Hearing Voices

[Yvonne]

So there's a study going on called 'Hearing the Voice' going on in Edinburgh associated with the Edinburgh International Book Festival that is looking at readers' and writers' experiences hearing voices. Because lots of us do, and in this particular scenario we're not (usually) judged as crazy. They're interviewing the authors, but there's a reader survey you can fill out if you're interested --http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/09/hearing-voices-whats-your-experience-when-reading . I did it-- it doesn't take long.

I want take the author test!

Anyway, it got me thinking... I hear one voice, and when I write that voice takes on "flavours" for each character, but doesn't really sound different. Same when I'm reading. I do, however, get really emotionally invested really easily when I'm reading or writing. It's noticable -- my husband called me on being moody and prickly when I was writing The Game series, for instance. I do the same when I'm reading. It's like I pick up moods. Anyway-- what are your experiences?

[Jane]

I want take the author test!

Anyway, it got me thinking... I hear one voice, and when I write that voice takes on "flavours" for each character, but doesn't really sound different. Same when I'm reading. I do, however, get really emotionally invested really easily when I'm reading or writing. It's noticable -- my husband called me on being moody and prickly when I was writing The Game series, for instance. I do the same when I'm reading. It's like I pick up moods. Anyway-- what are your experiences?

I would certainly want to take the author test, too!

In was an interesting survey and now I'm really concious of the monologue running in my head - made substantially worse after two and a half months living only with the cats as my husband has been in away in Australia!  I really don't hear 'voices' at all, only words and they're almost always in the form of how I would 'tell the story'.  Fascinating.

Also the question about the telephone ringing ... I have a 'new mail' sound on the computer and am always hearing it when it (a) hasn't sounded, and (b) could not possibly have sounded.  I thought they were some sort of mis-firing auditory inputs.

I read a huge amount and reading for me has no voices at all.

Writing doesn't, either, though characters have what I call 'tone' which is their different styles.  Sometimes I write sad stuff, but seldom ever bad stuff because bad stuff always upsets me. (I don't read it, don't watch it.)  I don't know if I react to writing sad stuff.  I shall have to ask my husband when he gets back ... and if I ever feel the urge to write my characters into sad situations.

[Leigh]

I took the survey as well.

There was a period of time where my characters spoke to me very clearly. Their voices were often quite distinctive, and with a little effort I could probably tell you what they sounded like. They still talk to me sometimes, which I'm thankful for, usually to comment on how I'm treating them or what the story will be like.

Interestingly enough, when Aluka talks to me, I still can't distinguish what his accent sounds like, despite playing variations of him off and on for years. A Southerner, a Texan, a cockney, or a somewhat Irish brogue? No idea.