Using Tone in Scrapbook Journaling

You are in the midst of a layout. It's time to do the journaling but you can't figure out how to say what you want to say. What's wrong? One problem may be that you haven't chosen a tone for your journaling. To journal more easily, consciously chose your tone.

What is tone? Tone is your personal attitude. Your very attitude is translated into your writing. Your attitude might be serious, flippant or optimistic. Different pages will require a different tone. Deciding on a tone before writing will make your journaling easier. When journaling for a layout consider these key elements to achieving the correct tone: attitude, vocabulary, subject matter and audience.

• Attitude. Consider your attitude toward the subject of your scrapbook page. Is your attitude serious, light-hearted or sweet? Is it something new, scary or fun? Each of these attitudes will influence your vocabulary choices and, thus, the tone. While writing a page about my relationship with my father, I felt I needed to express some of my more serious thoughts. As a consequence I used a serious tone with a strong vocabulary.
  
  
  
• Vocabulary. Your word choices will heavily influence your tone. Will you use an eloquent vocabulary or slang words? A serious tone will use a stronger vocabulary than a flippant telling of an event. Slang and colloquialisms would be more appropriate for a light-hearted tone.
• Subject Matter. Your subject matter may lend itself to a certain tone. What is the subject of your page? Does it provide a tone by its very nature? A scrapbook page about graduation will have a more serious tone than a page about Disneyland. Use the subject matter to dictate your tone. In my daughter's class they hosted a party. I used the fun and energy of the party in my choice of a casual tone in my journaling. I let the writing flow casually, using phrases, incomplete sentences and a light-hearted question to end the journaling.
  
  
  
  
  
• Audience. Consider your audience for the scrapbook page. How much does your audience know about the subject? What do you want to emphasize? If you care about the audience for the scrapbook page take that into consideration as well.

By addressing these elements before writing, you can make easier decisions about tone.

There are several types of tone including light-hearted, serious, or pessimistic. Here are some examples:

• Ironic
• Threatening
• Serious
• Light-hearted
• Pessimistic
• Flippant
• Sweet
• Casual

Next time you're stumped on your journaling, decide on your tone. You may choose a different tone than normal, which will make your journaling more lively and interesting. It can also make your writing process easier as well as more enjoyable.

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