Writing and Speaking > Writing > Writing Mood
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Article rating : 10.00, 1 votes. Author : Elaine Lemons
Does anyone remember Mood rings? Okay, so maybe I'm showing a little of my age but when I think about writing and setting the mood I can’t help remembering mood rings.
When I was a little girl, my aunt gave me a mood ring. It was huge! I would wear it every minute of the day, and relied on it to tell me my mood. I don't remember at the moment what each color represented, but when the color changed I would announce to everyone what kind of mood I was in. That brings me to mood in writing. When you sit down to write that piece you are going to set a mood. Often our writing reflects our current mood, whether it's whimsical, sorrowful, fearful, or maybe even a sense of purpose. It has a mood. We may start out in one mood, but because of character development, plot, theme or setting, another mood may take over.
Reminds me of driving home from work the other day. It had been a very stressful day, and I was a little overwhelmed. Turning the radio on while driving down the rural roads I found a soft tune and rolled down the windows. The melody was soothing, and the warm air blowing through my hair helped me simmer down. I faintly mumbled the words of the song, absorbing the scenery along my drive. My travel took me past wooded areas as well as fields full of swaying greenery. I extended my arm out the window, letting my arm softly ride the breeze with the sweet beat of the music. It wasn't long before my mood changed. I was relaxed, completely at peace.
Within three minutes another song flowed through my speakers. A little rock 'n' roll energized me. My arm still extended outside the window, began surfing the wind like ocean waves. I bobbed my head with the beat, and belted out the verse. My speed picked up, as did my spirits. The soft, subtle fields became alive with stimulating feelings. I was driving the same road, but at that very moment the scenery took on a different meaning. It was invigorating.
My mood was altered several times during my drive because my emotions changed with each song. Can we do that to our readers? Definitely. We can begin with one mood and then bring our readers into another mood. Changing moods can be interesting. It also let's the reader experience different emotions. Imagine if my drive had ended with a patrol car pulling me over. That would have set a totally different mood. Whether we change moods or stick to one mood we don't want to come out and state the mood in our writing. We want the reader to 'feel' the mood instead of being told.
"Bob was happy when he read the good news."
The reader knows he is happy because it's plainly stated.
"Bob smiled reading the good news."
The reader didn't have to be told he was happy because he smiled conveying happiness.
"It was a dark spooky night."
Plainly stated. The author could have set the scene better, creating a better sense of the mood. The author could have written about 'ominous shadows', 'the shivers of fear', or anything to set the stage for the reader to feel the mood of the story.
Those are just some simple examples. Expressing and changing moods in a story can be much more than a mere sentence. It's all in the words you choose and how you present them to the reader. Don't tell the reader the mood just let them feel it through your words.
Elaine Lemons is an author on a site for
Creative Writing ( http://www.Writing.Com/ ). Visit her portfolio at http://www.writing.com/authors/october2002
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Posted by esprit
Elaine, this reminds me of my moody writing. Moods truly do set the mood of the piece. Good article!
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