I know it is not the answer you are looking for but try to even out the vocals using volume automation. Compression makes things smaller and that is not what you want with a vocal. Afterwards you can still slap on a compressor but on vocals I rarely go above 4:1, normally with 2:1 (with the volume automation). Try to regulate the things that you feed to a compressor, there will be always peaks (unless you are recording Marvin Gaye..) that will make the compressor work harder then is preferred with the consequence that you loose impact.
Another way is backwards compression, it is great to even out vocals but they can become too smooth.
Attack not too short, put your compression on 10:1 just to hear what the compression does and which frequencies it affects. If you know that put it back on 4:1 (or 2:1) and start with the attack on the slowest setting possible and start to increase the attack until you hear the changes you heard on 10:1. Then back off a little bit.
Release is somewhat trickier, the longer your release, the more you compress. And it is nice to have to vocal come up for air (no compression) in a while.
As you have noticed I am not a huge compressor sound guy but I use it mainly for level control, thats why it was designed for..
If you like the compressor sound you will have to ask someone else, there are enough people that like compressors and know how to use them.
And decide why you want compression?
And use your ears, thats what it all comes down to, you know the gap between theory and practice? Mixing is full with it, don't do something because you are ´supposed to´.
Good luck.