Unlike television where the
mood is set-up visually and always accompanied by the score for the particular
scene which plays as background for the characters, they are not necessarily
directly connected. The mood is portrayed visually through the characters.
In writing, characters and
the mood are intimately connected.
I’m not talking about the
character’s mood, but the mood of the scene or chapter. It is not unexpected,
and should be practiced, that the mood is fed by the character or characters’
actions, dialogue, and tension.
The direness of the initial
setting should hint that the story will be dark or light. The questions to be
answered throughout the story should be deep or superficial (ie. Mystery vs.
Comedy).
The mood should also feed the
character or characters.
Ever had it rain for several
days and your mood goes down? Sure, you may have light periods of time during
the deluge, but generally most people get a little or very grumpy. On paper,
this too feeds the characters. It is an intimate connection between the sense
that something is going on and the characters reacting to this sixth sense.
The mood also is part and
parcel with the plot. The darkness that drives the characters - the light airy
feeling of being in love that foreshadows the story.
The mood can and often does
precursor the plot. In most mysteries, you get a sense of what will happen by
the initial mood of a busy office or a grave side visit with the victim of a
crime.
Romance - the drive of these
stories is normally related in the mood - the air crackled with tension or a
warm glow hung in the air. She walked outside and was immediately greeted by a
bright blast of sunshine.
Mood involves the weather,
what the character is doing, music or television show they are listening to or
watching. It all culminates into a sensory experience on paper.
The mood is many things and
all things in writing. It is the general sensation of the story. Whether it
goes from light to dark or progresses through all the shades of gray, it is a
factor that brings entertainment to the reader.
T. J. Killian
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Hi T.J.,
Great info in this article. Some of the exercises in my writing book Pumping You Muse work toward helping authors capture the mood. Just like in real life mood affects actions.
Funny thing is I wrote about mood on one of my blogs today too--but real life mood swings and how they affect eating. You can see it here. http://birdiesquill.blogspot.com/
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Hi Donna - it must have been something in the air.
Loved your blog entry.
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Something I noticed about mood: My mood, as I write, often affects my characters. If I'm angry or upset, my characters are, too. I write great conflict scenes when I'm ticked off!
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I just read something about mood.I'mnot sure exactly whre I read it at though. Then I heard it mentioned in a movie I watched odd how this came in email after I watched the movie last night well wee hours of this morning.
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It's weird how it sometimes happens where multiple people get on the same wave length. We'll chalk it up to the Full Buck Moon - lol.
Thanks for stopping by.
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You've touched on an illusive thing that we all write about or around, but maybe this is the first time I've really recognized it in my own writing. (I'm still a little new to this business. Give me a biology book any day.)And I agree with the previous comment, too. I have a difficult time killing someone off if I'm anticipating the afternoon when I'll go see the new movie SEX AND THE CITY.In one story I wrote, the hero and heroine are riding west toward a kind of showdown with an evil man who kidnapped her child. I have them riding straight into a violent, summer, Texas thunderstorm. Now, that was pure instinct on my part, I guess--I never put the two together until now!Celia Yeary
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It is illusive and so easily forgotten. That's why I often plant the tension before I write a chapter - otherwise, I go back and *groan*, forgotten my mood.
Fantastic cliff hanger you have in your story, and welcome to the wonderful world of writing.
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T.J., I enjoy reading your blogs and applying your lessons to my writing. Mood goes hand in hand with subtext for me...an element I'm trying to pay more attention to in my stories.
Misty
www.readmistyevans.com
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Hi Misty,
It can go hand in hand with subtext - it all depends on how you apply it. Mood in my stories is almost always symbolically written in.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Hi T.J.,
Great post. I think I'm fairly good developing certain types of moods, but the sexual tension is a bit difficult for me.
Sandy
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LOL Sandy - you and problems with sexual tension? Never. *wink*
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Hi Margay,
I'm the same way. Most people say I live vicariously through my characters - and they are my favorite sounding board.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Mood. I love it. Of course, we get so much rain here in Oregon, I had to laugh just a little.
Mood is like setting but harder (for me, anyway) to pull off. Not that Setting is easy either!! But when we're watching movies, the music cues us. Now I think I need to deepen my perspective while reading novels and see if I can *sense* the shift in mood.
As always, a brilliant article, T.J.!
Thanks!
Best,
Chiron O'Keefe
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You know I adore you, Lady Chiron. Hang tight - I see the cogs of your mind working.
Trust yourself - that's where you'll start to see everything come together.
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