somebody who calls their cellphone a “moby” is probably from the UK, where cellphones are called “mobile phones” or “mobiles.”
Someone who says they’re going on their “hollybobs” (holiday) is probably from the north of England and likely middle-aged.
The words people choose reflect their upbringing, intelligence, and life values. People speak colloquially—some writers write colloquially.
Novels can have multiple author voices
Some novels are written from a range of perspectives, and writers often adapt their voices to reflect the narrator’s psychology.
For example, The Housesitter by Keri Beevis is written from Nina’s (the protagonist’s) perspective as she stumbles upon what she believes is evidence of a crime.
However, some chapters are written from Julian’s perspective (the antagonist), and his voice is distinctly different from Nina’s—colder and more calculating.
These distinct voices offer the reader contrast in tone and a new angle on the plot.
Different voices in novelistic writing
There are three main “types” of voice in novelistic writing: the individual characters, the author’s, and the narrator’s. And while these voices can merge, they’re always present.
Character voice
Great characters have distinct voices—even minor characters. They should feel like they’re real people with wants and needs. They’re there because they’re human; not because they’re serving the plot.
A character’s voice is typically conveyed through their speech patterns, thoughts, and personality.
You can reveal a character’s thoughts through dialogue tags, word choices, and a forensic window into their thoughts, which can reveal motives that might contradict what they do or say.
Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting is a great example of distinctive character voice on the page. From the opening, we’re thrust into the narrator’s vernacular. The voice feels alive, full of a world the reader is unlikely to know.
Writing in the vernacular is a technique to approach with caution. It can slow down comprehension of the text. But in this case, we’re thrust immediately into action and into the world of the story.
Author voice
The author’s voice drives the tone, but it also relates to the words they choose and their punctuation style.
For example, a character might take an underground train. One writer might focus on the sounds and smells the character experiences, while another might describe the other people on the train.
This represents differences in writers’ worldviews.
Dean Koontz has an almost instantly recognizable voice. His text is verbose, and he focuses on environmental description, sometimes at the expense of action. And while he has written a wide range of story “types,” his writer’s voice is present in each one.
Stephen King
Stephen King is also a writer with a very distinct writer’s voice—casual and conversational. There’s nothing stuffy or stilted about his prose. His books cover a wide range of themes and have different characters, yet his style is very clear.
In fact, King’s authorial voice is so recognizable that it led people to discover his secret pseudonym, Richard Bachman.
Narrator voice
Every book is written from a unique point of view—either from first person, second person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. This is the narrative voice, the perspective from which the story is relayed.
- First person: The narrator uses “I” and “we” pronouns and is a character within the story.
- Second person: The narrator uses “you” pronouns, making the reader a character in the story.
- Third-person limited: The narrator uses “he,” “she,” and “they” pronouns and exists outside the story.
- Third-person omniscient: This is the “all-knowing” narrator. They’re looking in on the story and relaying it. They often remain unnamed, and they use third-person pronouns.
How does a ghostwriter adopt a writer’s voice?
Great ghostwriters are like playwrights working in a different form. They adapt their voice and style according to the writer they’re ghosting.
They understand the author’s voice and use a range of approaches to ensure their words feel authentic, including:
Familiarity with the writer’s previous work
If the author you’re ghosting has a back catalog, you must become familiar with it.
Review the work, noting its rhythm, syntax, and vocabulary style. Consider the pace of storytelling, the type of protagonists they choose (if writing fiction), and the “worlds” they explore.
Conduct interviews and engage in discussions
One of the best ways to get familiar with a writer’s voice is to engage in conversations with them. Better still, get permission to record them so you can refer to their tone and conversational style while you write.
Try this:
Verbatim exercise
Ask your interviewee an open question and record their response. Remain silent throughout—show them you’re listening with facial gestures.
Try not to interrupt when they come to a natural pause, even if it feels like they’ve said everything there is to say about the subject. This post-answer pause, if left long enough, encourages them to continue speaking. This is where you get the most honest answer.
Once they’ve spoken for a minute or two, you can bring the monologue to an end.
Write the interview verbatim
Afterward, write down what they said word-for-word. Try to represent the pauses, the meanders, and the stutters. Aim to represent the voice as accurately as possible on the page.
This is a great way to become familiar with the way they communicate verbally. Of course, when ghostwriting, it’s typically closer to reportage than verbatim, but if you’re familiar with the voice, you can adapt it for readability.
Hearing the person’s voice in your head while you write is a great way to adopt their voice.
Identify key characteristics in the client’s voice
Consider how the writer expresses themselves on the page. Do they speak or write informally, or is there a more formal, academic tone to their voice?
Do they use humor when writing? Are they verbose and “flowery” in their chosen words, or are they straightforward and direct?
Understand the audience
Typically, you’re adopting a writer’s voice to appeal to their existing audience. So, if you’re writing for a business audience, adopt a corporate tone. If you’re writing fiction, consider the intended demographic.
Don’t guess. Ask the client who they see as their audience. What is the reading age? What other books would they read?
Categorize their existing work. Do they write “airport novels,” high-concept sci-fi, or comedic light reading?
Ensure that the language you choose is appropriate for the proposed audience.
Tips for adapting to different writing styles
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys).
Consider:
- Sentence structure and pacing: Mirror the author’s unique rhythm. It takes practice, but it’s an essential facet in ghostwriting. Do they write in short, punchy sentences or long, flowing sentences?
- Tone and emotion: Is your client serious and academic, or lighthearted and generous? Wear their shoes (metaphorically speaking!) and try to feel the world as they do.
- Word choice: Words are the paint, and the page is the canvas. Remember, the way people express themselves verbally is different from how they write. A lifestyle blogger is more likely to use informal conversational styles both verbally and in writing, while an academic is likely to be more considered in their chosen lexicon.
Work with an editor
If you can, work with an editor outside of the principal writer/ghostwriter relationship. Find somebody who can approach the writing through the prism of the intended audience.
Developing a good relationship with an editor can be a sure path to ghostwriting success.
At Relay Publishing, we pair talented ghostwriters with experienced editors to help ensure precision in writer voice and maximum readability. And we put the fact that many of our books hit the Bestseller lists down to the great relationship our writers have with our invaluable editors.
Relay Publishing wants to hear from you!
We’re always looking for ghostwriters, editors, and designers to join our publishing empire.
So, if you think you have what it takes to write killer text in another author’s voice, get in touch.