#writerscommunity
What Is the Significance of August Revolution Day in India?
Pandit Nehru and Hyderabad Sansthan
Tips for New Writers
After some time off to finish uni and recover, the writing tips are back! I had some requests for this post so whether you’re new to writing or looking to start, here are my top tips.
1. Start a Passion Project
If you’re hung up over your first story getting published, you’ll start to hate it. Your first project should be something you love enough to finish it for you. I honestly recommend fanfiction as it’s a great way to get early feedback and become used to critique, but an own story is just as good as long as you join a critique group.
2. Join a Writing Community
Whether that’s on Instagram, Tumblr, a real-life society, or somewhere else entirely, there are many reasons to join the writer’s community with a platform of your own. It’s the best way to find Critique Partners (CPs), Beta Readers, as well as a wealth of tips that will improve your writing.
3. Explore Planning Methods
You’ll need to use trial and error to decide what works best for you. Try fully outlining, diving straight in, Beat Sheets, Flash Cards, Ten Steps Ahead, or even just making lists of what you want to show. One will work for you, but it’s different for everyone.
4.Write
Write as often as you can. Nothing makes writing stronger than practice. It doesn’t have to be “good” or neat or pretty, but words should go on the page. Don’t let your insecurities keep you from filling that blank page.
[If reposting to instagram please credit @isabellestonebooks]
I was in love with the idea, not the man. And in the end, ideas stay with us longer than any man ever could.
My Heart Bleeds Poetry #39
Charlene Pablo ( via @inevitable-realities)
I don’t think I ever really loved you the right way. But then again you never really loved me at all.
My Heart Bleeds Poetry #38
Charlene Pablo
“I often have to remind myself that you’re not a part of my life anymore.”
- My Heart Bleeds Poetry #37
Charlene Pablo ( via @inevitable-realities)
“I often wonder … was it love that changed me, or was it heartbreak?”
My Heart Bleeds Poetry #36
Charlene Pablo ( via @inevitable-realities)
“I sometimes forget that you’re not really mine.”
- My Heart Bleeds Poetr #35
Charlene Pablo ( via @inevitable-realities)
“I’d rather fly from Hell than fall from Heaven.”
- My Heart Bleeds Poetry #34
Charlene Pablo ( via @inevitable-realities)
Taylor Swift Lyrics As Writing Prompts
Taylor Swift
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*But in a box beneath my bed
Is a letter that you never read
* I realize you love yourself more than you could ever love me
*There’s nothing stopping me
From going out with all of your best friends
*And you come away with a great little story
Of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you
*Every smile you fake is so condescending counting all the scars you made
* You could’ve helped if you had wanted to
But no one notices until it’s too late to do anything
*And realized by the distance in your eyes that I would be the one to fall
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
*And I know everything about you
I don’t wanna live without you
*I almost didn’t notice,All the roses
And the note that said…
* I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried
* I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
FEARLESS ( T.V)
Fluff/comfort/sappy
* I’ll hold you through the night until you smile
* After everything I must confess, I need you
* And you’ve got a smile
That could light up this whole town
* But there’s something in your eyes says we can beat this
Angst/Fight/Breakup
*And then you feel so low
You can’t feel nothing at all
*Was I out of line?
Did I say something way too honest?
Made you run and hide like a scared little boy
*Thought I knew you for a minute now I’m not so sure
*In the heat of the fight I walked away
Ignoring words that you were saying
Trying to make me stay
*Me and my stupid pride are sitting here alone
Going through the photographs, staring at the phone
* I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
* I see your face in my mind as I drive away
* But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
And it’s 2 AM and I’m cursing your name
* it’s wonderful to see that it never phased you
SPEAK NOW
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
* Braced myself for the “Goodbye”
‘Cause that’s all I’ve ever known
Then you took me by surprise
* You learn my secrets and you figure out why I’m guarded
* I’m on my guard for the rest of the world
But with you I know it’s no good
*The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*Because the last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind
*So this is me swallowing my pride
*But if we loved again, I swear I’d love you right
*Don’t wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
* I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I’m only looking at you
* Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with?
* Maybe it’s you and your sick need To give love then take it away
* I look back in regret
How I ignored when they said
“Run as fast as you can.”
