What if the most powerful rewrite isn’t on the page—but in the voice that reads it?
Spoken Into Existence returns this week with a question that reshapes how we craft character: If the audience’s first experience of your character is through their voice—how does that change the way you bring them to life?
It’s not just a fun narrative exercise. It’s a glimpse into a revolution. And at the center of it all… Voice! Real, resonant, character-crafting, audience-immersing voice.
The Alchemy of Audio
Every author knows the high-wire act of character development. But what happens when that character finally speaks? When Moxie Kirk—the rebellious punk teenager War incarnate—rasps her first line, or Sister Mary Agnes lights up the page with a cigarette and a sermon?
Joseph Nassise and Tom Leveen are in Spoken’s Voice Studio, playing casting directors to a cast of apocalyptic misfits. With Spoken's library of voices—ranging from rich, sonorous narrators to custom-built character voices—they explore how audio can transform the listener’s experience. And more importantly, how it can deepen the author's own understanding of their work.
“You start asking questions you didn’t even write—like where was this character educated? What accent shaped them? It forces you to finish the character in ways text never demanded,” reflect Joe and Tom.
Exactly. And that’s the point.
Voice as Performance. Voice as Tool. Voice as Freedom.
Some authors hear their characters before they even write them. Others are more structure-forward—voices emerge in the remix. Spoken empowers both styles with options:
- Browse the voice library and match a gritty Western outlaw to your space opera villain.
- Generate custom voices that age, twist, and shape your protagonist.
- Clone your own voice, if you dare to go full memoir and narrate with a personal touch.
- Let AI suggest matches, sit back, and enjoy the magic of automation.
The best part? No casting calls. No studios. No second mortgages.
From Page to Performance
In a world where over half of adult readers now consume stories via audio, voice isn’t just an enhancement. It is the medium. It shapes perception, sets mood, and defines tone. The right narrator doesn’t just read your story—they translate it.
This is the power Spoken brings: turning indie authors into audio auteurs, giving them tools previously reserved for Hollywood budgets. As Joseph and Tom demonstrate, casting isn’t about convenience—it’s about connection.
“We need these characters to sound different enough,” Joseph explains, “so they don’t blend into one another. The voice is the listener’s anchor.”
And when that anchor is right? The story soars.
The Future is Spoken
For indie authors carving out space in a growing audiobook market, voice isn’t a luxury. It’s a lever. Spoken gives you grip.
Whether you want to:
- Collaborate deeply like Joe and Tom, casting character by character.
- Keep it simple and trust the top-matching AI voices.
- Or blend both approaches with a personal twist...
Spoken's Studio gives you the stage.
Write the line. Pick the voice. Hit play. With Spoken, your story doesn’t wait to be read—it’s ready to be heard.
Watch Episode 2 of Spoken Into Existence now. Moxie and the nun are waiting.
(Reposted from the Spoken Press blog by Andrew Wallner)