Writer's Tips: Mood

Writer's Tips: Mood

           

           Okay, let’s devote some time to talking a little bit about mood.  As always, let’s define what the mood of your story is first.  I think the easiest way to do this is to give you an example to relate to.  Let’s say you’re watching a movie, and in the duration comes a tear-jerking scene.  Let’s evaluate what makes it so sad.  The soft mournful funeral music playing in the background obviously, maybe a monotonous pitter-patter of rain on the window, and seeing the actors and actresses crying.  Another big point is lighting.  If it’s a gray, rainy day, the lighting in the movie might be dim and washed out; if it’s a quiet evening, the lighting might be cozy and warm from lamplight while shadows play around the corners of objects.  Additionally, the setting of the scene makes a big difference as well.  All these work together to give you that somber, tear-jerking feeling.  To create the mood of the scene.

            The mood of a scene is the feeling it gives you.  Is there such a thing as the mood of the story versus the mood of scenes?  Maybe, but since stories are composed of scenes, we’re only going to discuss the mood of individual scenes in this post. 

            Words are very powerful, and therefore, as a writer, you have the ability to manipulate your readers’ emotions.  The key is to learn how to write to evoke the response you want.  And that’s what we’re going to talk about here.

            So how do you transmit emotions through your writing and to your readers?  The first and most important point is to write with passion and feeling.  As you write, if you don’t feel the emotion you want your readers to feel, it isn’t going to show through in your work.  Readers can tell if you’re passionate about your story.  If you want your readers to cry, you have to feel that strong emotion yourself first before they ever can.  In really sad scenes I write, I’ve cried while writing them, and as a result, my readers cried over them.  In fact, sometimes I can’t even see the scene of my laptop through my tears.  If you want your readers to feel a sense of freedom and love of simplicity in the nature of a summer day and blue sky, you have to experience yourself that airy feeling- that take-a-deep-breath, sigh-in-contentment feeling.

            Secondly, you have to make good use of your tools.  What are your tools?  Well, what created the mood in our example of the movie scene?  Music, display of emotions, lighting, and setting.  Those are your tools in creating mood in the scenes of your story.  Your story is no different than a movie.  It’s just a movie playing on paper.

            All right, let’s talk about your first tool in the list: music.  Obviously, you can’t add background music to your scenes… not literally anyways.  But just because your scene is on paper rather than on a TV screen doesn’t mean that you can’t employ music at all in creating the mood of your story scene.  For instance, you might mention soft music is playing in the background.  Even though your readers can’t actually hear the music with their ears, if you include music in your description of the setting of the scene, your readers will know the music is there and will imagine what it sounds like.  If it’s a well-known song, you might even specify what song it is.  The important thing to note here is that you can NOT use in your story any lyrics from a song without express permission.  No, not even a part of the song; how much of the lyrics you use makes no difference.  This is an infringement of copyright laws, and you could potentially be sued for using them.  Not something you want to chance.  However, you can use the title of a song in your story.  As far as I know, the title of a song is too short to be copyrighted in which case you could legally mention the title of the song in your book without any infringement. 

            The second tool is a display of emotions.  This one too doesn’t require much discussion.  Just as seeing actors and actresses crying pulls on your heartstrings, so does the display of emotions your story characters show.  Your characters’ reactions, dialogue, and thoughts relating to the scene all help contribute to the mood.  We already spent the past two Writer’s Tips posts talking about characters and dialogue though, so I won’t go in-depth on that topic again, but if you need more details about how to convey those elements, look back at the past two Writer’s Tips posts.

            Lighting.  This is a big one, and one that I personally think is one of the most influential.  Lights and shadows give your scene realism, and realism is imperative in order for your readers to experience the emotions you want them too.  Just as lighting plays such a big role in taking a photograph, so lighting plays a momentous role in giving your scene the tone you want it to have.  For example, we say dim light, fire glow, and dripping candles “sets the mood” for a romantic atmosphere in a room.  Lighting “sets the mood” in the scenes of your book.  The two types I personally employ most are the cozy glow of lamplight and the cheerful radiance of sunlight.

            And lastly, your tool of setting.  We’ve discussed the setting of a book as a whole before, but this time, I’m talking about the setting of an individual scene.  Just as the setting for a book is where the book takes place, the time period and season in which the story is set, and the like, so is the setting for a scene where the scene takes place, and the time of day and season in which it occurs.  But the setting of a scene includes much more than what the setting of an entire story does.  The setting of a scene incorporates two of your other three tools: music and lighting.  They both contribute to the setting of your scene.  You develop the setting by describing the characters’ surroundings in the scene.  Objects in the room, cars passing by on the road, the glow of streetlights, the crackle and sparks of a fire, the song of birds in the trees, the gentle wind rustling through the dewy blades of grass and setting the new leaves dancing…  The possibilities are endless.  Also remember that you don’t have to go into immense detail in describing the setting.  You don’t need to describe every piece of furniture in the room, but decide what details would add to the setting of the scene and help draw your reader into the moment.  My rule of thumb is to use as little details as I can and still create a well-rounded setting for my scene.  This helps me avoid flowery language, drawn-out descriptions, and the danger of losing my reader’s interest.

