Tone of voice in non fiction writing

What tools can a writer use to speak to their audience?

Whether we know it or not, we all understand what tone of voice means. We’ve heard the phrase “Don’t take that tone with me!” and have instantly known what the speaker meant. It’s likely they heard shouting or a raised voice and interpreted the words as aggressive. And when a character is described as having a soothing tone, we can easily envision someone with a calm, caring demeanor. But how do we create the tone we want to convey without telling our readers directly? Well, just as a parent might tell their upset child, “Use your words.”

Writing is a conversation between you and your reader. You are inviting them to engage with your message and the words you choose can determine whether or not they do. But it’s more than just vocabulary. Your sentence structure, verb tenses, sentence lengths, and the punctuation all play a role in shaping the way in which you ‘speak’ to your audience.

Raw materials: word choices

As children, we begin with simple words and simple phrases, increasing our vocabulary as we strengthen our ability to read. The number of letters and syllables increase and we learn new ways to say things, adding precision to our conversations. What started as “ba-ba” may turn to “bottle,” then “milk.” We then add words to say “I’m thirsty,” and ask for “a drink of milk, please.” We need to take a similar approach when we write for our target reader.

Ask yourself who you are writing for and what they do (or do not) know about your subject matter. Perhaps you are writing a children’s guide to composting in which case you may need to add extra sentences to define some of the concepts you’re teaching. Or maybe your ideal reader is a professional chef and the term ‘chiffonade’ needs no explanation. Slang can bring your writing into the modern era but may severely limit the relevance of your writing as trends change. Being overly formal in your vocabulary may also turn away casual readers, for better or for worse. Whoever you are writing for, consider their level of interest and background knowledge of your material and what they are likely to be seeking from your writing. Those few pieces of information should tell you where to start your conversation.

Verbs verbs verbs: verb tenses

Verbs are at the heart of every sentence. They literally tell readers what’s happening and, especially in non fiction, often tell the reader what to do. "Bake at 350°F." "Check your measurements twice." "Write this down." But the verbs you select and the verb tenses you use can add a new dimension to those actions. I could have written “cook” in my example, but I chose “bake” because it better describes the desired action and is a term that is likely expected by a recipe reader. And I used the imperative because the sentence is a command or instruction. If baking had been only part of the instruction, the tense may have changed: “Once you have baked the tarts for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool.”

Some verbs may be industry-specific and expected, or may be too complex for your audience. Some, like in the example used above, add extra description in lieu of a more basic verb choice, allowing you to save words when space is limited. While the verbs chosen should always be at the reader’s level but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a bit of poetry once in a while.

Building blocks: sentence structure

Just as our first words are short and simple, so are the first sentences we learn to create. They usually follow one of the most basic sentence structures: Subject-verb-object. We say, “I like cookies.” Writing like this is safe. It is clear. But it is limiting. And it is boring. So we start by mixing things up, telling people “Cookies are what I like.” Eventually we want to say more than just the facts and we start to add details and create complex thoughts with longer sentences. Now we tell others that “I like the chocolate chip cookies from Barke’s Bakery but they still don’t compare to my Mom’s homemade ones.” Longer sentences like this add flavour to your writing and give readers more than simple facts. It gives them a taste of your voice.

While not all non fiction writing allows for quite so much personality to shine through, even the most basic, clearly written instructions can be explained in more than one way. When you find the writing is sounding stale, try to re-write the sentence in another way to see how it sounds. You may find that “It is best to store winter tires indoors,” sounds friendlier than “Storing winter tires indoors is best.”

Tempo: sentence length

Good writing is something that most of us just recognize when we see it. You don’t necessarily know why it’s good, but it sounds good. Musical, almost. Poetry is the most obvious form of writing that sounds like music but it’s not the only form. Speeches, dialog, even long paragraphs expounding on the wonders of Roman aqueducts can have a lyrical quality to them. But sometimes writing isn’t meant to sound pretty, it just has to relay the bare minimum using language that is specific and unchangeable. Well, then you can play with the length of your sentences to keep the audience engaged. For example, when you want to add a particular emphasis, mixing up the length and structure of your sentences can draw their attention. See? Just like that.

By crafting sentences of varying lengths and levels of complexity, you give yourself the ability to draw your readers along as they follow from the first capital letter to the final punctuation mark. And having a reader who wants to read your work to the end is the goal, isn’t it?

Getting to the (exclamation) point: punctuation

Now that you’ve chosen your words, conjugated your verbs and crafted a whole sentence, what does the end look like? Using punctuation can add interest to your content by highlighting certain things and encouraging reflection on others. Some writers absolutely love exclamation marks! Others abhor them. Do you have a preference?

Beyond the fundamental sentence-enders, there are numerous other ways to add interest and keep your words flowing smoothly. Perhaps use a colon to start a list. A semi-colon to directly compare two connected but independent thoughts. Dashes to insert an opinion within another sentence. Or even an ellipsis to send your reader away thinking there’s more to the story… Your editor will ensure you are using punctuation correctly and consistently so go ahead and have fun with it!

However you choose to express yourself and convey your message, the most important thing is that your work is written in a way that invites the reader to respond in the way you intended. You clearly have a message to get across, that’s why you’re writing, but you also have an ask of your reader: to follow directions, consider an alternative, or even to behave in a certain way. By considering the tone of your writing, you can effectively encourage them to take your message off the page and into the world.

If you have questions about how you can ensure your tone meets your audience expectations, let’s talk! It can be difficult to review your own work from a distance but that is exactly what an editor does; Editors take the place of your ideal reader and give you the feedback needed to make your writing the best it can be.