This week’s video talks about
an oft-overlooked but surprisingly crucial decision that needs to made before
you even begin writing your story.
Video Transcript:
Tone is one of those things, along with author “voice,” that can be difficult
for us get our heads around, since to some extent, it just happens. But tone,
even more than voice, is something we can—and should—deliberately consider and
plan for the good of our stories. Think of tone as sort of like a flavor. If
your reader takes a spoonful of your story, is he going to get a mouthful of
sweet, salty, tart—or an unpalatable glop that includes a little bit of
everything?
The first consideration when it comes to tone is
consistency. We want to set up and frame the story in a way that will guide
reader expectations and then completely fulfill them. Unless we’re pulling a
“Happiest Little Elf” à la Lemony Snicket, it’s not likely to be a good idea
for us to start out with a whimsical tone, only to turn the story into
something dark and graphic. When we begin a Terry Pratchett novel or a Tim Burton movie, we know exactly what we’re going to get because the tone is set
right from the beginning.
To a large extent, your tone will probably choose itself.
But because it will influence the entirety of your story, it’s something worth
thinking about and playing around with. Are you going for light and happy, dark
and grungy, straightforward and businesslike, poetic and ethereal? These choices
will dramatically influence your reader’s perception of your story. Your plot
and characters can remain the same, but if you change the tone, the whole story
changes. So when you’re beginning a new story, take a few minutes to play
around with the tone. Write your opening line in a variety of different tones.
Play around with narrator voices and explore them from different emotional
angles. When you’re done, evaluate which one you enjoyed writing the most and
which best evokes the type of story you’re wanting to create.
Tell me your opinion: How would you describe the tone in your most recent story?
Related Posts: Is Authorial Voice Different From Character Voice?
Story by K.M. Weiland
Tags: Feature , narrative , opening line , tone , voice
It's a little dark and sartorial - at least that's what aiming for :)
Hmmm, tone...pragmatic? It not whimsical, or dark -- sometimes, though, when I have a whimsical or dark scene. But it's just kind of middle-of-the-road, says-what-it-needs-to-say, conveys-the-mood-it-needs-to-convey (hopefully). As far as what I want my reader to walk away with, I would say a little bit of doubt about current suppositions, questions about the line between my fantasy and their reality, and hope/motivation for challenging the current culture.
We'll see how I pull that off, though.
Thanks for the video. The tone in my new mystery, Shimmer, is on the dark side, but with a ray of hope.
Thanks for the video. The tone in my new mystery, Shimmer, is on the dark side, but with a ray of hope.
@mshatch: Sounds fun - esp. the sartorial part.
@Daniel: Radical tones that stray off the beaten path are often more memorable, but they're also much more difficult to pull off. You're not likely to go wrong with a "middle-of-the-road" tone.
@Brian: Stories like that are often some of my favorites.
this was good timing for me. I'll be starting a new novel soon and I hadn't thought about setting the tone. I wonder now what readers will think the tone is of the one I just completed. Important to establish it early!
thanks KM!
That's where beta readers come into play. Nothing like a little objective feedback!
I never think about tones for my story.. they just kinda work themselves into it without any forethought.
Possibly because I use music with a mood for the inspiration?
Thanks for the transcript. My little netbook which I have on hols is a little lazy with youtube and other vids.
Great post on voice. Mine is a little poetic and ethereal in my current novella.
@Gideon: Tone will happen, one way or another, whether we think about it or not. And, usually, the tone that comes out is the right one for the story. But consciously claiming tone can only strengthen what we're trying to accomplish.
@Denise: As a reader, poetic and ethereal is almost always a favorite.
Mine is dark and tragic should be since it's horror-based.
But, of course!