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Author Archives: knlistman
Comments About Commas
Among literary devices, one of my favorites is polysyndeton. Despite its fancy name this is a plain device and easy to use. Simply repeat “and” after every word in a list. Polysyndeton provides quick and simple emphasis. “While driving through … Continue reading
Posted in Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Literature
Tagged oxford comma, polysyndeton
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The Challenge of Writing Humor
I struggle with writing humor. What I find funny is often too close to real life for others to comfortably laugh at it. What others find amusing may irritate rather than entertain me. Once I heard a bit of advice … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Laughter and humor, Writing trends
Tagged defining what is funny, humor in writing
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Name Dropping
Hamlet is often portrayed as a man dressed in medieval finery with a skull cradled in his hand. Many people assume that Hamlet recited his fateful soliloquy “To be or not to be…” as he stared at the skull. That’s … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, Characters, Drama and movies, Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Nonfiction, Novels, Trends in books
Tagged Bible, Chewbacca, Shakespeare
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Allusions
The man awoke in an unrecognized ancient building. He attempts to leave, only to find doors lock and windows barred. Then, he discovers other people inside as bewildered as he is. They are all being held as prisoners. The only … Continue reading
Imagery
Imagery is one of the harder concepts to pinpoint in writing. What exactly is the difference between describing something in detail and creating imagery? This is not easy to explain. Imagery is often a figurative or symbolic description that goes beyond … Continue reading
Traveling Swan Roads in Books
While reading Beowulf in a modern translation I encountered a person called a breaker of rings. In my mind I could see a burly man hacking gold rings apart, possibly a thief destroying the identity of his latest heist. As … Continue reading
Leaders within the Writing Community
Writing is often a solitary endeavor. Authors spend hours alone working words and ideas into something alive within their own minds. New writers, unused to such dedicated isolation, often seek inspiration for their creativity–new sources for intriguing characters and unique … Continue reading
Skip the Formula
At one point in time, 10 years ago to be more precise, I decided to write a romance. According to my critique group a romance is a genre that readers can’t get enough of and therefore an easy to market … Continue reading
Posted in Characters, Novels, romance, Story structure, Writing trends
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The Superpower of Speaking Other Languages
I found a list helpful for writers wanting to avoid the dreaded Mary Sue/Marty Stu character. If a protagonist had three or more of the traits that character had failed the test. One item that caught my attention was “Speaks … Continue reading
What is Not Lost in Translation
One of the old Star Trek episodes that intrigued me had a simple plot with a complex Idea. Captain Kirk and his landing party were forced to land on a planet only to discovered that their universal language translators didn’t work. … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, languages, Literary devices, mythology, Translations, Writing trends
Tagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1885
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