TONE SAYS IT ALL BY RITA KARNOPP

Are you aware of the tone of your story when writing?  Do you worry if you have ‘tone’ in your story?  Let’s be honest, it can either create interest, or it can kill it.

What exactly do I mean by tone? It’s a great question.  There are many terms people use to describe ‘tone.’  You’ve heard them; style, voice, tempo, rhythm, pace, pulse,  mood, and so many more and all mean pretty much the same thing. I look at it this way; tone is the author’s attitude toward his characters, whether it is moody, serious, severe, solemn, ominous, foreboding, amused, profound, secret, distressed, wounded, commanding, and it goes on and on.

You can set the ‘tone’ in many ways.  If romantic you set the scene with candles, dim lit room, music, and wine.  If your ‘tone’ is suspenseful; it’s pitch black, thunder rolls, lightning flashes, branches crack under foot, etc.  How about ‘tone’ that is sad’?  How about tears, tissues, staring off across a pond, crickets, picture of a loved one who has either passed from cancer or maybe has been murdered?

Do you feel what I’m talking about?  The best example I know of explaining tone is in the movie Jaws.  Remember the scene where the girl is swimming in the water and the music set the tone of what was to come . . . the ominous score accompanied by the shark pulling her down in three short jerks before the action really begins.  That is the ‘tone’ set at its best.

Now we must face it, we don’t have the luxury of using music to set our tone.  But we can write tone into our dialog; anger, upset, surprise, fear, anger, nervous, hatred, loving, happiness, etc.  The tone your give your character allows the reader to respond.

Tone flaws - The best way to find ‘tone’ flaws in your book is to read it aloud.  You will find so many errors in your work if you take the time to read the entire book aloud.  I read to my dog – she sits across the back of my neck (ugh – ten pounds gets awfully heavy after a while) but loves my books.  You will ‘hear’ awkward sentences.  You’ll even hear when it tends to get boring!  I’m serious—you’ll hear them.

Tomorrow, let’s talk about some problems with ‘tone’ and how to fix them.

NOVEL ENDINGS By Rita Karnopp

There is one thing that is almost more important than the first sentence of your book.  Can you guess what it is?  It’s the last sentence of your book.  If you end your book with a punch, with a satisfying thought, you reader will think about the story long after they stop reading ‘the end.’

It’s important to understand what you can and can’t do to write that successful novel ending that will entice agents, publishers and, more importantly, readers. How can you write a strong closer?

Characters or subplots - Don’t introduce any new characters or subplots within the last 50 pages, and if you do they should have been foreshadowed earlier, even if mysteriously.  Why?  You won’t have time to flesh them out before the end of the book.  You don’t want a red-herring either.  The last fifty pages should be tying all the loose ends together for a satisfying ending.

Over describing or explaining – Wouldn’t you agree that reading a book where the author has described everything to distraction is frustrating?  If the book has me otherwise ‘hooked’ I find myself skimming the details or explanations.  Keep description to a minimum, but maximize action and conflict.

A sense of surprise -  Don’t you just love it when the book you’re reading ends with that ‘ah ha’ or ‘I didn’t catch that’ or ‘yes – I had a feeling’ or ‘I never would have thought of that – I love it?”  The biggest surprise of the story will make the best ending ever. Readers love it when some early, slight detail becomes the great ‘ah ha’ moment at the end.

Involve your reader -  Make sure you reader is invested in the story and becomes so involved that she cannot put down it down; in bed, at work, or even in the bathroom.  Really, I was reading a book that had me so involved – I slipped it under my shirt at work so I could read just a few more pages in the bathroom!  I’m not proud of it – but it’s true!

Happy or not endings – I’ve read some no so happy endings – I’m sure you have too.  But even with the not-so happy ending, try to make it a lesson learned, or a future that looks brighter.  Not all endings have a happily-ever-after ending, but try to leave the reader with some uplift. 

