2.6 Revising: Mood & Onomatopoeia
2.6 Revising: Mood & Onomatopoeia
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Use colours, images and graphic designs to convey the mood of the novel
Use onomatopoeia to engage readers through the creative representation of sound effects
In this lesson, we will explore how colours, images, and graphic designs can help convey different moods in a graphic story. By using these creative elements, authors can make their stories more engaging and captivating. Let's dive in and discover how they work!
A. What is Mood?
Mood captures the emotions and feelings that arise within us when we read a book. Mood is what makes us feel different emotions and adds to the fun and excitement of reading1.
Imagine reading a book that has a spooky mood. It might make you feel a little scared or curious about what's going to happen next. The author uses words and descriptions to create that feeling.
How does this book make you feel?
B. How Does Colour in a Book Affect Mood?
When you read a graphic novel, the colours used in the pictures can make you feel different emotions and creates a specific mood.
By making you feel certain emotions the author helps you better understand the story1.
It is an extra tool authors have to make the story more interesting and engaging for you.
For example,
1. In the graphic novel This One Summer, purple and blue are the only colours used throughout the graphic novel. The choice of blue and purple develops the cool and laid back feel of the summer time. The characters are often swimming in the ocean and staying up late watching the night skies.
2. If the graphic novel is filled with magic, the colours may be bright and vibrant to make you feel the magic and wonder. In the graphic novel Hilo, the character Hilo falls out of the sky and doesn’t know where he came from and has different adventures on Earth.
3. If it's a spooky story, the colours might be dark, like black and grey, it might make you feel a little scared or sad1.
Let's look at an example of how colours, images, and graphic designs can convey different moods in a graphic novel.
Scene 1: Joy and Excitement
In the magical forest, the main character, Lily, discovers a hidden treasure. The author uses vibrant colours like bright yellow, green, and purple to represent the joyful and exciting atmosphere. Lily's face is beaming with a wide smile as she uncovers the treasure, and the graphic design of sparkling stars adds a touch of enchantment to the scene.
Scene 2: Mystery and Suspense
As Lily continues her journey through the forest, she encounters a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. The author uses darker hues like deep blue and shades of grey to create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The graphic design of twisted tree branches and foggy mist adds to the strange feeling. Lily's facial expression shows a mix of curiosity and fear, intensifying the reader's anticipation of what will happen next.
C. What is Onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia is a term for a word that represents a sound.
Example: whoosh, swish, bang, zap, tick tock, ding-dong, buzz3.
Onomatopoeic words help readers imagine and hear the sounds in their minds, making the story more engaging and immersive.
Onomatopoeia is a type of figurative language.
Figurative language is when the words can go beyond their literal meaning.
Authors use figurative language to communicate ideas in a fun way.
D. Why Do We Use an Onomatopoeia?
An onomatopoeia contributes to creating a specific atmosphere or mood in a story.
It helps you describe things in a way that makes the reader feel like they can actually hear the sounds.
It adds a special touch to your descriptions, making them more detailed and enjoyable to read8.
For instance:
Here is a sample list of fun Onomatopoeia examples4.
E. How to Use Onomatopoeia in Your Writing?
1. Imagine the sounds you want to talk about in your story.
2. Come up with words that imitate those sounds.
3. Use those special words in your sentences.
4. When using an onomatopoeia, remember to pay attention to punctuation.
For instance, if we write "Crash!" with an exclamation mark, it shows that the sound is really loud and sudden.
On the other hand, if we write "Whisper" without an exclamation mark, it gives the idea of a soft and gentle sound.
Punctuation also helps us create pauses and rhythms in sentences. For example, if we use a comma in "Boom, bang, crash!", it separates the different sounds, making it clear that each sound is unique4.
Stage 3: Examples of the Revising Stage of a Graphic Novel - Detective Sophie
Glossary
Glossary
vibrant: bright
graphic designs: pictures that are created using visual elements like shapes, colours, and text
visual Effects: special elements added to images, or videos to make them look more interesting, exciting, or magical
beaming: big, happy, and bright smile
enchantment: a state of being charmed by something that is magical, or extraordinary
lurking: hiding
anticipation: looking forward to something exciting that is going to happen in the future
figurative: words or phrases to create images or convey meanings beyond their literal meaning
imitate: to copy or mimic someone or something
rhythms: patterns of sound that repeat in an organised way
Summary:
Summary:
Mood is the way the reader or viewer feels when they are reading a book, or looking at a piece of art.
The choice of colours in your work can greatly affect the emotions it evokes in the reader. This is significant because it provides you with additional means to effectively communicate your ideas to the reader.
By carefully selecting the words, pictures, and arrangement of your graphic novel, you can also shape the emotions experienced by readers.
Onomatopoeia is a type of figurative language. Figurative language is when the words can go beyond their literal meaning. Authors use figurative language to communicate ideas in a fun way.
Onomatopoeia is a term for a word that represents a sound. Example: whoosh, swish, bang, zap, tick tock, ding-dong, buzz
Extension/Further Reading:
1. To learn more about Onomatopoeia, watch this.
References
1 Color Theory in Comic Art: Enhancing Mood and Storytelling. CCC International (2023) (link)
2 How to Write a Graphic Novel: Writers.com (2022) (link)
3 What is an Onomatopoeia: Twinkl (n.d.) (link)
4 Onomatopoeia Examples: Teaching Expertise (n.d.) (link)
5 The Importance of Sound Effects in Comics: Janet Whardy (n.d.) (link)
6 Kapow! Zap! Splat! — sounds we read in comic books: Design Yatra (n.d.) (link)
7 Using Comic Books to Teach Onomatopoeia: Read Write Think (n.d.) (link)
8 A Whizz Bang Guide to Onomatopoeia: EF Education First (n.d.) (link)
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