When you are reading...
By flakmagnet
@flakmagnet (79)
June 27, 2007 7:33am CST
...do you imagine character's voices distinctly inside your head? A different voice for each charactwer? Or do you just imagine your own voice in place of each character? Or do you even get that involved, do you not imagine anything and take it at face value?
Personally, I imagine everything as vividly as possible, the characters, the scenery, the voices, everything. It might not be the same the next time I pick up the book as more details are given about the person or place, but I really find it draws me in that way. How about you?
3 people like this
6 responses
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
27 Jun 07
I know exactly what you mean. When I am reading a book, I get totally involved in the book. The best way to explain it is while reading its like I am the main character in the book. I can feel and see exactly what the main character feels and sees. There have been times where if the character in the book is crying, I will actually be crying as well. This happened one time when my husband was around me. He looked at me very concerned and asked if I was alright. I didn't even hear him right away and he had to ask me again. I looked up at him and said, "Were you talking to me?". He said he was and wanted to know why I was crying. I told him that a character in the book was crying and I just started to cry. My husband didn't know what to think after that. I think I totally blew his mind.
1 person likes this
@flakmagnet (79)
•
27 Jun 07
Lol! I've never cried specifically because a character was crying, but I certainly have cried because of events in books before.
As for being so lost in the book that you don't hear others, I can identify with that, just last night, my girlfriend was in the other room, apparently holding a one way conversation with herself, becuase she then came into the room, took hold of my book and asked "why are you ignoring me? Have I upset you?" To which I promtply replied, "you were talking? Sorry!" :)
@tina12679 (1126)
• United States
27 Jun 07
When i read at first i just read until the charactor is built in my head then i seem to go into placeing actors and actresses to the story ones that i think best fit and kinna see a movie in my head as i am reading this makes the book read easier i think.
@flakmagnet (79)
•
28 Jun 07
I see what you mean, but, do you use actual actors from real life, or do you imagine your own actors from scratch?
1 person likes this
@tina12679 (1126)
• United States
28 Jun 07
I acually imagine real life actors most all the time there are a few times where i will kinna think of several different ones because each of them fit the part in a different way and put it all together and make a new one up with the different traits from all the others.
@patgalca (18207)
• Orangeville, Ontario
27 Jun 07
It takes a special talent to be able to write distingishable "voices" in characters. As writers, we need to be able to separate the voices by giving them different slangs and dialects. In the novel I am writing now I had a friend read it and she questioned whether one of the characters was European because she sounded like it. I didn't even realize I had done that. LOL!
Andrew M. Greeley is great for being able to bring out the Irish accent in his characters. So good that I find myself speaking with an Irish accent after I've been reading his work.
If a description of a character is given, then yes, I can give it a voice to go with the character and hear him or her talking. It's a great talent for a writer to be able to do this.
@tallpaulno44a (1574)
• United States
27 Jun 07
Hmmm... Come to think of it, I do assign a voice to each character in a book.
@amaleigh73 (499)
• United States
27 Jun 07
Not only do I give them each a distinct voice in my head, I also can picture what they look like. I know a lot of times an author will describe what the characters look like. I love that. . .when an author can describe everything so well that I see and hear the characters in my head. I think Nicholas Sparks is very good at describing things so I can see them. You know you are reading a good book when it is like watching a movie in your head.