            One more point I want to note on is that some moods are harder to convey than others because some emotions are harder to evoke.  They’re emotions that come from deeper within, like verbal laughter or visual tears.  We all have our strong points and our weak points in writing, but with anything, practice improves our writing ability and deepens our experience.  Being the romantic that I am, creating the mood in a romantic scene comes naturally to me.  Sad scenes and action scenes of tension and chaos are more difficult.  A good piece of work though successfully reflects the feelings of the author to the reader, and a good writer will make good use of  mood.  It takes practice, and trust me, you probably won’t strike the deepest core in your readers with your first try.  But keep at it.  Don’t get discouraged.  Practice makes perfect, and it’s a skill worth cultivating and mastering.  It’s a challenge, but experimenting with unusual combinations of music, displays of emotions, lighting, and settings is all part of the fun.

            Below are three examples of mood.  The first two are from a composition assignment in my sophomore year of high school.  They aren’t the best examples, but they serve the purpose of giving you an illustration.  Notice that the same scene is being described in each, but note the different feelings they produce.  In the first, we get a favorable impression of the wintery day; in the second, we get an unfavorable one.  Also notice that the details I chose to describe are very specific to the feeling I wanted you to receive and I only included those that would contribute to the overall mood of the scene.

 

            Favorable Impression:

 

Sally stood at the door and looked out the window.  A fresh snow had fallen the night before and a blanket of white now covered the yard.

A cold breeze had begun to blow outside, but a roaring fire blazed within the house, warming up the lower level as the wood crackled in the fireplace.  The sun had begun to sink in the west and the temperature was beginning to drop both inside and out.  Sally pulled the heavy quilt closer around her shoulders.

As she stared out the window, it seemed to her as though she was looking out into another world.  The snow was so perfect and white; it gave everything a clean appearance.  The afternoon sun shone its last rays of light through the icy trees and from behind the barn, Sally saw the sun burst into a flame of light, its last rays sparkling on the icicles like magical flame that burned for a quick moment before vanishing.  The disappearance of the sun left the world in the dusk of the night and all was still.  No movement was seen outside.  Looking hard enough, Sally was certain she could see snow fairies dancing across the blanket of white.

Minutes passed and she still stood staring out the window, caught under the enchanting spell of enthrallment.  Finally she saw a flicker of light from within the barn, and through the crack between the two barn doors, she saw the lantern light as it drew nearer.  A moment later her older brother emerged from the barn, and pulling his coat tighter, he barred the doors closed.  Carrying the lantern in one hand and the milk pail in the other, he trudged through the drifts of snow as he made his way across the yard to the house door.

Behind her, Sally could smell the potatoes and gravy as Grandma lifted the lids to stir them and she quickly turned to help her serve supper.  

           

          Unfavorable Impression:

         

          Sally stood at the door and looked out the window.  A heavy snow had fallen the night before and drifts stood piled around the yard.

The wind whistled outside, and though a fire roared inside the fireplace, the house maintained a constant degree of coldness as, through the icy windows, blew a winter draft.  The door felt like pins and needles to the touch and the frosty window glass left Sally’s fingers burning.  The coldness made her feel tired and her body had grown stiff.  As she grasped the heavy quilt that draped across her shoulders, her fingers felt numb and she fumbled as she drew the blanket more tightly to her.

The warmth of her breath melted the ice crystals on the windowpane and she peered out into the wintry world.  The sun had begun to sink in the west and the temperature was beginning to drop rapidly.  Sally sighed; the nightfall was approaching and already its cold and darkness was beginning to creep into the house.  How she dreaded those cold winter nights!  Though the blazing fire helped to warm the downstairs, the bedrooms remained untouched by the source of heat.  At night, the sheets in her bed would feel like a layer of ice through her flannel pajamas.

Minutes passed and she still stood staring out the window, too cold and numb to consider any movement.  Emptiness gnawed at her stomach as she waited.  Finally she saw the lantern light as her older brother emerged from the barn, and pulling his coat tighter, he barred the doors closed.  Sally was glad that she did not have to be out there, it was cold enough indoors and she disliked having to step through the deep snowdrifts.  She watched as her brother trudged through the mounds of snow towards the house door, carrying the lantern in one hand and the milk pail in the other.

Behind her, Sally could hear the clanging of lids as Grandma stirred the potatoes and gravy.  She quickly turned to help her serve supper; it was finally time to eat.   

