The Orchestra of Writing

By Tanisha Desai

Creative writing. The power to create worlds; it sounds almost divine. It’s a pen and a  paintbrush, it allows you to paint scintillating landscapes of indicolite skies, blankets of  lantern stars, verdant forests and cascading waterfalls. A celestial image that the writer  can imprint in the mind of the reader. A writer is an architect, a painter, a designer and  an inventor. In exploring the nuances of creative writing, this essay delves into the  effective utilisation of language, tone and voice to engage the reader and evoke certain  emotions.  

Some of the most valuable tools we use to craft our stories are indubitably language,  tone and voice.  

The language we use in our stories is a deciding factor in readability, comprehension  and understanding by the reader. 

The most rudimentary thing one should keep in mind is grammar. Fluency and clarity in  grammar is an essential building block to creating comprehendible stories. One  important factor to consider is the target audience. Using long ostentatious words to  make sentences sound more flowery can end up perplexing the reader. When writing for  children versus adults, it’s important to consider what type of words children can lucidly  comprehend as compared to adults. We must avoid words that are obscure, they  should perspicuously convey the message to the audience.  

Additionally, one must identify where to adopt a more narrative style of writing as  opposed to descriptive. For example, when writing a fast-paced action sequence, a  narrative style may be better; when describing a lush landscape, opt for descriptive.  

Tone refers to the emotion that is put forth through our words. To quote writing coach  Adair Lara, “Tone is what the dog hears.” Tone conveys the attitude of the author or  narrator and aids the reader in piecing together their intentions. Emphasis on certain  words combined with the way it is said can entirely convolute the meaning of a  sentence. The sentence “He killed her.” can take on different interpretations according  to how it is perceived. If it is said triumphantly, perhaps this was a goal of the speaker.  Saying it an accusatory tone completely changes the intention, and saying it dolefully  could express grief.  

Voice is what makes your writing distinctively you- stamping your work with a unique  signature. An indispensable ingredient, it adds flavour and personality to one’s work. My  writing style has transformed into an amalgamation or a meld of styles of authors I  admire, with a touch of my own character. Voice is helps one create their trademark- so  readers recognize that style anywhere. This specifically is the author’s voice. The  character’s voice is a distinctive style of speaking of a certain character you create. 

Finally, the complex interplay of language, tone, and voice come together to form a  distinctive style of story unique to you. The decisions we make here allow us to elicit  certain emotions from our audiences. 

Creative writing allows one to transcend the simple boundaries of the conventional  writing style and think innovatively- it is your message to the world; the mark you leave  on it, and your artistic expression. To ensure that this message is communicated clearly  to the audience, we can make use of these elements to sculpt and refine our stories.

By Tanisha Desai