In a recent gathering of playwrights turned television writers, Kim Rosenstock led a compelling discussion on the often-overlooked aspect of tone in storytelling.
Exploring Tone in Television Writing
Emmy-nominated writer Kim Rosenstock (Dying for Sex) posed a provocative question to an eclectic group of playwrights-turned-TV writers at the latest edition of Proper Presents: Deadline Dinners: Have you ever been asked to explain your show’s tone?
Understanding Tone in Storytelling
To kick off the night designed to foster candid, intimate conversations among storytellers, Rosenstock admitted she was once stumped by this question when posed by a reporter. As a former playwright with an MFA in playwriting from Yale School of Drama, she noted that tone is rarely addressed in theater, where discussions typically center on a playwright’s voice.
“I don’t know what that means,” Rosenstock said regarding the tone inquiry. This sparked a lively discussion among her guests at the Deadline event held at the Santa Monica Proper hotel.
Theater vs. Television
One writer shared her recent experience of receiving the tone question after submitting a script. “In theater, we talk about voice a lot, which relates to you and what you have to share,” she explained. “In TV, the show gets to have a voice, which is tone. It’s annoying how often tone comes up.”
Another writer recalled leading a tone meeting during her first show, feeling taken aback by the need to explain what should be clear on the page. “I was like, why do I have to spell this out?” she reflected. “That was naive and also quite arrogant, obviously, because I was experiencing how decisions are made and how many people can’t be at that meeting. We have to specify the intention behind everything.”
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Insights from the Dinner
Milam, who works at the documentary film company Freethink Media, contributed an interesting perspective by likening tone to her role as a yoga teacher. “People want an expectation of what they’re walking into, seeking a safe experience,” she said. “Tone comes from fear of the unknown. My classes are hard, but I create a safe and free environment.”
Smith added a quote from an Israeli psychoanalyst that resonated with the group: “Tone is the emotional organization of experience.” This highlights how tone conveys feelings and guides how information is received.
Rosenstock recently earned her first Emmy nomination for co-writing the Dying for Sex episode “Good Value Diet Soda” with Elizabeth Meriwether. While assembling the guest list for the dinner, she humorously noted Googling “playwrights who work in TV” and was surprised not to find her name.
