Writing Mood
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.