Hello.

Welcome to a lesson today where we'll be conceptualising what voice is when it comes to fiction.

I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today is to understand what is meant by voice in a narrative and consider how voice is crafted.

We have three keywords today.

Let's go through them together.

The first word is voice.

Voice is the language a writer uses to communicate their perspective or story.

Our next keyword is distinct.

Distinct means recognisably different from something else.

So we can say that voices within different narratives are distinct.

And finally, perspective.

Perspective is the point of view a story is told from.

So a story could be told in the first or third-person perspective.

I'll give you a moment to pause the video and reflect upon those three keywords now.

Great.

Let's move on now to our learning cycles.

So in our first learning cycle, we'll be exploring the concept of voice in fiction.

We'll be looking at the different ways that writers create voices in their narratives.

And in the second learning cycle, we'll be crafting our own voice using some of the methods that we've looked at in the first learning cycle.

So let's begin with exploring the concept of voice.

What is voice when it comes to fiction? So what comes to your mind when you think of the word voice? Pause the video and discuss.

You may have said that someone's voice could reflect their personality.

Someone's voice is the way they express themselves.

You may have said that being able to use our voice could indicate a sense of power.

And you've also may have mentioned that using our voice is the way we communicate.

Writers can use different voices to express their stories.

And writers use different voices to express ideas and communicate stories.

Each writer can use a distinct voice in each of their narratives.

Voices have the power to reflect different people and the things they have to say.

The way a writer chooses for us to hear a text i.

e.

what voice they use affects how we as a reader connect to and interpret the meaning of the text.

For example, if a text was written from the voice of a wise old woman with plenty of life experience, you may be inclined to trust this voice.

However, if a text was written from the voice of a convicted criminal, we may not be inclined to trust this voice.

So now, I want you to think about the last three books you read, whose voice were the stories told from? Pause the video and discuss.

So I was recently reading "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood, and the narrator in that novel is a criminal.

So that voice affects the way in which we interpret the text.

Now, let's look at another distinct voice in a narrative.

We are going to read this extract from Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Pay attention to the unique voice that the writer creates.

"'I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles,' he thought, with an odd smile.

'Hm, yes, all is in a man's hands and he lets it all slip from cowardice, that's an axiom.

It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of.

Taking a new step, uttering a new word is what they fear most, but I'm talking too much.

It's because I chatter that I do nothing.

Or perhaps it is that I chatter because I do nothing.

I've learned to chatter this last month, lying for days together in my den thinking of Jack the Giant-killer.

Why am I going there now? Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all.

It's simply a fantasy to amuse myself, a plaything.

Yes, maybe it's a plaything.

'" Discuss now.

What impression do you get of the person speaking here? And how did you get that impression? Pause the video and discuss.

I had some really interesting discussion about Dostoevsky's narrative voice here.

Let's take a look.

The extract from Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" gives an impression of a speaker who is, anxious, erratic, unstable, and indecisive.

And Dostoevsky crafts his character as anxious, erratic, unstable, and indecisive through his use of punctuation, for example, the ellipsis that show the speaker is constantly pausing.

Through repetition of the word serious and plaything, for example.

And through rhetorical questions such as, "Why am I going there now?" Each of these things shows someone who's finding it difficult to make a decision, who's constantly changing their mind about something and who seems quite anxious.

So what I want us to consider now are the other ways in which voice can be crafted to help shape our impression of character.

Let's take a look at the different tools writers can use to craft voice.

Writers can use syntax, which is word order, punctuation, repetition, word choices, and idioms. Each of these things can help to craft a distinct voice in a narrative.

Because each person will speak differently and things such as syntax, word choices and idioms can show the unique ways in which people speak.

Let's take a look now at how word choices can shape voice.

The words below are all synonyms for good.

We have cool, splendid, stellar, remarkable, decent and lit.

I want you to discuss what type of character might say each of the above words.

Think about their age, their personality, their social class, and the time periods in which they come from.

Pause the video and discuss.

Who might use each of these words? I hope this has sparked some really interesting discussion.

Let's take a look at one or two examples.

So the word remarkable might be used in a more formal academic context.

It might have been used by a teacher.

Let's also take a look at the word lit.

The word lit is a relatively new word that's come to fashion as a synonym for the word good.

Potentially, the word lit might be used by young people of today and in informal context, such as a conversation with friends.

So remember, when you are crafting voice in your narrative, pay close attention to your word choice as they really can help shape different voices.

Now, let's check your understanding of what we've talked about.

Repeated use of ellipsis and dashes, which convey pauses or disruption in thoughts may reflect what kind of voice? Pause the video and answer that question.

Well done if you said, repeated use of ellipsis and dashes, which convey pauses or disruption in thought could reflect an anxious voice.

This is because someone's thoughts are not fluent and someone is constantly reflecting, pausing, maybe overthinking, which could reflect an anxious person who doesn't quite know what course of action to take.

Now on the screen, here are four more extracts from popular fiction texts.

They each craft a distinct voice.

I want you to discuss what words you would use to describe the voice in each extract.

To help you decide on the voice used, pay attention to the syntax, punctuation, word choices, repetition and idioms in each extract.

Pause the video and discuss the voices used in each extract now.

Off you go.

Brilliant discussions there.

Let's go through what you may have said.

"So true! Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am! But why will you say that I am mad? The disease has sharpened my senses." That might be the voice of someone that is erratic, delusional, or paranoid.

And we can see how erratic this person might be through the repeated use of exclamation marks.

And we can see that they might be delusional through the way in which they question the reader's interpretation of them and instead give their own interpretation of themselves.

