“Whose voice do you hear in your head when you read?”
My husband looked up from the book he was reading to ask me the question.
“It depends on what I’m reading,” I replied. "If it's the newspaper, I hear my voice. Or sometimes I guess I hear Charlie Gibson or Robin Roberts. If I'm reading a book, I usually hear a different voice for each character."
"Oh...so you hear multiple voices in your head." He laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Well...doesn't everyone? Not only do I have the voices, I've got the full visual of where they are, the weather, the home, the terrain...even when the author doesn't give me all those details. My brain fills it in and creates these vibrant scenes.
I distinctly remember reading Savvy and giving Mibs the voice of Cherry Jones. I've only heard her before on the audio book version of Because of Winn Dixie. But her lovely drawl seemed perfect for Mibs.
It's not often that a character in a book brings to mind a well known person or place. Usually I create my own voices, my own visuals. I guess that's why most movies based on books are sorely lacking for me. Hollywood can't match my settings or my special effects. Or my voices.
And it's not just when I read. I've got multiple voices going when I write, as well. I mean, if they were all my voice, wouldn't that be kind of boring? (Not to mention WEIRD since I write middle grade!)
What about you? Do you hear characters voices when you read and/or write? Or should I be telling this to my therapist?