           

            And then lastly, this third one is a more recent scene that I wrote over the summer.  As I said, one of the fun parts of being an author is trying out different combinations of your tools in your scenes, and one of my favorites is using unusual settings for romantic scenes, as I did in this exchange between a married couple in my first novel The Heart of a Hero (no, it’s not published yet).  The scene takes place late at night in a Del Taco fast food parking lot on a street running through the heart of Snellville, Georgia; restaurant parking lots are especially a favorite “romantic” setting of mine.  I told you I like using unusual settings.  :)  Notice how I incorporate the use of lighting and shadows in creating the mood of this scene though.  Again, it’s not perfect, but it’s a good example of how lighting can contribute to the mood of a scene.  As always though, the most important thing in writing is to enjoy it and just have fun!

 

            Example of use of lighting to create mood:

 

Swinging open the restaurant door, Michael followed his wife outside into the stillness of the night.  Overhead a clear night sky looked down upon them, and a countless number of stars brilliantly twinkled, contributing to the soft rays of light that shone from the windows of the restaurant on Highway 124.

“Remember when we were first married we used to always go out on late night dates?” Isabella spoke up, breaking the spell of silence.  She watched as her husband retrieved old receipts from his wallet and tossed them into the nearby trashcan.

With a smile, Michael nodded.  “I must not have needed as much sleep back then.  It’s nice that tomorrow’s Saturday though.  I’m gonna sleep in until noon,” he added playfully.  Returning his wallet to his back pocket, he took her hand, and they slowly started across the parking lot toward the Ford, silence falling between them.

“Michael… have you ever considered us having another baby?” Isabella finally spoke again.

Michael cast a glance down at her in surprise as she turned her gaze up to his face.  “Well, I guess it… hasn’t really crossed my mind with everything going on lately,” he replied.  “Why do you ask?”

Isabella inaudibly drew a deep breath, noting that they were nearing their parked truck.  “Well, I was just wondering your opinion on it because…”  She paused, attempting to suppress her smile.  “Well, I have some news to tell you.”  She watched as Michael reached into his pocket for the truck keys.

At her words, Michael’s thoughts began to race, noting the irrepressible smile on his wife’s face and the excitement in her voice.  “All right…. well, what is it you need to tell me?” he finally managed the question uncertainly.  “There’s nothing wrong, is there?”  He returned the keys to his pocket as he had unlocked the passenger’s side of the truck.  Sensing that his wife wasn’t ready for the conversation to end just yet, he kept the door closed.

Isabella’s smile beamed further at the question, and she shook her head.  “No, nothing’s wrong,” she assured him.  “It’s just that…”  Her voice trailed off, and leaning back against the side of the truck, she slipped her hands into his, peering up into his face now shadowed by the darkness of the night.  “Sweetheart, I really love you,” she whispered softly.

“And I really love you… only more,” he added.

She shook her head.  “I love you most,” she contradicted playfully.

“But I loved you first,” he reminded with a smile.  Stepping closer, he kissed her lightly.  As he broke the connection however and stepped back, Isabella drew him closer again for another kiss, lasting longer that time as he drew her closer into his arms.

Her smile grew warmer as he kissed her cheek a moment later, then her other cheek as well, and then her forehead before resting his forehead against hers.  Their noses touched as he still held her closely.  “Michael…”  She hesitated, her voice coming in a whisper.  She pulled back slightly to meet his gaze.  “You’re going to be a daddy again, Sweetheart.” 

Her words rendered Michael speechless and stunned before he finally managed to find his voice.  He instinctively cast a quick glance down at her stomach, then returned his gaze to hers.  “You’re pregnant again?” he questioned in disbelief.

She nodded happily.  “Yes.”  She paused.  “I didn’t want to mention it to you before; in case I was wrong, I didn’t want to get your hopes up.  But I saw the doctor today, and she confirmed it,” she explained.

“She’s sure?”

She nodded again slightly, her smile still beaming warmly.  “She’s positive.  She said it was so obvious there wasn’t any chance of a mistake.  Michael, I’m so happy.  I really wanted this baby,” she confessed.  She studied his expression, searching for any indication of his thoughts, as he offered no response.  “Michael?”

He smiled.  “Bella, I feel overwhelmed,” he admitted.  “The Lord’s given me an overload portion of blessings, and I don’t know why.  Only months ago, I was the worst pessimist and complainer,” he reminded good-naturedly.  “I don’t deserve it all.”  A slight trace of regret and shame at his past behavior was still perceptible in his words.

With a warm smile, she reached up and ran her hands across his hair before taking his face in her hands.  “Sweets, the Lord is always more concerned with the man that you are than the man that you were,” she assured him gently.  “He doesn’t see a pessimist; He sees a life willing to be written upon by His pen.  He sees a humble leader and a life of service and love.”  At the word, she touched her middle where within her womb, that little person- the very product of love- was developing.  “Michael, He sees a life of integrity and a heart for others.”  She paused.  “And so do I,” she added.

As she embraced him, Michael held her closely again in return, his heart too full of pride and gratefulness for words…. the good pride now though and gratefulness for love, for all of God’s blessings… and for the grace of forgiveness and second chances.