Tune up Tone

"Works of art are indeed always products of having-been-in-danger or having gone to the very end in an experience to where one can go no further . . . and the work of art, finally is the most valid possible expression of this uniqueness."                                     -  Rainer Maria Rilke
                                                                               

Tone indicates the writer's attitude toward what he or she writes about.  It is a changeable aspect of a writer's voice,  While the writer's voice always shows through, the tone may become angry one day, comical or ironic another.  Tone is the spirit of the work; its atmosphere or aura.

Tone creates the emotional distance between speaker and subject matter.  It indicates the writer's emotional distance to the reader.

Creative Writes:

Begin with the words:  It would be much too dangerous to talk about.  Write first with a frightened tone, then with humor.

Choose a humorous tone:  "Can you tell the truth in a small town?"