The voice, I love this definition, is the product of the writer’s knowledge, skill, and emotions.
As the field of voice studies has grown, so has the field of voice editing. I believe that this is because the subject of voice is more varied than it once was. In the past, most voice teachers focused on only the most common voices in a given work, whereas now, voice editing is much more diverse.
Voice editing is when an author reworks the voice to enhance the character’s characterization. The most common examples of voice editing are when an author rewrites a character to add nuance or to explain something from a more objective perspective. We often see this done in the context of a character’s backstory being changed just for the sake of adding texture.
The most common example of voice editing is when a writer changes the voice of a character just to add a little more insight into their character’s backstory. Again, this is commonly seen in a backstory being changed to better flesh out the nuances of a character’s personality.
If the author had just used a character voice instead of a character voice with the text, or if the author had just used a character voice instead of a character voice with the text, the story would be more engaging.
The problem with voice editing, as with any other editing, is that it can lead to a better or worse story. This is especially true when the author is changing a character voice just to add some extra flavor to the story. In The Hobbit, Legolas was just adding a little more snark to his voice by changing it to a more friendly version of himself as the wizard.
This is a very general example of voice editing, but it can also happen when a writer is using the voice of a character a whole lot, or when the voice of a character is being used in a way that’s not natural for the character. In that case, the writer might focus on the natural voice, and then the editor might try to do something to make the character sound more believable.
For example, in the case of the wizard and the elf, the writer decided to rewrite the voice to be more friendly. This made the elf sound very different than he actually is, so the editor decided it would be best to not use the actor’s voice at all and just replace it with a new, natural voice.
If the writer focuses on the natural voice, the editor might decide to change the character a lot. This is called “naming” a character, and it’s usually done to help the editor in the editing process. Usually, the editor will ask for the name of a character and the person who wrote that character to do some research on the character, and then the writer will change the voice to have a more accurate description of the character.
