Getting the Balance Right

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

As a writer, how do you balance out your story, as far as tone?

I'm working on my story, and I want there to be humor, but also some dark/scary element, sexual tension, some serious moments, action, and suspense.

I've seen it in books where it just seems schizophrenic because the tone changes so much and so abruptly. How do you reign it all in, so that everything is there in the right balance?

[Delaney]

That's a tough one. I don't want to cop out and say it depends on the writer and the tone of the book, but I think a lot of it does. As you're writing, you may start to get a feel for when certain elements need to come into play. In fact, in some books, an element like comedy may not work at all because of the overall tone of the book.

I haven't tried to juggle that many different elements before. Usually for me it's sexual tension and a little humor. I incorporate them both by alternating them in different chapters.

I like to use secondary characters to add a comedic element, too, to lighten the mood a bit. So for one or two chapters, you might see the hero and heroine together, with tension between them, then there's one chapter that incorporates a funny friend or something along those lines.

Is that clear as mud now?

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

That makes a lot of sense, Delaney. Thanks for your input.

[Arch , Mod]

I think it depends on the scene you are writing at that moment. Well, at least that's how it is for me. Of course, my scenes be in my head, before I type them too.

I'm a tension writer. I love writing tension and reading it. As for humor, lol, sometimes it just happens. When the scene comes to me, it cracks me up. It may not be funny to the readers, when they read it, but it be funny to me.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I like to have some quirky humor in my stories, because I like that kind of humor. I don't have the ability to write slapstick, and it wouldn't fit for my stories anyway.

[A.M.]

I agree with Arch, it all depends on the scene and what your trying to convey as the the writer. I found that giving a charter a sense of humor makes them more likable and human.

[Tara]

I don't even try. I write what I call reality romance, but NaNo is teaching me is actually Literary Fiction with a strong romantic theme (thus my large male following).

I just finished writing a Marine's funeral and it was all over the place; tears, laughter, music, beer and Mexican food. Is it schizophrenic? You beat, but so is life.

[Stacy-Deanne]

It has to hit you naturally. I don't believe it's really something you can plan or pick up on it. Just write the story and let it take you from there, whatever you feel. That's the fun part. ROFL!

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I like that advice, Stacy.