by Melissa Wilson
What is tone when it comes to writing?
It’s a simple question, but the answer can be rather complicated. In basic terms, tone usually refers to how a writer uses certain words in a specific way to convey non-verbal observations about specific subjects. Not only does tone help to deliver facts, but it delivers them with an attitude. With emotion. With a personal perspective.
Tone is sometimes used interchangeably with the voice of the author. They are very different. A writer’s voice is a perspective of their personality. The tone of a writer conveys their attitude about what is being writing about. If tone is combined with voice, then this will create a specific writing style that can be attributed to that writer.
There Are 9 Basic Types of Tone in Writing
Any emotion, any attitude, and any perspective can lay the foundation for a specific tone in writing. If you can come up with an adjective, then that can be a tone. This means if you look at tone with specificity, there is an infinite number that can be used.
That makes it a little difficult to begin developing your personal tone as a writing skill, so those infinite tones have been categorized into 9 different types. Let’s take a look at them in some detail.
1. Joyful: This tone in writing focuses on the positive emotions that are experienced in the moment of an action. If you eat something you like, then you feel joy. When you experience reciprocal love, you feel joy. Writers use this tone to create relationship-building experiences between their readers and their characters.
2. Serious: This tone in writing creates a level of suspense within the reader. It increases their focus because the concepts being offered are important.
3. Humorous: Being funny does more than make people laugh. It also makes them begin to think about difficult concepts in a way that feels safe. This tone in writing is often intended to draw the reader into a story or narrative so they can engage with certain facts or opinions the author feels are important to share.
4. Sad: Sadness is a very real part of the human condition. In many ways, our saddest days define who we are as people. When incorporated as a tone in writing, the reader become sympathetic with the characters or the author and this empathy will keep them engaged with the narrative.
5. Formal: This tone in writing is often seen from an academic standpoint. It requires structured language, higher reading skills, and presents more facts that can be proven than the opinions of the writer.
6. Informal: The goal of this content is to have an informal tone. It’s conversational, but still conveys a certain sense of expertise within the subject material.
7. Optimistic: There’s a lot of bad stuff going on in the world today. Yet there is also a belief that the world can and will be a better place one day if we’re willing to work for it. This would be an example of an optimistic tone.
8. Pessimistic: When there’s a lot of bad stuff going on in the world, it can feel like that bad stuff will only get worse. That kind of tone would be an example of being pessimistic. Pessimism is not realism. Being pessimistic means having a belief that something will never get better, even if the facts may seem to indicate otherwise.
9. Horror: This tone of voice is threatening in nature. It speaks to the core fears that people have and forces them to confront those fears.
Now there may be 9 basic types of tone in writing, but that doesn’t mean a writer is limited to using just one tone as they compose something. It is possible to use all of these tones in some way in specific instances. Having every character in a story be overly optimistic isn’t realistic. Even the most optimistic of people feel pessimistic from time to tome.
Yet there must also be an overall tone to the book that is reflective of the attitude a writer has to the overall story arc that is being offered. Mixing tones on the overall theme creates confusion because it changes the perspective.
This is why it is important to know the types of tone in writing and how they relate to the voice being used. With the right style, it becomes easier to communicate the key points a writer is trying to make to the reader.
sukma karyati
Thank you so much. Your explanation’s really helpful.
Caden Dahl
It is interesting to see the different kinds of writing tones in articles. I’ve always thought that there were just a small amount and not nine. However, you did mention that you aren’t stuck to using just the ones here as there are ways to combine them and potentially use all of them.
atika
Thanks. Is there any linguistic book that I can refer to regarding this?
Prathamesh Sardesai
Thanks for your great explanation.
Olubiyi Abdullah
Thanks for your great explanation
Supriya
It is well-explained.
Had it been bettered if you would include an example article for each tone. 🙂
Byron Conner
Actually quite glad to state, your post is exceptionally interesting to read. I never stop myself to say anything regarding it. You’re working effectively. Keep it up!
Monique Boyd
This is an interesting post to read. This is one of the great lists regarding tone writing. Thank you for sharing your information.
Gerald Nardella
Well explained. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the best educator of how to compose. Thank you!
Georgia Wilson
Loved this article, well-written and informative.
Thank you for sharing this, Melissa.
You may read this blog: https://onfreedomandrevolt.com/how-to-write-a-book-that-can-change-the-world/
This will help you by making it possible to write a book with powerful content. The points mentioned in this blog will guide you as you write your book.
Trinidad Rodriguez
All the words mentioned above are very helpful and informative. You can visit my blog on A Guide to Writing Exceptional Poetry
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Thanks
Trinidad
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Attilio
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Keith
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Patricia
Loved your content, Melissa, very well-written!
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Kathryn
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Dawid Lisowski
There is so much negative information on the Internet, radio, TV, newspapers. Can you one more tone to this article – a positive tone. I do not mean funny or funky, but a positive tone of writing. Just add something positive, I add a positive comment.
Richard
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Farhan Ali
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Farhan Ali
Hi,
Really Thanks for your great explanation.
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