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 »

They say it’s the little things that matter. I couldn’t agree more! Recently, I was in an open mic Zoom session in which one of the readers read a poem that excluded every “the” possible, and several other small words like “an” and “a.” These are known as articles. Sometimes this pruning is done in the mistaken belief that to do so will make a piece feel more poem-like. (Though I don’t fully understand this reasoning.) Sometimes, it’s to cut … Read More »

If I may paraphrase Hemingway: To Had and Had Not. Or, if you prefer Shakespeare: To Have Had or Not to Have Had. Indeed, that is the question. The answer is not. “Had” clogs up the prose, acts as a crutch, and puts the action farther into the past than it needs to be. Past (Im)perfect Most novels and short stories are written in the past tense. Fine. Whatever happened happened. The writer is already doing their best to make … Read More »

Free is great, right? Who doesn’t love free? It’s especially fabulous when you are gearing up to write your first (or next) story. Settings, characters, and other story elements are free for the taking — in unlimited quantities! So forget about TP, grab your cart, and let’s shop ’till we drop! Your Genre Aisle This may be an aisle you’re already familiar with. You may have already written a story here, you’re continuing a series, or it may be a … Read More »

We’re always told (and it’s good advice) to “write the story that is in you.” But since we’re also concerned with selling that story to others, readers’ expectations are something to keep in mind. These are not exactly the same as readers’ tastes or the kinds of book they like. Taste varies radically from individual to individual, and its origins lie deep in the person’s psyche. Not much we as writers can do about that, because there is no one … Read More »

Oh, boy! You’ve finished your nonfiction book, and it’s been set in type, copy-edited, and proofed. You have the proof copy in your hand. Nice design, no typos, pages all in order, and everything. Now it needs an index. The publisher wants you to hire someone at your expense to index it. But you know your book and the subject matter better than anyone else. You can do this. You’ve seen some of those books that have been indexed by … Read More »