Tone Your Writing

The old adage that it's not what you say but how you say it that matters is especially true for writers. Tone is everything because that's what readers listen to and that's what they'll remember. So if your purpose is to influence readers, your tone must be persuasive. If it's merely informative, you've not achieved the tone necessary to prompt readers to think or act in a certain way. You achieve a persuasive tone by careful selection of words that carry an emotional impact, that are heavily laden with meaning and symbolism, and that are a part of the collective consciousness. If your purpose is to deal with a difficult situation delicately, your tone must be diplomatic. You achieve a diplomatic tone by careful selection of words that are emotionally neutral. Just the opposite of persuasion, diplomacy strives to dial down the emotional reaction in readers, not rev it up. Being clear about the tone you want to convey means being clear about your purpose. The two go hand in hand, and by being clearly focused on both, you can achieve your writing goals more effectively. Content is certainly important, but content is conveyed through tone and your careful attention to tone will have a lasting impact on readers.