More often than not, most instructors will tell you that active voice is the key to strengthening your writing. What is important to understand though, is that using passive voice can actually be an asset of your craft, too. Read on to learn why properly using the passive voice can be a gamechanger for you. Continue reading What is Passive Voice in Writing — Definition, Examples & Tips
Though there is a strategy and time for passive voice, active voice is a telltale sign of strong writing. Switching to active voice can improve your efficiency and even your authority as a writer. How can you know for sure? Keep reading to find out how to spot active voice and how to implement it in your own writing. Continue reading What is Active Voice in Writing — Definition, Examples & Tips
Great writers find ways to lose superfluous language. Their prose is both precise and efficient in conveying meaning in a concise, yet vivid way. A great literary tool to achieve this is the epithet. While you may not yet be familiar with the epithet definition, you have probably heard or used an epithet in your writing or conversations. Let’s learn more about the epithet definition and how it enriches language and literature. Continue reading What is an Epithet — Definition, Types, and Examples for Writers
Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper, put it in his tupper-cupboard and ate it late for supper. Believe it or not, that line is emblematic of consonance – but what is consonance? We’re going to answer that question by outlining a consonance definition, and by exploring consonance examples in poetry/literature. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize consonance, and implement it in your own works. Continue reading What is Consonance — Definition, Examples and Effects
It’s not so much that there are different types of personas so much as there are different interpretations of the word. An artist’s persona, a literary work’s personae, or the persona a writer takes on in a written work. So what is a persona exactly? And how do you know when you’re looking at one? Take a look at our definition and examples below to learn why all of these interpretations are correct, and how they each influence art of all media. Continue reading What is a Persona — Definition & Examples in Literature & Art
Litotes may sound like it is a term from another language, but it is in fact one of the most commonly used literary devices in everyday language. Litotes can be found in literature, movies, pop cultural, and casual conversations. So what is litotes in literature? And how exactly do you say litotes? In this article we’ll take a look at the litotes definition and some litotes examples of it to better understand why it is so commonly used. Continue reading What is Litotes — Definition and Examples for Writers
Filmmakers and screenwriters will always be faced with the same challenge for every film: How, when, and where should the film start? One method in a screenwriter’s toolbox when beginning their script is by commencing the story in medias res. But what does in medias res mean, and how is it used? Read more to find out, and maybe you’ll consider starting your next film in medias res!Continue reading In Medias Res — Definition, Examples & How It Works in Stories
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 elements on screen. This article will answer what is stream of consciousness writing by providing narrative examples and film examples, while also demonstrating another use of the method to help screenwriters (or any writer) connect to their best work. Continue reading What is Stream of Consciousness…
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 & Examples For Writers
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 to break down the second person point of view, or second person POV, with examples from Bright Lights, Big City and Mad Men, but first, let’s define second person point of view.Continue reading What is Second Person Point of View — Definition and Examples