* the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now
* you held your pride like you should’ve held me
* This is looking like a contest
Of who can act like they care less
But I liked it better when you were on my side
* Stood there and watched you walk away
From everything we had
*I’ll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep
And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe
* I never planned on you changing your mind
* it’s wonderful to see that it never phased you
RED ( T.V)
Smut/Romance
* Passionate as sin
* put your lips close to mine
* And I’ll do anything you say
If you say it with your hands
* It was the best night, never would forget how we moved
Angst/ Fight/ Heartbreak
*Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes
*I hear the sound of my own voice
Asking you to stay
*And all we are is skin and bone
Trained to get along
* I guess you didn’t care, and I guess I liked that
*And the saddest fear comes creeping in
* I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it
* Before you I’d only dated self-indulgent takers
Who took all of their problems out on me
*And for the first time I had something to lose
* time is taking its sweet time erasing you
* Kiss me, try to fix it, could you just try to listen?
* you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used
* What do you say
When tears are streaming down your face
In front of everyone you know
* I told myself, “Don’t get attached,”
* This is falling in love in the cruelest way
* You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
* Not weeping in a party bathroom
Some actress asking me what happened, you
That’s what happened
* Just between us, did the love affair maim you, too?
Fluff/Comfort/ Sappy
*You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over at me
*We’re dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
*It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight
*You took the time to memorize me:
My fears, my hopes, and dreams
* I don’t wanna dance if I’m not dancing with you
* your eyes look like coming home
* all I feel in my stomach is butterflies
The beautiful kind, making up for lost time
* A million little shining stars had just aligned
1989
Smut/Romance
*I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
*Lights are off, he’s taking off his coat,
*You stand with your hand on my waistline
*Ooh, your necklace hanging from my neck
The night we couldn’t quite forget
* 2 AM, here we are
See your face, hear my voice in the dark
* His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room
*You’ll see me in hindsight
Tangled up with you all night
Burnin’ it down
* every night with us is like a dream
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
* You look like my next mistake
*But you’ll come back each time you leave
’Cause, darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream
*Loose lips sink ships all the damn time
*You’re still all over me
Like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore
* I screamed so loud
But no one heard a thing
* Ten months sober, I must admit
Just because you’re clean, don’t mean you don’t miss it
Ten months older, I won’t give in
Now that I’m clean, I’m never gonna risk it
* Remember when we couldn’t take the heat
I walked out and said, “I’m settin’ you free,”
* People like you always want back the love they gave away
And people like me wanna believe you when you say you’ve changed
*Wish I never hung up the phone like I did
* I was thinking that you could be trusted
*Someday, when you leave me
I bet these memories
Follow you around
* I could build a castle
Out of all the bricks they threw at me
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
* we decided
To move the furniture so we could dance
*You held on tight to me
*Morning, his place
Burnt toast, Sunday
You keep his shirt
He keeps his word
*And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars
And why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words
REPUTATION
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*Wondered how many girls he had loved and left haunted
*I’ve been breaking hearts a long time
*They say, “She’s gone too far this time.”
*The role you made me play, of the fool
*I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
*It’s no surprise, I turned you in
'Cause us traitors never win
*could’ve spent forever with your hands in my pockets
*I’m a mess, but I’m the mess that you wanted
*My castle crumbled overnight
I brought a knife to a gunfight
Smut/Romance
* Touch me and you’ll never be alone
I-Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know
*In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby
*you and me would be a big conversation
*Drinking on a beach with you all over me
*It’s like your eyes are liquor, it’s like your body is gold
*I can feel the flames on my skin
Crimson-red paint on my lips
*My name is whatever you decide
And I’m just gonna call you mine
*I get so high,
Every time you're—every time you’re loving me
*Just think of the fun things we could do
*Do the girls back home touch you like I do?
