In Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Like poetry and impressionist painting, great fiction suggests themes and meaning through events for the reader to interpret. In storytelling, less is more. Let’s examine some of the flab you can cut from a manuscript that the reader won’t miss. One Is A Million One well-told example can represent a universal truth. Rather than tell the story of five soldiers at war, try telling the story of one. Readers want … Read More »

If you’ve ever laughed out loud or cried or chewed a fingernail while reading a book, it’s because the character came to life for you. The character’s experiences drew you into the story, so you vicariously felt that awkward moment, heartbreak, or fear. How does an author create that kind of connection with a reader? Through credibility, authenticity, and originality. Credibility Credibility makes the reader believe the story is possible. Research yields facts and knowledge about the story setting and … Read More »

Storytelling to entertain means skipping the boring parts. Why narrate the time it takes a character to travel from one point to another or to dress or eat or perform other mundane activities? The reader wants meaningful action and gradually increasing conflict. By plotting the story so one event causes another and so on, we choose what happens and the order in which events happen. There will be gaps in time and changes in setting and point of view from … Read More »

Because of the variety of literary devices, we will examine them in groups. In this third article on literary devices, we review a dozen dynamic ones that writers often misuse or overlook. Chiasmus It is symmetry in grammatical structure in which two clauses are used with a reversal of structure against one another. Dramatic and memorable, such a sentence is designed to persuade the reader about a key concept such as defining a value or questioning cause and effect. Ask … Read More »

Writers use techniques called literary devices to create imagery and mood with words. Some literary devices subtly affect the subconscious while others hammer ideas and descriptions into the reader’s brain. Because there are so many devices, we will examine them in groups. In this article, we review literary devices which create sound and rhythm. Read beautiful prose, song lyrics, and poetry aloud, and it sounds like music. Shakespeare’s plays were known for having a specific rhythm that sounds like elevated … Read More »

The writer’s adage of “show don’t tell” suggests telling is less effective in presenting a story than showing; however, great storytellers do both. Let’s explore how we lure readers into our story to enjoy our fictional dream through balancing show and tell. Show Showing slows down the pace to immerse the reader in a detailed sensual and emotional experience. Readers will ignore a full bladder, an empty stomach, and the need for sleep for the unique thrill of being in … Read More »