The tone is one of the subtle things in writing that separates good from not so good writing. Getting the tone right is crucial, whether you are crafting a novel, a biography, a blog post, or even an article.
So, what exactly is the tone in writing? In speaking, differences in tones can convey varying meanings for the same words. For example, a word like ‘fine’ can show agreement or anger depending on how a person says it. In the same way, the tone in writing is a way for a writer to show their feeling or attitude about something or someone being discussed in a piece of text.
In short, the tone is not what you say, but actually, you say it. Now that is out of the way, how can you establish the right way in your writing?
Think About Your Readers
Always think about who will read your writing, regardless of the type of content you are crafting. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers to identify the right approach. If, for example, you’re writing a college admission essay, you want a tone that shows sincerity, seriousness, and confidence. You also want to use a semi-formal style of writing.
For informal writing like blog posts, you can choose to be joyful, humorous, ironic, playful, sarcastic, comical, etc. These are just examples. You should tailor your tone to the audience and purpose of your writing.
Set the Tone With Your Word Choice and Sentence Structuring
There are so many ways you can say something in writing. The words you select to pass on your message will set your tone. The words you use to describe someone or something can tell whether you view them positively or negatively. Here’s an example of three sentences that say that pass on the same message but have different tones:
- The stadium was full of cheerful fans eagerly waiting for the main act’s performance.
- Sycophants filled the stadium impatient for the main act’s performance.
- Fans packed the stadium for the main’s performance.
The first sentence shows that the writer thinks positively about the fans because of the words ‘cheerful’ and ‘eager.’ The second line, on the other hand, the writer doesn’t think highly of the fans and sees their behavior as ‘sycophantic.’ Finally, the third sentence states what happened without depicting the writer’s personal view/ feeling toward the subjects.
If you want your writing to radiate positivity and optimism, pick positive and cheerful words. The same goes for sarcasm, sadness, fear, or any other feeling you want to elicit.
Be Descriptive and Detailed
Give details and descriptions to give your readers context while also drawing them into the story. Let’s say you are telling a story about how a day at the park went wrong. How was the weather that day? Was it sunny or gloomy?
How did you feel about the day when it started? How was the air? Describing the little things around your subjects helps readers to create an image in their mind. Use unique and descriptive words to build the atmosphere that you want your audience to imagine. Examples of descriptive words include:
- Fluffy
- Soft
- Bumpy
- Red
Build Tension to Keep the Reader Engaged
Any piece of text you craft should have an underlying disagreement or argument. This way, you can get the reader engaged, depending on their inclination to your stances, and maintain an intriguing tone throughout your writing.
If you find that you have leaned heavily on one side of a narrative, you could bring in something to argue for the other side. It could be anything from an expert’s quote, a new character, or a change of setting. Many writers are known to balance tone by providing their stances in writing and introducing other characters who are more rational.
Use a Consistent Tone Throughout Your Writing
Ensure that you establish a specific tone for your work right from the first sentence. Once the reader goes through it, they should know what the article is about and keep reading.
You must pick a tone that suits the subject of your work. After that, you have to ensure that you stick to that specific tone throughout your work.
Revisit, Edit, and Fix Your Tone Until Your Get It Right
Make a point of reviewing your work to note instances when the tone deviates. Then, adjust these sections to ensure one consistent tone throughout the paper.
If you cannot manage to proofread and edit your work, get professional assistance online. You could contact a reputable college essay editing from Essayegde to get connected to an expert editor. After that, be sure to specify that you need your paper reviewed to ensure, among other things, the right tone from start to finish.
Establish Your Own Voice
The best way to establish and maintain a specific tone is to find your own voice. However, it helps to ensure that the tone you choose is right for the subject you cover in your writing.
You can create a voice by expressing yourself. Feel free to use complicated words if that is who you are. If you are a polite one, then be that when writing your works. And if you are always the most reasonable in the room, be sure to be sensible when writing your papers. Importantly, express your ideas candidly.
Final Thoughts
The tone is vital for any piece of writing. It is the best way to get the reader to discover what your content is all about. If you have been struggling with finding the right tone in your works, be sure to implement the tips discussed here.
