It had a name even though I didn’t really know what it was. As much as I don’t like labels, having that label really helped me. I was glad to finally have a name and a clear diagnosis.
From there it’s been ups and downs and ups and downs, but mostly ups – steady ups. So off I went to the computer, found the MOOD DISORDERS ASSOCIATION website, and an instant connection. I guess I had heard the term manic depressive, but not bipolar. After a couple of months, my doctor came to the conclusion that I had Bipolar Disorder. My doctor said, “I’m going to put you on antidepressants.” So I went on antidepressants and it got worse. None of that worked, and I had a very bad episode of depression. I went on progesterone, birth control pills, all sorts of things to level out my hormones thinking that’s what it was. My doctor and I worked for a long time with hormone therapy. It wasn’t until I was in my early 30’s and was going to a doctor that the depression got really bad. Then the depression came and I had suicide attempts during my early 20’s. I see a connection between the alcoholism and the mood disorder – it was definitely self medicating. I suffered from alcoholism during college, didn’t really do anything in moderation. I think everybody just thought it was behavioural. I was drinking all through high school, had a DUI, drinking at lunchtime, doing drugs. I noticed it back in high school with attention problems, getting in trouble, being up in the night – beyond the normal teenage things. For example, a dark and humorous story might be set in a mortuary with a fumbling, silly protagonist.For the longest time before it was diagnosed, I didn’t know what it was. Be sure to include details about how the tone and mood will be established. Create a quick sketch for a story, including at least three characters, a setting, and a one-paragraph summary of the plot. Here are a few examples: lighthearted and adventurous, dark and humorous, or mysterious and contemplative. What is the overall tone? Can you detect a pattern? How do the tone and mood change as the story builds up to its climax, or do they remain static? Practice:Ĭhoose two descriptive words for how your story will feel-its tone and mood. When you’re done, review the story’s structure through the lens of tone. Then scan through the text, and mark any changes in tone. Study:Ĭreate a simple outline of about five chapters from a novel you’ve read, and then write a couple of sentences describing the tone throughout these chapters. Other times, tone and mood might be unclear, and it’s up to us, as authors, to establish a story’s emotional atmosphere. Sometimes tone and mood develop naturally from the story’s characters, plot, and setting. A changing tone affects the rhythm of a story, giving it emotional and atmospheric cadence. The tone can even change within a scene: A light or casual moment can turn grave in an instant. And some authors use multiple tones in a single story: A suspenseful scene can follow a funny scene, or a tense scene can follow a sad scene. Another might use different tones for different projects. One author might use a consistent tone throughout all of their works. An adventure story can be lighthearted or terrifying a science-fiction story can be thrilling or cerebral a mystery can be grim or gritty, or both. Any genre can be infused with comedy, although there is little humor in a tragedy. For example, the identifying feature of horror is that it’s scary. Tone and mood may also be driven by a story’s genre. And events can shape a story’s tone and mood consider the difference in tone between a story about a star athlete making it to the big leagues versus a story about the effects of war on a combat veteran. A clumsy, awkward character can evoke a humorous tone for a story. However, tone and mood can also come from the characters.
#Moods of stories full#
Tone and mood give a story a sense of atmosphere-how a story feels-its emotional sensibility.Ītmosphere is often established through a story’s setting: An old abandoned Victorian mansion beneath a full moon on a windy night can elicit a dark and creepy atmosphere. This exercise is from chapter sixty, and it’s called “Tone and Mood.” Enjoy! Tone and Mood Today I’d like to share an excerpt from Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises, which helps beginning to intermediate storytellers develop fiction writing skills.
#Moods of stories how to#
This storytelling exercise explores how to set tone and mood.
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