I Hear You: Creating Character Voices in Non-POV Characters

By Janice Hardy. @Janice_Hardy

Just because a character doesn't have their own point of view, doesn't mean they shouldn't have their own voice.

Years ago, I saw a movie (one of my favorite, super-cheesy disaster ones) where five of the female characters had the exact same appearance. None of them were main characters, and before long it was impossible to remember who was who and what storyline they belonged to. Nothing they said or did stuck with me after that.

It was a perfect example of why not developing your supporting characters enough can mess up a perfectly good story.

Non-point-of-view characters run this same risk if they don’t have their own distinct voices. But without being inside their heads to help create that voice, it can be tough to make them sound different.

Let's look at ways to craft different voices for the characters in your novel.

Hey, Look at Me: Craft Unique Character Voices 

Voice is a bit harder for non-point-of-view characters because internalization is a large part of character voice, and without that, you have to rely on the dialogue and how your point of view character sees and hears that character. But there are ways to help differentiate your characters and know what dialogue and traits go with what person.

(Here's more on 5 Ways to Develop Character Voices)

How They Sound 

If you can change the dialogue tag of a line of dialogue and it doesn’t change the dialogue at all, that’s a red flag that the characters might all sound alike. While some lines are inevitably  interchangeable, most shouldn't be. Every character expresses themselves in their own way.

(Here's more on Is That You? Developing Voices for Different Point of View Characters)

In my fantasy series The Healing Wars, my protagonist and point of view character, Nya, has two good friends who help her throughout the trilogy--Aylin and Danello. They’re two very different people and their personalities are reflected in how they speak.

Aylin is more flippant, carefree, yet oddly practical. She comes across as confident, but she has a lot of insecurities that are evident is how she speaks. She asks lots of questions, phrases things in ways that second-guess herself, even when she’s the one giving advice.

Danello is more cautious, serious, and protective. He states things more than questions them, because he’s already considered options and made a decision. He wants to understand the why, not get the answer on the what. He’s more deliberate overall.

Here’s a snippet from Darkfall:

The ferry dock was empty. Not even the usual beggars crouched by the pilings or resting under the mangrove trees. The ferry itself sat empty at its berth at the far end of the dock.

“Maybe it’s not running?” Aylin shielded her eyes with her hand and gazed over the water. It was flat today, barely any breeze to stir the surface.

“Or they’re not letting it dock at Geveg,” Danello said. “That’s the easiest way to keep people from leaving the city.”

The dialogue here is subtle, but look how Aylin uses a question, and the word "maybe." Her uncertainty is also seen later with her tendency to add “right?” after many of her statements:

“I have no idea, but I figured farmers have horses and horses need shoes, right?”

Even when she’s made a decision, she still questions it.

Consider how your characters sound. Does their dialogue reflect their personalities? 

The Type of Information They Convey 

From a purely technical standpoint, each character will be tasked with supplying information at some point of the story. Who they are and what they know determines what they say and how they say it, because they'll each bring a different area of "expertise" to the story.

Aylin is all about gossip and what she’s seen and heard. She often jumps to conclusions, which can be very effective if you want readers to jump to that same conclusion. She's also the one who says what everyone is thinking but doesn’t want to say.

This comes from her expertise as working on the streets as a barker, drawing in crowds to an entertainment venue. She hears things, sees things, is frequently around people who let information slip. To survive this world, she had to learn how to size up a person fast, and she's good at it.

Danello had a much better education and his mother has military knowledge. So naturally, when Nya needs information or ideas about tactics or how the soldiers she’s frequently up against will act, Danello is there with suggestions. He sounds like he knows what he’s talking about because he does. He also tends to keep everyone from reacting without thinking, which is quite a job with Nya around.

From Darkfall:

“She left us,” Aylin said, voice tight. “I knew we couldn’t trust her.”

See how Aylin jumps to conclusions and speaks her mind? There’s even a bit of that self-doubt in here as well, with the “I knew,” like she suspected this earlier but didn’t say anything. Compare that to Danello:

“I don’t think she took it.” Danello picked up the rope and ran a finger along the edge. “Look, the rope is cut. Why cut the anchor instead of just picking it up and putting it back on the skiff?”

