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Category Archives: Literary devices
What Do You See in a Character?
How many times have you read posts in which people argue about the merits of fictional characters? I’ve read enough of these to assume many readers prefer imaginary people to real ones. Fictional characters are often created to be braver, … Continue reading
Posted in Characters, Literary devices, Writer's resource, Writing trends
Tagged archetypes, books, Characters, Creative writing, doppleganger, Fiction, Foil, Protagonist, semi-round, Writing, writing-tips
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Writing with Kennings
Creating imagery can be confusing. Ancient literature is difficult not just because of archaic words, but also figures of speech that are strange to our ears. These ancient authors were attempting to help the reader see the action. For example, … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, Creativity, Literary devices, Literature, Style and voice, Translations
Tagged Beowulf, breaker of rings, Figure of speech, giver of rings, idiom, kenning, old english, sail road, swan road, thee, whale road, ye
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Is “Show Don’t Tell” Good Advice?
When running out of advice to help a struggling author improve their novel, a more seasoned author may point out the benefits of showing rather than telling. What exactly does that mean? Unless you are producing a picture book, it … Continue reading
Posted in Literary devices, Novels, Writer's resource
Tagged books, Creative writing, Description, Fiction, show don't tell, Writing, writing-tips
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Classics Don’t Qualify as Comps
Before attending my first writer’s conference in Oklahoma, I poured over the biography of all the speakers. Each one was asked to disclose a classic novel in their want to read list. Despite the different books listed I was shocked … Continue reading
Posted in Drama and movies, Literary devices, Psychology, Teaching writing skills, Trends in books
Tagged agent, books, comparable-comp, dark-fiction, dostoevsky, Fiction, Literature, Publishing, Writing
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The Physiology of Love and Fear
The demand for writing from the character’s point of viewpoint is increasing. Sights, sounds, textures and tastes should reflect the perception of the character. But, what about physiological reactions? These descriptions capture the racing heart and euphoria, or the rise … Continue reading
Pushover Protagonist?
How often have you heard warnings against creating a protagonist who is the opposite of a mover and shaker, one who simply lets things happen to them? Or one who watches the other characters struggle without taking charge? A main … Continue reading
A Stuck Character
The character that I’ve imagined is stuck. Literally. He’s in solitary confinement, or in a dungeon, or abandoned on an island, and I know how he’s going to escape. But, for now he’s stuck. Should I just jump ahead to … Continue reading
The Happiness Requirement
“And they lived happily ever after” is not just a matter of fairy tales. A Happily Ever After (HEA) ending remains a favorite of many readers and has likely been one ever since stories were first told. In this age … Continue reading
Fiction from my Family Tree
One of the reasons that there is “nothing new under the sun” is because human creativity depends on our experience. But, I have only lived one life. Rather than writing an autobiographical series about a rather sedate existence, I would … Continue reading
Reading the lines… or the space between them?
Reading between the lines doesn’t refer to reading blank space. But, sometimes it is almost as difficult. It requires astute attention to pull out what is not explicitly stated in the text. How much should an author expect a reader … Continue reading
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