- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- January 2007
- November 2006
- October 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
Mixing the Ridiculous with the Sublime
How do you tell a joke about something serious and make it funny? This is something I’ve been pondering lately, because I’m gearing up to write an epic story involving both drama and humour.1 It’s what my father called mixing the ridiculous with the sublime. Or rather, not mixing the ridiculous with the sublime. (Read more…)
Setting the Mood With Conflict
In a story, starting a fight is an easy way to make the mood tense. But conflict can do more than just make a story feel tense, suspenseful. Conflict engages the audience. It makes us sympathize with the characters and root for them. And it heightens other emotions in the story.
Setting the Mood With Milieu
This is the second part of a series, after Setting the Mood With Expectations.
Another mood-generating device authors use is milieu.
Setting the Mood With Expectations
How do you write moody stories? How do you imbue your prose with overwhelming emotion? It’s all about manipulating the feelings of the audience. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to look at different ways to set the mood. This week, using expectations to set the mood.
