 The Write Reason for Research |
Writing Tips: Tone Exercise One
A book without tone is like a human without any emotions. Flat characters are often boring because there is no human quality in their interactions. This week, the exercises we will be featuring from Writing Aerobics I will focus on setting the tone of the novel. To do this, it’s important to recognize and distinguish between flat tones and emotional tones.
Tone Exercise One
Objective: To recognize tone
To recognize tone, ask yourself what the writer is doing to elicit an emotional respone from the reader. Is it word choice? Imagery? Actions that speak louder than words? Character, dialogue, thoughts, or feelings? Do words or images build on each other to create a compelling picture of the character’s life? Or is the writer merely giving us surface information: names, dates, activities, concrete observations?
Read the sentences below. Mark an “F” beside the ones that seem flat and devoid of tone; mark a “T” beside the ones written to elicit an emotional response.
1. Harry and David had been friends for many years, and they frequently got together to play cards and share a few laughs.
2. Once he knew where he was going, Bret folded the roadmap, tucked it into the glove compartment and eased the old Buick back out onto the highway.
3. Jessie shivered when she saw his face. Blood dripped from his mouth. Had he been in an accident…or a fight?
4. The stallion was a beautiful animal. His coat was pure black and his tail long and full. Robert was sure the horse would fetch a good price at the auction.
5. What a horse! The stallion looked even better than Robert remembered. His coat shone like black satin and his tail streamed out behind him when he ran, like a banner. It’s gonna break my heart to sell him, Robert thought, but I have to.
6. Marie took the frog from Justin and cupped it in her hands. It wriggled against her palms, wet and slimy. Little boys were disgusting brutes!
7. The mountains looked bright pink in the glow of the early morning sun.
8. The wind, like a mischievous child, batted the tops of the pines, sending a fine sugar-dusting of snow to the ground.
9. That day in April in 1066, the Saxon army was in no shape to withstand the onslaught of the Norman fighting force. Harold, a fair-to-middling general, was taken off his guard and had no time to prepare a stand against William’s well-equipped horde.
For more helpful tips and exercises, visit www.sterlinghouse-bookstore.com and check out:
Writing Aerobics I by C. Sterling and M. Davidson
What do you think about this exercise? Tell us at editor@writersnewsweekly.com or join the discussion on facebook.com.
