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This week we are going to talk about the subtle but very real relationship between tone and style since we covered the latter in my last newsletter. These two go hand in hand and one cannot be covered without the other. I would only be providing you with half of a whole picture and that's no fun at all, nor is it truly helpful to any of us as writers. So without further rambling from me, enjoy this week's newsletter and I hope you find it insightful to your writing!
trose
“This too shall pass.” - Hebrew saying
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Tone, Focus, and Pace
There is a subtle but very real relationship between tone and style. In reality, the tone of a story is in part created by the style in which it is written. But there is another very important aspect of tone which comes from the author’s own emotions and point-of-view. Its sound, and it must come from the heart.
There should always be a prevailing mood or tone to a story, deriving from four elements: the author’s style, the author’s attitude toward their material, the point-of-view from which the author writes the story, and the basic premise or point the author is trying to make. Surprisingly, these elements are lacking in many stories because authors simply don’t realize they need all of these things to get the right tone to their tale.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors and elements that can produce the wrong tone in a story. It’s easy to tell you the right way to do it, but much more beneficial to give you examples of the wrong way.
Wrong Attitude
There are times when a perfectly safe subject such as home, friends, or nature can be ruined by the wrong attitude for the genre of the piece. If you bring the wrong attitude such as condescension, superiority, or egotism to the overall tale no matter how good your writing is, you will poison the entire work.
Preaching at your readers is another tone that results from self-righteousness and this will turn your readers off to the writing. Self-pity is also an attitude you want to avoid in your writing. Feeling lonely and unloved, or overwhelmed and treated unfairly we sometimes write those troubles away and allow them to permeate everything we write. It is o.k. to write these things out, but don’t let them take over your writing! This will also turn your readers off to the material you’ve worked so hard on.
Not all negative attitudes are wrong. Indignation, impatience, and outrage can all be used effectively and often humorously to great effect whether that humor is dark or not. This is not to say that you should use any of the other above mentioned attitudes. Your characters may have these attitudes and it works great! What I mean to say is don’t allow these attitudes to overwhelm your writing and become the writing in general. Use these attitudes as tools, not as the driving force of your writing.
No Point of View
If you have no clear point-of-view, you can make no point! Thus, you will have produced a work of writing (no matter what type that might be) that really has nothing to say, and so it cannot achieve the quality of total tone.
You must have not only one definite desirable attitude toward your subject; you must also be very clear about where you stand on it. To figure this out you have to ask yourself what your tale is about. Once you’ve established that, you can then turn out a work that says something, holds together, and achieves the right tone.
Focus
Focus is very important to any form of writing. This simply means that the picture or image the writing portrays is clear instead of diffuse. A photographer has to train his camera on a subject and adjust his lens so that the result will be sharp and unmistakable. The writer must to exactly the same thing.
Before you can really decide on the focus of your writing, you must first ask yourself two questions:
 What is this story all about anyway?
What is this story’s basic message or theme?
Here are a few suggestions for bringing your tale into focus:
 Cut everything down that does not directly bear upon your point. This means take out the little words that you really don’t need, be sure you’re staying on track with the point or theme of your tale, and proofread as you write!
If you feel that some section of your work has an obscure bearing on your point or theme and you want to keep it, refocus this section! Basically, this means read back over it and rework the section so that it more directly bears upon your point or theme.
Pace
If you can keep your point clearly in focus, you are far more likely to achieve that precious sense of timing known as pace. Pace is an essential to any form of writing.
Perhaps you are wondering what pace really is at this point. Pace is movement - a sense of forward motion that is always smooth and rhythmic as it leads the reader toward the ending goal.
Pace is partly a matter of style and a careful balancing of the phrases that carry the writer’s thoughts. Even when you choose to use a flashback technique, that sense of forward motion should still be there. The more you write, the more skilled you can become at controlling this vital element.
To conclude remember that tone, pace, and focus should be made a part of your awareness. Observe these three elements even when you’re reading someone else’s work. These three elements are very important to your writing and should be kept in the forefront of your mind.
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Short Stories of Action & Adventure
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WDC Member Feedback & Questions
 likenion Bravo! Simply no more what to say! You have done that yourself! Brilliant newsletter!
likenion Great newsletter, dear TRose. It is great to see someone sharing info on style and how to improve it in an era, where people keep the good info to themselves.
Thanks for the helpful tips!
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Action/Adventure: July 11, 2007 Issue [#1792]
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