Long night, with your hands up in my hair
*Getting caught up in a moment
Lipstick on your face
*You know I’m not a bad girl, but I
Do bad things with you
*Wear you like a necklace
I’m so chill, but you make me jealous
*Scratches down your back now
*you should think about the consequence
Of you touching my hand in a darkened room
*They got no idea about me and you
There is an indentation in the shape of you
Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
*All of this silence and patience, pining and anticipation
*My hands are shaking from holding back from you
*Carve your name into my bedpost
*Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
*Every love I’ve known in comparison is a failure
*I know I’m gonna be with you
*I pretend you’re mine, all the damn time
*I make all your grey days clear
*You should take it as a compliment
That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
*Now you try on callin’ me “baby” like tryin’ on clothes
*Up on the roof with a school girl crush
*Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
Baby, all at once, this is enough
*I’m spilling wine in the bathtub
You kiss my face and we’re both drunk
*He built a fire just to keep me warm
*I’m laughing with my lover
Making forts under covers
LOVER
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference
*I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you
*I’ve got a hundred thrown-out speeches
I almost said to you
*Who could ever leave me darling…
But who could stay?
*all of my enemies
Started out friends
*Now I’m feeling hopeless, ripped up my prom dress
*Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts
Flashbacks waking me up
I get drunk, but it’s not enough
*Gave you so much, but it wasn’t enough
*Tryna find a part of me that you didn’t touch
*And I hate to make this all about me
But who am I supposed to talk to?
What am I supposed to do
If there’s no you?
*I need to say, hey, it’s all me, just don’t go
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
*And I scream, “For whatever it’s worth
*I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?” ( enemies to lovers )
*Can we always be this close forever and ever?
*And at every table, I’ll save you a seat
*It’s you and me, that’s my whole world
*I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this
*And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends
*Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand
*Tell me that you’re still mine
Tell me that we’ll be just fine
Even when I lose my mind
*I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
Smut/Romance
*His hands around a cold glass
Make me wanna know that
Body like it’s mine
* Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh
*I whisper in the dark
“Where we gonna go?”
I think he knows
*But we might just get away with it
Religion’s in your lips
*The altar is my hips
Even if it’s a false god
We’d still worship this love
*I know heaven’s a thing
I go there when you touch me, honey
FOLKLORE
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*And if you wanted me, you really should’ve showed
*I persist and resist the temptation to ask you
If one thing had been different
Would everything be different today?
*When you are young, they assume you know nothing
*Chase two girls, lose the one
*You drew stars around my scars
But now I’m bleeding
*I think I’ve seen this film before
And I didn’t like the ending
*You’re not my homeland anymore
So what am I defendin’ now?
*I can see you starin’, honey
Like he’s just your understudy
Like you’d get your knuckles bloody for me
*Even on my worst day
Did I deserve, babe
All the hell you gave me?
*And I can go anywhere I want
Anywhere I want
Just not home
And you can aim for my heart, go for blood
But you would still miss me in your bones
*I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me
*Wanting was enough
For me, it was enough
*They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
*And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad
I have a lot of regrets about that
*It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together
*Would it be enough
If I could never give you peace?
*You knew it still hurts underneath my scars
From when they pulled me apart
But what you did was just as dark
Fluff/comfort/sappy
*when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
*You showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else
*You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else
*All these people think love’s for show But I would die for you in secret
*Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in
Smut/ Romance
*Hand under my sweatshirt
Baby, kiss it better,
*And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
EVERMORE
Fluff/Comfort/Sappy
*I’m begging for you to take my hand
*So we could call it even
You could call me “babe” for the weekend
*And if you’re ever tired of being known for who you know
You know that you’ll always know me
*Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Angst/Fight/Heartbreak
*She would’ve made such a lovely bride
What a shame she’s fucked in the head
*You had a speech, you’re speechless
*the heart I know I’m breaking is my own
To leave the warmest bed I’ve ever known
*If it’s all in my head tell me now
Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow
*Tell me, when did your winning smile
Begin to look like a smirk?
*All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness
*After giving you the best I had
Tell me what to give after that
*And when I got into the accident
The sight that flashed before me was your face
*It wasn’t right, The way it all went down
*Don’t treat me like some situation that needs to be handled
*I’m still at the restaurant
Still sitting in a corner I haunt
…i love you too. But i hold back, fearing that what you feel right now may dissipate the next moment like every other thing that has ever made me smile. Maybe leaving those words unsaid, hanging in the air with the thick fog of tension and longing would make our moment last a little longer. Maybe, just maybe, i get to brush my lips against your shoulder one last time before it turns cold towards me.
