Have you ever read a great horror or thriller novel and felt a pervasive sense of the eerie or ominous? How did the writer create that mood? Mood is an aspect of novel writing that is often overlooked. We talk more about specific elements such as character and plot. The mood of your novel emerges out of a combination of these elements: Plot and theme, language, characters and setting. Yet focusing on mood itself as a subject is useful for making sure your story affects readers the way you want it to. Here are tips for writing fiction that establishes mood effectively:
