Mood: A Class Exercise
In our fourth lesson, our Creative Writing students learned about how to use mood in their stories.
Mood is the sense of atmosphere in the story. It’s how a story feels. Writers must carefully choose their words and make stylistic choices to create the mood they want.
We have asked students to write a positive and negative mood using the picture of a pier as a setting.
Here are some of the highlights:
Write one positive mood and one negative mood using the picture above.
Bored
What a sultry day. No wind but only killing sunshine with wet and salty air. I could hardly breathe.
No birds, no boats, no fishermen, no travelers walking along the wharf. Only a slight wave sound from the sea.
I just need someone to talk to me. Time passes slowly.
Energetic
What lovely sunshine reflecting on the ocean! The light wind gently brushes my cheek, and rolls up waves on the sea. The sailing boats are ready to surf fast. Kids are excited by the catches of the fishers. All of these together with the birds singing on the pier, what a beautiful picture of life! I’m ready to kick off my wonderful day!
By Kennedy Tsoi 6E
Lonely / Excited
On a windy day, I went to a pier. There were no people. It was so quiet that I could hear the birds singing, the bees buzzing, the wind blowing and the butterflies flying. I smelt the fresh air that I have never smelt before. I touched the clear sea water as I saw my beautiful face. I taste the fresh air way into my mouth.
Suddenly, a handsome guy came. I ran pass to him and said ,”Can we sit together?’’ We held hands together and sat down. I suddenly felt the world was different. I saw two people in love sitting together . I smelt the power of love. The guy put his lips onto my lips and I tasted the love right into my mouth. That’s where our love started.
By Jocelyn Chan 5C
Energetic
Walking on the pier, I felt like a boat passing through at high speed. No more fatigue, no more yawning, because I am going to Disneyland tomorrow! I heard the crashing sound as I jumped and bounced on the wooden pier. I wanted to jump into the sea, but I didn’t wear a swimsuit. I saw fish swimming in the ocean, maybe they were excited too! The trees next to me were filled with all kinds of birds. They were performing like an opera which followed my direction. A lot of the “audience” came here to listen to the performance, I, the director, would never stop!
lonely
Walking on the pier, I felt like a boat was rowing endlessly. No one was coming to my birthday party, so I walked to the pier near my home. A place which was only for people whose tears almost drop down to their faces, like me. No one, not even my cousin, was coming to my party. I saw fish swimming in the ocean. She still has one friend who could stay with her. Even though I was worse than her, at least she has a friend, I have none. I hope I can jump into the sea and play with them, but they are not going to let me play with them, because all my classmates called me weird, probably they will think like that also.
By Evanna Chan 6A
Excited
I skipped on the beautiful brown wood with a smile across my face. My eyes were shining like the bright yellow sun. The smell of the fresh air matched the blue sea. I felt like everyone in the world loves me. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and imagined that I was in a forest where nature lives. I smiled at the sea and it smiled back. The dolphins were like angels, swimming in grateful curves. I sat down and heard the soft sounds of the waves. The sea and the sky looked like they were matched together. The blue brings warmth to my heart. I touched the water; it is warm and smooth. I felt like I was looking at an awesome picture and I sat down and drew a picture.
Anger
Thump! Thump! I stomped across the dirty bridge of the pier. My heart was like a stone, being left by the world. The dented wood made creaking sounds. I want to stomp and stomp until nothing is left in the world. The dark sea was darker than a vampire’s castle. The sky was full of clouds and it was like it was going to rain any second. The sharks in the sea were like monsters, full of hate. When I touched the cold water, I felt shivers down my spine. Silent. It is the best word to describe now. It is like time has stopped. The cold wind kept blowing on my face. I felt like I was in a nightmare. I rather have someone shout at me or beat me up than nothing. The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was silence.
By Hayden Cheng 5D
sadness
Why…Just why!? I sat on the bench and there was blue everywhere. The sky was blue, the water was blue. Why are people enjoying the view? This is why blue is the color of sadness.
I looked at the sky, the clouds were nowhere to be found, just the beaming sun, giving everyone sunburns. I looked into the distance, flocks of birds flew by and left me wondering “Am I the only one who's broken?” The pier was filthy, the wood looked like it was going to break any second. I looked into the water and saw hundreds of little fish just swimming around.
Don’t they know, sharks are going to eat them up in seconds?
Cheerful
Wow…Just wow! I sat on the bench and there was blue everywhere! The sky was blue and the water’s blue. There were people sitting on other benches soaking in the sight of such a calm and relaxing color.
Awesome, the clouds were nowhere to be found and the vivid sun was beaming on the pier. I looked in the distance, flocks of birds flew by.
I thought to myself, “Even birds have their own pack and they’ll never be alone!”
I looked into the water and saw lots of fish just chilling and swimming around. I thought to myself, “They are so lucky to be able to safely swim around in the ocean”.
By Monica Wong 6C