VOICE

       There are three parts to the use of voice, but not every story will require both. Not every storyteller's style will use these techniques. One part of using your voices effectively is how you vary the intonation of your voice throughout the story.  The second is the rate at which you speak. The third is character voice.

       I seldom sit down and decide whether to use either one of these factors. I did when I was first beginning to tell stories. Now I have learned to let the story tell me what it needs. My basic rule of thumb for determining whether a story wants intonation or character voice is simple. If  I have to force the technique, it probably is not right for the story. Yes, storytellers need to craft their tales, and like any artist, should control their art. However, intuition has a place and learning to follow your intuition takes practice too. 

Use the following links for more storytelling tips.

Facial expression, eye contact, body movement

Microphone use

Finding stories to tell

INTONATION

     While varying the intonation of your voice can be a conscious decision, it is safe to say that a monotone voice is boring to the listener. After listening to many different tellers, especially those of particular cultures, you may discover a sing-song rhythm present in many stories. This rhythm often travels throughout the story with little variance. I have heard readers of Beowulf use this sing-song rhythm. 

      Part of your job as a storyteller will be to decide what the story calls for. Chances are you will not want to tell in a monotone voice or with too much intonation either. The most important tip is not to let your words fall off at the end of sentences. A tiny upturn in the intonation allows the listener to catch that last word. Also watch for "tired voice." A storyteller who has been telling more than 30 minutes may find their voice rising into the higher register. Try to vary your pitch to keep your most precious tool in good shape. If you think you are talking too high, take a breath and lower your voice. This is not a whisper but more like baritone instead of soprano.

      I would add that how softly or loudly you talk is also under your control. A soft voice is effective in creating mood, as is a loud voice, but you must consider the comfort of your audience. Never be so soft spoken that they must strain to hear you, or so loud that they cover their ears. Even in a room with good acoustics, I tend to use a microphone. You cannot know if someone in your audience is hard-of-hearing. If you do use a microphone be careful not to shout or garble your words. More of this will be discussed in Microphone Use (See the links).

SPEED

      When a speaker gets nervous they may talk more quickly. It is important to control your rate of speech so you are heard and understood. If you feel nervous make a concentrated effort to speak slowly. Make sure you take regular breaths too. Nervousness causes us to forget to breath correctly.

      Sometimes you may want to speed up your story to create excitement. This is especially true if you character is running, running, running. Imagine how silly it might sound if instead of speaking quickly when they are running, you spoke slooooowly. I have used this technique to create sarcasm however. Slow down your speech to create suspense and mystery. Also lower the tone of your voice.

CHARACTER VOICE

    To some extent, the use of character voice will be personal preference. I have found that serious stories want fewer, if any, character voices. This is also true of very short stories. Character voice is a great way to separate character dialog without always saying "he said." Once your characters have distinct voices, it is easy for the audience to tell them apart.  

       It is important to make sure they are distinct so the audience does not get confused. Every character in a story does not necessarily need a voice. An incidental character that shows up only once can be distinguished by a name rather than a voice. This is much more effective than creating twenty voices.

       Study different ways  people talk and animals sound. Different cultures use different animals sounds in their native languages. The Greek rooster says "Kee kee kee lee kee kee" instead of "Cocka doodle doo."

       Do not confuse using character voice with using dialect to tell the story. As storyteller, you are narrator and every character in the tale. You do not have to tell an Irish story with an Irish accent, for example. In fact, you may end up insulting someone by doing so. Your Irish character can have an accent without you having one. Also keep in mind, there are often many dialect within a single culture.

     Lastly, while using character voices can be a lot of fun, they are not something you have to do. On the flip side, some storytellers believe that character voices should not be used at all. I urge you to do what feels right for you.