My English professor assigned a 'tone analysis' paper, and at first I was annoyed. Then I started really paying attention to how authors create tone, and it transformed how I read and write.
Using the DIDLS method (Diction, Imagery, Details, Language, Syntax) helped me see what was happening beneath the surface . For example, in one passage, an author used words with negative connotations ('crushed,' 'burden,' 'looming') to create a defeated tone . In another, short choppy sentences created urgency and tension . Once I started noticing these moves in what I read, I started using them in my own writing.
My last creative piece got praised for its 'consistent and effective tone,' and I owe it all to paying attention to how the pros do it.
Using the DIDLS method (Diction, Imagery, Details, Language, Syntax) helped me see what was happening beneath the surface . For example, in one passage, an author used words with negative connotations ('crushed,' 'burden,' 'looming') to create a defeated tone . In another, short choppy sentences created urgency and tension . Once I started noticing these moves in what I read, I started using them in my own writing.
My last creative piece got praised for its 'consistent and effective tone,' and I owe it all to paying attention to how the pros do it.