Different moods in literature8/3/2023 You can use the tools of imagery, metaphor, simile, and other poetic devices to foster a particular mood. And you can change the mood by manipulating the rhythms of your sentences-by slowing readers down or speeding them up. Well-balanced sentences can evoke calm and introspection. Long sentences full of commas can sometimes evoke a sense of breathless anxiety (commas force “breaths”). Short sentences will create a fast-paced feeling in prose, or a sense of solemnity in poetry. The rhythm of your sentences will also affect mood. For example: focusing the narrative on a shattered porcelain baby doll on the sidewalk instead of the beautiful blue sky. Your narrator-whether first person or omniscient-can affect mood by manipulating decisions about what to focus on and what to ignore. Description that stands apart from internal monologue can also contribute to mood. The same guidelines apply to a character’s internal monologue: As long as your character is consciously in tune with the atmosphere around him or her, you can use thoughts and observations to drive your scene’s mood home.ĭescription. But for the most part, be sure your dialogue supports the atmosphere you hope to create. Of course, you can (and sometimes should) offer moments of levity in even the most serious conversation (or vice versa). Lighthearted banter contributes to mood much differently than heated accusation. Are they challenged by the setting or comforted? Often this interaction enhances the mood.ĭialogue. You’re probably already aware that setting can affect mood: Is it a “dark and stormy night” or a bright, sunny day? The key to using setting to create mood is to pay attention to the way your characters interact with what’s going on around them. Think of tone in the same way that you think of “tone of voice.” The tone you use, the words you speak, all contribute to the mood or atmosphere. Your tone is created by your word choice. To understand what mood your word choice evokes, print a page and highlight key adjective and verbs. Two writers looking at the exact same scene might approach it with different words (and therefore different tones). Your word choice is the number one tool at your disposal for setting the mood. Using all of these tools together will help you create a consistent atmosphere or mood: ![]() ![]() ![]() But to become a better writer, you need a conscious, practical sense of the tools you can use to manipulate mood, atmosphere, and tone in your writing. Many writers are able to create mood and atmosphere with little effort.
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