Good in the end - We shouldn’t create perfect heroes or heroines.  They should have flaws and some should even make some mistakes along the way.  The story should allow the reader, and the character, to realize that in the end she has done the right thing.  That she has come a long way and has learned something from her mistake(s).

Loose ends? – Nothing is more annoying than something planted early is the story, and has stuck with the reader, only to find it’s never addressed or solved by the end.  Every question or clue you plant in a reader’s mind should be addressed, even if the answer is to say that a character will address that issue later, after the book ends.

Final words reflect your opening - Some time ago a multi-published author stated; “I make a point that my final sentence of my book will mirror events in the opening sentence or paragraph.”  Wow, I had never thought of this before.  When you begin writing your book you already have established a purpose. By the ending, make ensure all the snags and hitches support that beginning. It’s often called the tie-back tactic.  Create a sense that the final words answer the foundation or beginning of the story.

Voice, tone and attitude – This applies to the entire story, but the ending even more so.  I’ve often read an entire book and the final paragraph is a narrative ending.  Say what?   Who is this person?  Why are you ending my story?  Never tack on the voice of a narrator to explain the ending.  It’s a real let-down.  It snaps us out of the flow of the story.  It truly will not suspend the disbelief.   

Gimmick ending - Please, if nothing else has grabbed you in this blog, please head this comment.  Don’t end your story with peculiar twists or trick endings. You’re reader has stuck with you to the end of your story.  She has participated, cared, worried, and rooted for the characters.  Don’t leave your reader feeling tricked or cheated. You want her to love the ending . . . and your book.  You want her to ask, “What other books have this author written?”  

How's Your Crystal Ball Working?

What has happened to communication between authors and publishers?  I love the feeling of a brand new house, when everyone feels like family and the exchange of information flows as freely as a mountain stream. Now, it seems we're expected to be mind readers or seers and know what goes on behind the scenes.  Guessing usually doesn't provide a good outcome, so it's best to hear right from the horse's mouth...or that person risks becoming known as the other end.   *grin*

Communication isn't just verbal as you can see by the handy-dandy chart I've borrowed.  In this industry, email becomes our main source of knowledge, so how it's delivered says a lot about personalities and how much you care about someone and their needs.  Tone is absent from our worded missives, so if you've left someone in the dark, let their impatience fester, and generally given them a "who gives a crap" impression, then you can bet, they aren't going to read your list of excuses for not responding with any sort of understanding and compassion.  A few little lines can help calm the stormy seas and maintain peace and tranquility.

Remember that new family feel I described above? Yeah, well advance a year or so, and the house has signed so many new authors, the pressure becomes unbearable, and the publisher sinks into the background, perhaps buried by stacks we authors can't see or fathom.  Communication lags, people complain on the loops, tempers flare and people grow more impatient by the moment.  The family you enjoyed earlier on now becomes dysfunctional.  What could have resolved this problem?  A simple attempt to communicate the issues the publisher faces.  I'd rather get an email that says something like this:

I hope you'll all understand if I haven't responded to your needs in the past few weeks, but I'm overwhelmed by _______(insert excuse here), and as soon as I unbury my desk, I'll get to my backlog of author requests.  Please know that you are very important to me and I'm not ignoring you, just trying to keep my head above water.

But instead, we are usually the recipients of a scathing email from a fed-up, burned out, pissed-off person who aims her anger at everyone on the loop.  Or in the case of one publisher...she took down the loop entirely because she didn't like the group discussing things amongst themselves.  Didn't she know we have access to email each other privately?  Again, a simple communication effort could have avoided the problem and speculation that comes with silence.  People aren't mind readers.  They don't know what's going on in your world unless you let them in.

So, I guess the goal of this post is to encourage people to try two things....patience and communication.  Where one is absent, the other will work for a time, but even the Good Lord expects results within a certain time-frame.  I'm a patient person if I know why I'm being patient, but more than anything, I hate having my requests go ignored and speculating 'why me.'  I think communication is key. How about you?