“Fiction is not only a music, though there has long been aesthetic tension over the slightly tormenting question of just how musical it should be. How stylish should the novel be? Is it a mirror or a music, a camera or a painting?” (James Wood, How Fiction Works)

The Music of Character Voice: A Writing Exercise

Based on James Wood’s exploration of style in “How Fiction Works”

Key Techniques to Develop

1. Stylistic Resonance: The ability to match a character’s voice with the narrative’s musical qualities (rhythm, cadence, word choice) while maintaining authenticity
2. Perspective Modulation: Shifting between mirror-like objective description and more stylized, subjective internal passages to create dimensional characters

Writing Prompt (500 words)

Write a scene featuring a character experiencing an ordinary moment that reveals something essential about them through the musicality of the prose. The catch: Your character must be someone whose internal rhythm conflicts with their external presentation.

Scenario: Your character is alone in a familiar setting (their workplace after hours, their childhood bedroom, an empty train car) when they encounter something that triggers a memory or realization. Show us both their external reaction and internal experience through conscious manipulation of prose style.

Requirements:

• Begin with strictly observational prose (“mirror-like”)
• Gradually layer in more stylized language as we access the character’s inner world
• End with a moment where the external and internal rhythms either clash or harmonize
• Use at least one extended metaphor that relates to music or sound

Evaluation Criteria

Strong Responses Will:

• Demonstrate clear control over prose rhythm, varying sentence length and structure purposefully
• Create a distinct “sound” for both external and internal passages
• Make the style shift feel organic rather than arbitrary
• Use sensory details that reinforce the character’s emotional state
• Maintain consistency in the character’s voice while allowing for complexity

Weaker Responses Typically:

• Rely on obvious markers of emotion rather than prose musicality
• Keep the same stylistic approach throughout without meaningful modulation
• Force poetic language that doesn’t serve character development
• Lose the character’s core voice when shifting between internal/external perspectives

Workshop Questions

1. Where do you hear the most distinctive “music” in this piece? What makes those passages sing?
2. How does the rhythm of the prose change when moving between external and internal perspective? What effects does this create?
3. Which sensory details feel most authentic to this character’s way of perceiving?
4. Are there moments where the style overwhelms the character, or vice versa?
5. What’s the relationship between the extended metaphor and the character’s emotional arc?

Revision Focus Areas

• Identify passages where you can create greater contrast between external/internal voices
• Look for opportunities to vary sentence rhythm more dramatically
• Strengthen the connection between sensory details and character perspective
• Refine transitions between observational and more stylized prose
• Ensure the extended metaphor develops organically rather than feeling imposed

Model Text

Read Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” particularly the opening scene where Clarissa goes to buy flowers. Notice how Woolf modulates between external action and internal reflection, creating a distinctive music through:

• Carefully structured sentences that mirror thought patterns
• Seamless transitions between objective and subjective experience
• Sensory details that resonate with emotional significance
• A consistent yet complex character voice

The opening pages provide a masterclass in how to balance “mirror” and “music” in prose while maintaining character authenticity.

Time Management (2-hour session)

• 15 minutes: Read prompt and model text excerpt
• 10 minutes: Quick character sketch/notes
• 50 minutes: First draft
• 15 minutes: Review evaluation criteria and revise
• 30 minutes: Second draft with attention to prose musicality

Regards,

RAR