As a writer, stream of consciousness may be fun to write but unenjoyable to read. Or for you, the reverse may be true. When talking about screenwriting, stream of consciousness may not be a method frequently used on the page but can be used and benefited from in the pre-writing process or even with visual… Continue reading What is Stream of Consciousness Writing — Methods & Tips
What is denotation? Denotation is something we apply every second of our lives, but we rarely give conscious attention to it. Today, we’re going to explore what denotation is and how we can recognize it in film, literature and everyday life. We’ll also explore what makes denotation different from connotation. By the end, we’ll know… Continue reading What is Denotation — Definition & Examples for Writers
Sibilance is a useful alliterative tool that writers use to evoke reactions in their readers. But what is sibilance and how is it used? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at sibilance examples from film and literature. We’ll also define sibilance by breaking down its characteristics.Continue reading What is Sibilance — Definition &… Continue reading What is Sibilance — Definition & Examples For Writers
Typically, films and television shows utilize dialogue and action to communicate information to an audience. But what if you want a character to speak directly to an audience? One of the best tools to do this is the aside. What is an aside in literature and film? Asides have been used in plays throughout history.… Continue reading What is an Aside — Examples & Literary Device Explained
Your eyes scroll horizontally, sentence by sentence, word over word over word – you stop to think, who is it that’s addressing me? Then, perhaps subconsciously, you realize that you must be reading from an alternate point of view, maybe this is second person – but what is second person point of view? We’re going… Continue reading What is Second Person Point of View — Definition and Examples
Syntax EssentialsOpen menu What is Syntax What is Passive Voice What is Active Voice Active vs. Passive Voice Sentence StructureOpen menu What is Text Structure What is Sentence Structure Simple Sentence Structure Compound Sentence Structure Compound-Complex Sentence Structure Complex Sentence Structure To understand appropriate sentence structure is to understand the grammatical building blocks of the… Continue reading What is Sentence Structure — Examples and Tips for Writers
If you’ve ever heard sentence structure, met characters, or witnessed ideas that seem diametrically opposed, you’re actually pretty familiar with the idea of the antithesis. But there is more to it than just juxtaposing ideas. Read on to learn exactly what is antithesis, how this tool is used, and how you can include an antithesis… Continue reading What is Antithesis — Definition & Examples in Literature & Film
In speeches, in poetry, in literature, you may have come across a grammatical and rhetorical technique known as parallelism. It is famously known for its use of repetition, its use of emphasis, and its use of persuasion. Writers and politicians use parallelism in different ways for different reasons, as do authors and poets. But what… Continue reading What is Parallelism — Definition and Examples for Writers
Basic CharactersOpen menu Types of Characters in a Story Protagonist Deuteragonist Antagonist Hero Anti Hero Tragic Hero Tritagonist Superhero Anti-Villain Villain Foil Character Character TropesOpen menu Common Character Types Character Archetypes Types of Villains Femme Fatale Mad Scientist Mary Sue Damsel in Distress CharacterizationOpen menu What is Characterization Characterization Examples in Movies Characterization of Anton… Continue reading What is Direct Characterization — Character Building Tips
Literary devices aim to utilize words to communicate more efficiently and more effectively to readers and audiences. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at a literary device that aims to do just that simply by using the same word or phrase again and again. This is of course repetition. Repetition may seem straightforward, but… Continue reading What is Repetition — Definition and Examples for Writers
Anaphora can be iconic. Anaphora can be memorable. Anaphora can be effective. Okay, that may be a terrible example of the effectiveness of anaphora. Nevertheless, anaphora is responsible for some of the most iconic speeches in history. What is anaphora and how does it accomplish all of these things? In this article, we’ll take a… Continue reading What is Anaphora — Definition and Examples for Writers
Context has the ability to change the meaning of a story and how we view its characters — but what is context? We’re going to answer that question by looking at examples from The Office, In Cold Blood and more. We’ll also look at some tips and tricks for how you can effectively implement this… Continue reading What is Context — Definition and Examples for Writers
3 Types of Irony Dramatic IronyOpen menu What is Tragic Irony Stages of Dramatic Irony Verbal IronyOpen menu Sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Socratic Irony Situational IronyOpen menu Cosmic Irony Poetic Justice Structural Irony Historical Irony (FREE E-Book) Irony Explained: The Ultimate Guide We encounter irony every day: in our favorite movies, TV shows, and in our… Continue reading 3 Types of Irony Every Storyteller Should Know (with Examples)
What is tone? To answer that question we have to place tone in an appropriate context. Tone can refer to the intonation/pitch of acoustics, the meeting of light and shadow, the firmness of muscles, etc. — but we’re going to focus on what tone means in storytelling. Tone is how an artist feels towards the… Continue reading What is Tone in Literature & Film — A Guide for Storytellers
One of the most effective ways at making a line of text in literature memorable is by creating rhythm. Writers have a few ways of creating rhythm such as rhyming and alliteration. However, both can become redundant because of their more obvious nature. A more subtle literary device that creates rhythm is assonance. What is… Continue reading What is Assonance — Definition and Examples for Writers
Trope EssentialsOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Tropes & Cliches to Avoid Character TropesOpen menu Character Tropes Stock Character Mary Sue Manic Pixie Dream Girl Mad Scientist Femme Fatale Damsel in Distress Plot TropesOpen menu Plot Device Deus ex Machina Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring Deal with the Devil Narrative… Continue reading Deus ex Machina — Meaning, Definition & Examples in Movies
I, me, we, and us, are all words used to articulate ourselves in the first person point of view – but what is first person point of view? We’re going to explore how the first person point of view, or POV, is used in prose, poetry, cinema, and video games as both a writing and… Continue reading What is First Person Point of View? Definition and Examples
Satire is a term that is often misunderstood and for good reason. With the advent of the internet, social media, and memes, it has become the main vehicle for writers and creatives to deliver their social and political commentary. But what is satire and what exactly defines something as satirical? To understand this, we’ll dive… Continue reading What is Satire — 3 Types of Satire Every Storyteller Should Know
Have you ever read a story or novel where the words jumped off the page? It could have been due to personification. In fact, that first line you just read was an example of personification. Personification is an incredibly useful literary device that is used in sophisticated literature as well as everyday language. In this… Continue reading What is Personification — Definition and Examples for Writers
There are various literary devices that cross over from literature to everyday language. Perhaps the most commonly used literary device in everyday conversations is the euphemism. Euphemisms can change over time and change between cultures but what is a euphemism? What does euphemism mean? In this article, we’ll take a look at how this literary… Continue reading What is a Euphemism — Definition, Examples for All Writers
