There are so many decisions to make when you start to write a story.
Narrowing down your choices is a great gift you can give yourself. Today I’m giving you an exercise that will help you narrow down your choices when you sit down to write.
What’s Your Story Mood?
There’s more to story than genre, character, plot, and dialogue, happy or sad endings, and pacing.
There’s also what I call ‘mood’ – whether a story is a romp, spooky, upbeat, thought-provoking, depressing, scary, inspiring, uplifting…
Tiny Task
Today, set at timer for 5 minutes and
- Write a list of the types of moods you enjoy reading and might want to aim to write, during May.
- Choose examples (from short stories, novels, TV, movies, music, visual arts) that capture the mood you’re trying to describe
- Make a few notes about what elements contribute to the mood.
Keep this somewhere safe.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What moods do you gravitate towards? Is there anything you definitely don’t want to be feeling much of, during the challenge? How can you remind yourself not to write stories that trend that way?
My mood preferences are suspenseful, mysterious, melancholy. I enjoy a playful mood, but have yet to find a way to get there…some calm moods are also welcome. Moods I don’t resonate with are pessimistic, or almost treacly sensations, super angry moods aren’t my cup of tea, even if the anger is justified.
I like to feel engaged as a reader, figuring out things, and in suspenseful stories find enough relief so that I don’t feel too taxed.
I want adventure, laughs, thought provocation, and justice. Doesn’t have to be all in the same story or book, but it can be done. Quirky characters and sharp dialogue (and voice) are key elements in what I enjoy reading and aspire to write.
I am drawn to stories where mystery hangs in the air, maybe just the setting. My stories won’t likely be mysteries, but there is something hidden to be uncovered. I also like to read stories that are funny, but haven’t found a way to write humour and carry it off well. I want to avoid feelings of claustrophobia and trauma during the challenge.
Trying to isolate a specific mood for a story seems counterproductive to me. As I read, as well as write, the mood of the specific scenes, so to speak, varies. One chapter may be mysterious, another joyful and even others dangerous.
Oh that’s a good point, the mood should vary throughout the story. I should probably update this to clarify!
I will take any of these kinds of stories; funny, snarky, suspenseful, mysterious, moving, fascinating. No stories of despair for me in May, haunting or melancholic, sure.
I wrote a bunch of words and then condensed them into one sentence.
Easy-reading, offbeat stories with quirky characters in unusual places ending with an unexpected twist.
This was a great exercise for ME!!
Oh I love that sentence. A touchstone for your challenge.
I agree. I told myself I wanted none of the following – excessive violence and gore, not education but thought provoking.
Me too. Maybe some other time, but I’m not feeling at home to despair right now.