by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

As we write our stories, we build a community around our characters that can include:

• family members
• neighbors
• best friends
• colleagues

We often also include a Voice of Truth character and a Voice of Reason character in our novels.

The Voice of Truth (VOT) is the person who – you guessed it – speaks truth to the main character. The VOT tells the main character what he needs to hear when he’s doubting himself. Specifically, the VOT combats the Lie the main character believes about himself. 

The Voice of Reason (VOR) is the person who steps into a scene, bringing a sense of calmness and an abundance of logic. When your heroine is struggling with a decision, the VOR offers level-headed advice. Of course, to spice things up, you can always add a Voice of Passion (VOP), a secondary character who throws caution to the wind and is ruled by emotion.

Who is your main character’s Voice of Authority?

It’s also vital to determine your main characters’ Voice of Authority (VOA). Why? The VOA wields great influence over both your hero and heroine. They might not even recognize it because the VOA is internal – that oh-so-powerful voice in their head.

A VOA has been established by the time your main character walks onto the first page of your book – but have you recognized it and woven it into the story?

Let’s step back for a moment and think about the VOAs in our own lives.

As we grow up, we’re surrounded by authorities (for better or worse): 

• Parents
• Teachers
• Coaches
• Neighbors
• Employers

Some people move out of our lives, but their influence, their authority, stays. To this day, we still hear their voices on automatic replay in our heads. 

Now consider one of your main characters again. If you’ve taken the time to create a Dark Moment Story, to discover who he or she is, to ask why, why, why – Don’t skip this part! – you can figure out who is the Voice of Authority.

Identifying your main character’s VOA will enable you to develop a multi-layered character whose life choices are guided by the VOA. Is the VOA positive or negative? Trustworthy or untrustworthy? Consider your heroine for a moment: As she changes, as the Lie she believes is exchanged for the Truth, will she realize she shouldn’t rely on her VOA?

Consider both your hero and heroine: How would the story you’re working on right now change once you identify your main characters’ VOAs?

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The Thatcher Sisters Series

The award-winning Thatcher Sister Series by Beth K. Vogt, published by Tyndale House, is described as a “Little Women gone wrong” collection of novels highlighting complicated sister relationships in the style of This is Us. NYT bestselling author Lisa Wingate said, “With tenderness and skill, Beth Vogt examines the price of secrets, the weight of tragic loss, and the soul-deep poison of things left unsaid.” The series includes Things I Never Told You, Moments We Forget, and The Best We’ve Been. Unpacking Christmas: A Thatchers Sisters Novella, was released in November 2022 by Never Door Press.

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She started out in fiction writing award-winning contemporary romances, including Somebody Like You, which was selected as one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. Beth transitioned to women’s fiction with her Thatcher Sister Series, which she calls “a Little Women gone wrong” collection of books highlighting complicated sister relationships. Published by Tyndale House, the series includes Things I Never Told You, which won the 2019 AWSA Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year, Moments We Forget, and The Best We’ve Been. Beth is also a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a RITA® finalist. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation, and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to living with imaginary characters and is also one of Beth’s most trusted brainstormers for her novels. Visit Beth at bethvogt.com.