Mood Setting

This is a fictional exercise for mood setting.

Step 1 – Setting: The Beach

Step 2 – Describe your setting through the eyes of a happy child

The child sees the beach and sprints out as fast as they can. As soon as their feet hit the sand they immediately rip off their shoes and start running around. The crisp air and smell of the saltwater is always something that brings back good memories of all their family vacations. The kid runs into the water as the parents are laughing and telling them not to get wet yet. They can’t wait until they can go put on their swimsuit and jump in. The rest of the family is happy too, mom can’t wait to sunbathe and the other brothers are excited for water games. The youngest brother is always full of excitement on the beach, it’s the happy place. The feel of the sand in between your toes, feeling the waves crash over your back, and the sound of music coming from portable speakers. The beach will always be the favorite destination. 

Step 3 – Describe your setting through the eyes of someone who recently lost a loved one

She lost him in late December. It was just three months ago they were riding bikes on the beach together in their condo that they rent every year. For the first time since, she returned to those same beaches with her kids. At first, the smell of the saltwater was relaxing, almost like all the good times she had remembered. But then, suddenly the sound of the seagulls took her into a daze and she couldn’t help but see him standing there, alone. She froze and burst down in tears. The feeling of stepping back out on that soft sand without him just felt wrong. They had been coming to this beach for 20 years, and now he is not with her. The kids insisted that it would be good for her, and relaxing. Slowly but surely, they made their way out to the water. She just stared at everyone having a good time and the birds yelling as if they had no care. At first, she felt angry, like everyone shouldn’t be allowed to have a good time without him. Maybe one day, she will be able to come at peace and get back to enjoying those long summer days under the hot sun in Florida. 

Reflection – How do the different moods affect your setting?

These two different moods clearly had quite an impact on the character while they were at the setting. The characters could have been at the beach at the exact same time, while the family was having a wonderful vacation and the elderly lady was sad about her husband’s passing. I actually have been in a very similar situation to this in high school. My friend lost her dad to a drowning accident and was terrified of water and boats. So when my friends and I would go to the lake, everyone was really excited to go out on the boat or go kayaking, while that friend was terrified and felt anger when we would want to do water activities. It made it a really tough situation, and I completely understand how the elderly lady feels getting negative emotions toward the beloved beach.