Help a fictional character find a voice
When a character feels silent, try a small scene rather than a complete biography. A focused exercise can reveal choices and tensions without requiring you to know the whole story first.
Checklist
Put the character in an ordinary situation where they want something specific. Write what they ask for and what they avoid saying, keeping the scene short enough to revise.
Rewrite the exchange with a different listener. Notice changes in vocabulary, rhythm and what the character assumes the listener already knows.
Choose one detail that feels consistent and test it in another scene. Keep discarded versions as experiments rather than forcing every discovery into the final manuscript.
Questions and answers
Should every character sound completely different?
Aim for choices that fit the person and context, not exaggerated verbal habits. Read dialogue aloud and ask what each speaker wants at that moment. Differences in attention and intention can be as useful as a distinctive catchphrase.