R/writing: Actually characters don't need distinct voices

How do I give my characters different voices?

I'm writing (in first person) from both perspectives and sometimes I just feel like there might not be enough "individuality" in my characters even though I really try to "make" them think and act in a way that fits and identifies them. Plus, I figured I could tell the difference if I read my work, but I'm afraid the readers might not. If you've ever gone through something similar, what made you realise your "gut feeling" was right/wrong?

OP has a great question, and an interesting challenge for any writer. People think, speak, and write differently, and in a first person text with multiple perspective you need to get this right.

Now the top comment doesn't even know what "voice" means in this context:

You don't, the readers do. As soon as you present some new character, people tend to make an effort of distinguishing the imagined looks and voices for the sake of keeping things organized.

It's a part of nature we take advantage of when writing. Just make sure that it's always obvious who is doing what. I've read manuscripts with similar situations, where it wasn't clear which of the two had which thought or opinion, it was expressed without setting up proper POV. You have to always distinguish between the two.

"You don't need to make your characters sound different, just make sure the text explains who's talking."

This should be at the top. It can be a huge distraction if the writer adds a bunch of pointless mannerism or dialect to distinguish characters from each other..

This person believes dialect, funny accents, and catchphrases are the only ways that people communicate differently.

OP comes back with a sensible followup question:

I actually wasn't looking for ways to make my characters different in their ways of talking: by "voices", I meant their internal voices. My books are full of introspection. Since those two particular characters have similar ways of thinking, I thought they might be not that different during introspective sequences, but that uniqueness is exactly what I'd like to achieve.

This is exactly where a normal person might question whether the protagonists should have such similar ways of thinking, or suggest using their internal monologues to further differentiate the characters, or give ANY of the advice out there about character voice. Is the voice stream of consciousness or more structured? Formal or informal? Sparse or prosy? What kinds of words do they use to describe their surroundings? What is their emotional tone? How does their attitude, mindset, personal history, etc. affect the style of their narrative?

The response they get is... slightly approaching advice about different perspectives, but I'm pretty sure it's also a Kingdom Hearts monologue.

Every person has a past, a present and a future in their hearts and minds that they carry with them. Therefore they will see things differently according to whether or not a situation or even an object triggers them.

We are all a little broken and yet we carry on often keeping the hurt inside. The thoughts that come define who we are at any moment.

This may help you distinguish who in your story is thinking.

Ok but how does this affect their use of language?

That's a pretty profound statement in general!

Are you... A professional quote maker?

I think that it’s the secret to true friendship. Allowing someone to be a bit irrational without taking it personally gives them the space to heal in a way because there was no reaction or better no rejection just for being human.

In writing, if the reader discovers the deep wound in a character, then they will recognize and feel something that possibly speaks to them. That character can stay with them forever.

Thank you for your sweet comment. I don’t know why but it validated me somehow.

Ok but how do they sound