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 help convey different moods in a graphic story. By using these creative elements, authors make their stories more engaging and captivating. Let’s dive in and discover how they work!
Mood captures the emotions and feelings that arise when we read a book1.
Mood is how a story makes us feel, like happy, sad, or scared.
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.
When you read a graphic novel, the colours used in the pictures can make you feel different emotions and create a specific mood. Bright colours can make you feel happy, while dark colours might make things feel scary.
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 a cool, laid-back feeling of summertime. 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, creating a sense of fear or sadness.1
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 hidden 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.
Onomatopoeia refers to words that represent sounds. Examples include whoosh, swish, bang, zap, tick-tock, ding-dong, and buzz.3
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.
Vid 6.1: Onomatopoeia
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 sounds8.
For instance:
Here is a sample list of fun Onomatopoeia examples4.
Imagine the sounds you want to talk about in your story.
Come up with words that imitate those sounds.
Use those special words in your sentences.
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 from a Graphic Novel - Detective Sophie
Glossary
vibrant: bright
graphic designs: images created using visual elements such as 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 a reader or viewer feels when 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.
Authors use figurative language to communicate ideas in a fun way. Onomatopoeia is a type of figurative language.
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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