Mastering tone is all about understanding your audience. When a writer develops a deeper understanding of this audience—their motivations, interests, and ideals—then effective communication becomes more natural.
Specific lines in novels and stories can hold significant meaning for readers. Still, some readers may not be able to pinpoint why a piece left such a lasting impression on them. When people recite lines from their favorite books that connect with them, they are expressing an affinity for the tone; they cherish how the piece makes them feel. If you want to master tone and keep your readers reading, don’t click away!
Providing Context with Tone
Tone conveys meaning beyond the actual text. Characters in stories may do a bunch of talking, but what is the real purpose behind their dialogue? Are they sincere, sarcastic, playful, or serious? The right tone can convey these emotions to the reader without the need for an elaborate explanation. Tone can even eliminate the need for blunt, boring statements like “Billy felt happy.” Tonal context polishes your writing and helps readers feel less like they’re on a guided tour of your world.
Adjusting Your Writing to Improve Tone
Let’s consider a simple scenario: an office clerk delivers fresh coffee to a coworker, completely unprompted. How might the recipient respond? A non-coffee drinker may say, “Great, just what I need” in a sarcastic manner, while someone in need of their morning joe might reply with, “Just what the doctor ordered!”
It’s our understanding of language and all its complexities that colors how we, as readers, perceive a line of dialogue. Even though both responses, in their literal interpretations, indicate thankfulness, one exudes sarcasm while the other exudes authenticity. Tone provides this distinction based on narrative cues and the reader’s perception. Keep this in mind when you’re going for irony or some other double-edged writing sword!
Understanding Tone in Writing for Authors
Decoding how readers might interpret written work is a challenge for writers. For one thing, everyone responds differently to varying emotional cues. Because of this, there is no such thing as a universal interpretation in writing. However, if a writer wants to make a passage stick, it’s possible through the power of tone. Remember—empathy for your characters and confidence in your abilities will make your tone stand out and keep readers glued to the story!