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Category Archives: Literary devices
How Can Writing Not Be “Telling?”
I find the “show don’t tell” adage for writers a curious contradiction. Unless you are writing a movie script that will be produced, everything that you record is actually told to the reader. Writing is very abstract, so providing this … Continue reading
How Monumental Should Fantasy Heroes Be?
Fantasy provides a kind of escapism for young adults (and even some older adults). Characters come from a less technological era, in which a teenager could be considered an adult capable of making all their own decisions. The popular fantasy … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, Characters, Literary devices, mythology, Novels, Trends in books
Tagged Fantasy, mythology, superheros
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Defining Sci-Fi
In Perelandra, an earth man is sent to Venus on a mission from God to counsel the ‘Eve’ of that planet so she does not fall prey to the wiles of Satan’s agent. I, Robot is a collection of short … Continue reading
Posted in Literary devices, Writing trends
Tagged H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Star Wars, Ursula Le Guin
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A Series of World Building Woes
I am tentative about announcing a series because I recall the thrill of reading Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson when I was much younger. In this historical fiction a teenager escapes imprisonment on a ship and flees through the wild highlands of … Continue reading
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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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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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
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
Posted in languages, Literary devices, Novels, Translations, Writer's resource, Writing trends
Tagged Aguilar, aztec, Cortés, la malinche, Maya
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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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What Rules?
It would seem easier to be a writer after gaining some reputation or a devoted group of followers. But, at that point the writer has to make the decision, “Should I keep producing what readers expect of me or allow … Continue reading
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