Literary Devices & Writing Techniques

January 27, 2022

6 Ways Dialogue Reveals Characterization

In truth, there are infinite ways dialogue reveals characterization, but, for the sake of article, I’m going to cover some of the most common and useful ones. Building Characterization through Dialogue Dialect Let’s get the obvious out of the way and talk about dialects or accents (don’t get nitpicky with me now, linguists). Dialogue is a wonderful way to establish...

October 28, 2021

Creating a Foil for Your Character & More

My goal for this article is to cover all aspects of creating a foil for your character (or characters): what a foil is, how to create a foil, and ways to use a foil in a story. Using Foils in Your Story What is a Foil? A foil is a character that contrasts another character. They’re most often used to...

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October 14, 2021

How to Write Freudian Slips (What Is a Freudian Slip?)

A Freudian Slip is a literary device that is used to insert comedy and reveal secrets. Before we get into how to write Freudian Slips, however, let’s start with the definition. Freudian Slip Definition A Freudian Slip is a type of word replacement where an innocent or “safe” word is replaced with one that has a deeper, revealing meaning. The...

Humor & Wordplay/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comments: 0

September 2, 2021

Hidden Meanings in the “I’d Do Anything” Pet Store Commercial

I can’t help but wonder if the person who came up with the “I’d Do Anything” pet store commercial had ever seen the musical the song came from. As fun as musical numbers in Oliver! can be, many of them also have a depth of hidden meanings and darker hints, and I can’t help but think of those other meanings...

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July 22, 2021

Deus Ex Machina: Past & Present

As a plot device, deus ex machina has a pretty bad rap (lazy, unimaginative, etc.), and yet, somehow, it continues to be widely used (maybe because plotting is hard). What I find most interesting, though, is how it’s changed from its origin to now. The Evolution of Deus Ex Machina Where Did Deus Ex Machina Come From? You may have...

Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comment: 1

September 15, 2020

Sensory Writing for Smell: 5 Tips to Remember

Anyone who’s ever taken a writing class knows that it’s important to use the senses when writing. Even so, we often overlook the sense of smell. At best, it tends to be thrown in more haphazardly than other senses and rarely used as part of the plot. That’s why using smell sensitivities and other scent-related facts well can make your...

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May 22, 2018

Is It Good to Use Idioms in Writing?

Want to use idioms in writing but aren’t sure if it’s, good, acceptable, or an egregious sin? Honestly, that’s like questioning the value of popular fiction: some say it’s trash, and others think it’s great. When it comes to idioms in writing, I’d say that it can go either way – it depends on how you use them. It’s a...

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May 8, 2018

What Happens When Names Are Words

Maybe, once upon a time, most names were words that have common meaning. Not anymore. Now, when we read common names or hear them, they’re just names. But what happens when names are words that we still use? Like Chicago or North. Or even Table (it happens – ask Trevor Noah , if you don’t believe me). When Names Are...

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April 24, 2018

Why Characters Mix Up Words: Malapropism as Characterization

Ever misplace a word? For example, you’re trying to say, “impressionable” and you say, “impassionable.” Yeah. That’s not a word. But it is malapropism. And potentially embarrassing (and hilarious). That’s why characters mix up words like that – their authors are using malapropism as characterization. How Authors Use Malapropism as Characterization There are two major uses for malapropism in characterization:...

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October 13, 2017

How to Recognize Logical Fallacies by Type

With all the ridiculous reasoning being thrown around the news, internet, and more, I’m constantly reminded that people don’t recognize logical fallacies. With each reminder, I’d start thinking, maybe, if more people knew how to recognize logical fallacies (& resist), there’d be less bad reasoning in the world. So I thought I’d write an article about a handful of extremely...

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Words & Deeds

Category: Literary Devices & Writing Techniques