I know a bit about modes but not a lot since I didn't study music and don't compose (or play a string instrument for that matter), so that sounds right to me. The important thing to remember is that any musical structure exists to create conflict and provide a resolution to it. It could be as simples as a bugle call where the first part of the musical command is "resolved" by the second part. In a typical Sousan march, there's a break up strain of a different mode that creates conflict which is then resolved by the "D" strain. The point, of course, is that there's an underlying tension in musical harmony that can be exploited for dramatic effect much in the same way a writer uses climax and denonument to build suspense. The best part is that you don't really need to learn the names at first; just listening to the tunes that you enjoy for tension and resolution gives you a great starting point.
What about playing Pentatonic scales do you enjoy? I mean, it is just playing a scale, but what sounds does it generate that you enjoy hearing?