And we also might say that they are paranoid because of the rhetorical question that they use.

Let's look at the next extract.

"In the first place, Feet Samuels is generally broke, and there is no percentage in hanging around brokers." This may give the impression of someone who is blunt, judgmental, and quite casual.

We may infer that this is the voice of a blunt person because they describe someone else as broke without hesitation.

The fact they describe someone else as broke without hesitation could also suggest they're quite judgemental and this person also seems casual through the way in which they use the term broke and brokers for someone that doesn't have a lot of money, that's quite a casual and slang term for someone without money, so we could say this person has quite a casual or conversational voice.

Let's look at the next extract.

"Personally, I disagree with their ideas.

Personally, I believe that congenial work." How might that voice come across? Well, if we really read between the lines, we might say that this voice is powerless or disregarded because the way in which the speaker seems to need to reassert herself, she says personally twice.

And that repetition can show us that she's not being listened to, that her opinion isn't valued.

So she fills the need to repeat it.

And finally, the last extract.

"I am no bird, and no net ensnares me.

I'm a free human being, with an independent will." That voice comes across as assertive and defiant through the way in which they describes themselves with the terms I am, I am.

This person seems quite sure of themselves.

And the declarative sentence further affirm that.

She's not asking for anyone's approval.

She's defining herself exactly how she wants to be defined.

Great job on reflecting upon those voices.

Now, let's look at how we can craft voice in a narrative.

Different people can have different perspectives on the same event.

And their feelings can be shown via their voice.

Consider a day at a theme park.

How might a parent and child feel differently about the theme park? Pause the video and discuss.

So let's look at this now.

A parent may feel overwhelmed, concerned, and responsible at a theme park.

Whereas a child might feel excited, adventurous, and nervous.

Here's how we might convey a parent's feelings at the theme park.

So we could show that a parent is feeling overwhelmed by using short sentences to convey irritation.

We could show a parent's feeling concerned through questions, which might show their concern for the safety of their child.

And we could shape a parent's voice as responsible by using imperative sentences to establish order and control.

How might we convey a child's feelings at a theme park? How might we express a voice that is excited, adventurous, but somewhat nervous? Pause the video and discuss.

So to craft a child's voice as excited, we might use exclamatory sentences to show this overwhelming emotion.

We might also use incoherent syntax to show the child's inability to remain calm, and we might also create a fast pace in the narrative.

So create.

To show that a child is feeling quite adventurous, we might use a raised voice or syllables stretched out to convey a sense of freedom.

And to show that a child might be somewhat nervous, we might show hesitation in our voice by using ellipsis or dashes to create pauses.

Now, let's check your understanding of what we've talked about.

A narrative event can only be told via one voice.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and answer that question.

Well done if you said false.

It is not true that's a narrative event can only be told via one voice.

Now, why is it untrue that a narrative event can only be told via one voice? Pause the video and reflect upon your answer.

Different people can have different perspectives on the same event, depending on their mood, age, social status, gender and interests.

Therefore, one narrative event can actually be told via multiple voices and each voice will be distinct, depending on their feelings towards event.

Now, let's go back to one example at the theme park.

Here's what the voice of a concerned or stressed parents at a theme park might sound like.

"The cacophony makes me question why I said yes to this.

It not only cost me an arm and a leg, but being responsible for four 10 going on 16 year olds is sending me into overdrive.

Tilly twirls and spins and gallops around me, her eyes in wonder at the colossal rides above us.

Theme parks always make me anxious.

If it's not the relentless screaming, it's the queues.

If it's not the queues, it's the rides that tower above my daughter.

'Stay close, please!' I shout as she runs off into the distance towards a coaster with about 10 loops, each one sending my heart into overdrive.

'Are you sure you want to go on that one darling?' But of course, she's off." Discuss now, which parts of this response make it clear that this is the voice of a parent? Pause the video and discuss.

Let's take a look at what you may have said.

The idiom, it's cost me an arm and a leg relates to the cost or price of the theme park, which may suggest an adult voice.

Because no doubt the parent has paid for the day of the theme park.

It reflects the responsibility of an adult.

The repetition shows the adult being an anxious parent who's rather on edge.

The imperative shows the voice is one of authority, which must be a parent.

And the question shows concern for the child, which also suggests a parental voice.

Now, I want you to write about the day at the theme park from the perspective of a child.

You may wish to use some of the ideas below to convey a distinct voice.

That is entirely different from the parental voice we looked to earlier.

So you may want to show the child as excited, adventurous, and somewhat nervous.

And on the right of the grid there, we've got the ideas of how you can convey that in the child's voice and what methods or tools you can use to create that sense of voice.

Pause the video now and get writing.

Off you go.

Well done on creating that really clear, distinct voice of a child in your work.

Now, I want you to re-read your work.

Which of the following did you use to create a distinct voice? Did you use syntax, punctuation, word choices, repetition, and any idioms. Annotate where you have used each one in your work.

Pause the video, and off you go.

Great job reflecting on your work.

I hope you've been able to see how the same narrative event could be told from different perspectives.

And each of those perspectives will have a very unique narrative voice.

Creating a unique narrative voice helps your reader connect with the text and helps to make your writing convincing.

Here's what we've learned in today's lesson.

Voice is the language a writer uses to convey a perspective or tell a story.

Voice affects how we connect to and interpret the text.

Voice can be crafted through syntax, punctuation, repetition, and word choice.

Voice can help shape a character's age, social class, mood, gender and the time period in which they're from.

Writers can craft a distinct voice to reveal people's differing reactions to the same scenario or event.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson.

I hope to see you in another lesson very soon.