![]() ![]() The viewpoint character’s perception of and reaction to sights, sounds, odors, touch, and taste add to tone. ![]() The menace of unrelenting footsteps on wooden stairs in the middle of the night or the hurried thud of footsteps down a dark alley would contribute to a tone different from the one created by the sounds of a toddler running down the hall to meet his daddy at the door. So what the viewpoint character smells and how those odors affect him influence tone. The tone of a scene can also be affected by manipulation of the sense elements. Tone can be manipulated by changing what the narrator focuses on and through his changing reactions to what is going on in the story as well as by changing the words used for his thoughts, action, and dialogue. Tone is created or altered by the way the viewpoint character/narrator treats the story problem and other characters, and by the way he responds to the events surrounding him. Tone is achieved through word choice (diction), sentence construction and word order (syntax), and by what the viewpoint character focuses on. Whatever attitude the narrator can take on, the scene or story can take on. Remember that these refer to the narrator’s (viewpoint character’s) attitude.Ī scene’s or story’s tone, expressed through the narrator’s attitude, could as easily be one of fear lessness or fear fulness, disbelief or detachment, or maybe unconcern or snarkiness or arrogance. ![]() The child’s words and actions and facial expressions convey an attitude his mother doesn’t approve of.Įxamples of tone you might find in fiction are strident, uncaring, sassy, bossy, unconcerned, or flip. What does the mother mean by tone here? She’s talking about his sassy or smart-alecky attitude. We’re all familiar with a mother’s words to her mouthy son- Don’t you take that tone with me, young man. So the writer might come across as a know-it-all or a blowhard or as humble or solicitous. In non-fiction, tone is the writer’s attitude toward subject matter and reader. In a story with first-person POV, tone can also be the narrator’s attitude toward the reader. Tone in fiction is the attitude of the narrator or viewpoint character toward story events and other characters. They are achieved differently and they create different effects. And while you may hear the words used almost interchangeably, they are different. The feel of a story or scene is primarily achieved through three elements-tone, mood, and style. Apby Fiction Editor Beth Hill last modified April 20, 2013Įach piece of fiction, each section of text, has a particular feel. ![]()
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