Danello sees the bigger picture, takes a step back and looks at what’s really there. He wants to know why this happened and isn’t going to take what he sees at face value. Even if he feels Aylin might be right, he sees clues right away that contradicts that.

Consider what your characters know and how that will affect what they see and understand. 

(Here's more on How Does Your Character Answer Questions?)

Their Role in the Story 

Each non-point-of-view character also plays a role, which affects the types of information they convey as well as shapes their voice.

Aylin is the voice of reason despite her flippant nature, and often says exactly what Nya needs to hear to reel her in. She's usually the one who says what needs to be said no matter how unpleasant it might be.

Danello is the protector, and the voice of caution. He sees what might go wrong and takes steps to prevent that from happening.

From Blue Fire:

Aylin grabbed my hands. “Nya, stop. There’s ugly and then there’s just plain wrong.” She locked her gaze on mine. “I can live with ugly if we get our people back, but I’m not letting you do wrong. Might as well turn yourself in to the Duke if you start that.”

This is typical Aylin, saying what she thinks, being practical, accepting what she has to do, but also stopping Nya from going over a line she knows can’t be crossed.

From Darkfall:

“Eyes down,” Danello whispered into my ear. “You’re glaring at him.”

This is very Danello. He notices danger, especially if it’s Nya putting herself in danger, and he acts on it. He’s not one for long speeches, and he doesn’t waste words.

Consider how the character's role in the story might affect how they speak and what they choose to talk about.

(Here's more on How to Write Characters Who Don’t All Feel the Same)

Their Relationship to the Point of View Character(s) 

Who that character is to the point of view also influences what they say and how they say it. Parents speak differently to their children than they do to their friends, and different still to their coworkers.

Aylin has been a good friend to Nya from the start, so she has the freedom to say things others can’t. She’s not awed or scared of Nya's powers in any way, and takes what her best friend can do a face value. She’s also one of the first to suggest that Nya uses her abilities, because that’s just part of who Nya is.

Danello starts out as a stranger, turns into a friend, then eventually a love interest. His personal stake in Nya increases over the course of the series, so naturally his need to protect her does as well (which fits his book role as protector). But he’s also a boy who likes a girl, so there will be hesitant and tender moments. He’ll phrase things a little differently for Nya than he might for Aylin.

From Darkfall:

Aylin huffed. “We have Healers and soldiers and knives. We can make pain.”

Aylin’s flippant tone says what has to be done like it’s obvious. It says what no one else wanted to say, but still maintains her often-humorous style.

“I know, but it made you smile.” He set the pepper on a plate and grabbed a knife from the basket. “We’ll split both. That way you won’t have to choose.”

Danello is sweet, but still takes charge. He sees Nya is having trouble (even if it’s just choosing what type of food to eat) and does what he can to make it easier on her, protecting her as always.

Consider how well the character knows the people they're interacting with, and how that might change how they speak.

(Here's more on How to Find Your Character's Voice)

Non-point-of-view character voices can be challenging to write, and there will be times when a line really can go to any character. But think about who that character is, what role they play, and how they typically get information to the point-of-view character and you’ll start seeing subtle ways you can change a line to better suit who that character is.

And then they’ll start sounding like them and no one else.

How do you develop non-point-of-view character voices? What are some of your favorite non-point of view characters?

*Originally published March 2011. Last update April 2020.

Find out more about characters, internalization, and point of view in my book, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems.

Go step-by-step through revising character and character-related issues, such as two-dimensional characters, inconsistent points of view, too-much backstory, stale dialogue, didactic internalization, and lack of voice. Learn how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

• Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
• Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
• Determine the best point(s) of view and how to use them to your advantage
• Eliminate empty dialogue and rambling internalization
• Develop character voices and craft unique, individual characters 

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. It's an easy-to-follow guide to crafting compelling characters, solid points of view, and strong character voices readers will love.

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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