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Watch your tone, Missy!

• A lesson on tone and mood

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Tone in literature tells us how the author thinks
about his or her subject. Tone is the author's
attitude toward story and readers. Mood (or
atmosphere) is the effect of the writer's words
on the reader. Mood is how the writers words
make us feel.
Tone
Mood
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  Amused Humorous Pessimistic Angry Informal
Playful Cheerful Pompous Light Sad Matter-of-fac
t Serious Formal Gloomy Optimistic Witty  
Key words to help you define tone in a story
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Melancholy Frightening Mysterious Frustrating
Romantic Gloomy Sentimental Happy Sorrowful
Joyful Suspenseful
Key words to help you define mood in a story
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Example She huddled in the corner, clutching
her tattered blanket and shaking convulsively, as
she feverishly searched the room for the unknown
dangers that awaited her. What is the tone of
this sentence? Context Clues? What is the mood
of this sentence? Context Clues?
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Example Gently smiling, the mother tenderly
tucked the covers up around the childs neck, and
carefully, quietly, left the room making sure to
leave a comforting ray of light shining through
the opened door should the child wake. Tone?
Context Clues? Mood? Context Clues?
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One more The laughing wind skipped through the
village, teasing trees until they danced with
anger and cajoling the grass into fighting
itself, blade slapping blade, as the silly dog
with golfball eyes and flopping, slobbery tongue
bounded across the lawn. Tone? Mood?
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Your Task Think of a childhood memory that you
remember clearly. In 6-7 sentences write about
this memory by assuming a distinct tone which
will, in turn, create an effective mood for your
story. Use the key words on your handout to help
you choose a tone.