Dive In Deeper: Metaphor, Simile and Analogy
Hello, hello! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted, but I’ve been busy! But that’s really no excuse… anyway…
If you guys have any questions about any specific type of writing advise or grammar advise etc let me know and I’ll try my best to help or create a post dedicated to it!
Let’s begin with todays post!
What Is a Metaphor?
- A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another for rhetorical effect
- One of the most famous examples of metaphor in the English language also happens to be a great example of this technique.
- Ex: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” Shakespeare As You Like It
What Is a Simile?
- Unlike metaphors, similes create a comparison using likeandas.
- Ex: “ Life is like a box of chocolates.” Forrest Gump
What Is an Analogy?
- An analogy serves a similar purpose to simile and a metaphor
- The point of an analogy is not merely to show, but also to explain.
- when it comes to analogy vs. metaphor, an analogy is more complex.
- Ex: “What you’re doing is as useful as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”
What’s the Difference Between Metaphor, Simile, and Analogy?
While these figures of speech are used to compare different things, here are some clear rules to help you distinguish between metaphor, simile, and analogy.
- A simile is saying something is like something else.
- A metaphor is often poetically saying something is something else.
- An analogy is saying something is like something else to make some sort of an explanatory point.
- You can use metaphors and similes when creating an analogy.
- A simile is a type of metaphor. All similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.
There you all go! Something short and sweet!
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Dive in Deeper: Irony
Hey, hey! Happy Monday! Hopefully everyone had a wonderful weekend and we’re all ready to tackle the week as strong people!
Sometimes, I forget If I’ve quickly covered something on this blog before.. I feel like I’ve done irony before but it’s probably me just imagining…
Let’s begin!
What is Irony?
- The definition of irony as a literary device is a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality
- For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning.
- Irony is associated with both tragedy and humor.
What Are the Main Types of Irony?
- Dramatic Irony: Also known as tragic irony, this is when a writer lets their reader know something that a character does not. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, each young lover takes the poison, thinking the other is already dead—the dramatic irony comes from the audience wanting them to know the whole story before taking this final action. Similarly, in Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello trusts Iago—but the audience knows better.
- Comic irony. This is when irony is used to comedic effect—such as in satire. Jane Austen was a master of irony and dialogue. Her preoccupation with social divisions, and the witty and insightful tone with which she revealed hypocrisy and parodied people contributed heavily to her voice. Austen opens Pride and Prejudice with a famous line implying that men are the ones who hunt for a wife; however, she makes it clear throughout the narrative that it is actually the other way around.
- Situational Irony. This is at play when an expected outcome is subverted. For example, in O. Henry’s classic tale, The Gift of the Magi, a wife cuts off her long hair to sell it in order to buy her husband a chain for his prized watch. Meanwhile, the husband has sold his watch in order to buy his wife a comb for her hair. The situational irony comes from each person not expecting to have their gift be undercut by the other’s actions.
- Verbal irony. This is a statement in which the speaker means something very different from what he or she is saying. Think of the knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: with both his arms sliced off, he says, nonchalantly: “It’s just a flesh wound.” He is ironically (and comically) underplaying the severity of his injury.
What Is the Difference Between Irony and Sarcasm?
- Sarcasm is a conversational device characterized by saying the opposite of what one means.
- The key difference between irony and sarcasm is that sarcasm characterizes someone’s speech. Irony can additionally describe situations or circumstances. There are some cases in which someone could say something that is considered both ironic and sarcastic, but sarcasm is not a literary device.
Five Tips For Writing Irony
- Pay attention. As you read and watch movies, think critically about what is ironic, and why. For example, in the film The Wizard of Oz, the great and powerful Oz turns out to be just a regular man, while Dorothy, who has been desperately seeking his help so that she can get home, has had the power to return home all along. Think about ways in which you can incorporate situations like this into your writing, where you subvert the expectations of your characters, your readers—or both.
- Use an omniscient point of view. Many novels written in the nineteenth century are told from an omniscient point of view. When a reader knows more than the character, as in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it generates suspense, because your reader waits for the character to learn what they already know. But you might want to invert that balance of knowledge and make the narrator a character in the story that knows more than the reader. Agatha Christie used this first-person strategy to create narrative irony.
- Have a clear point of view strategy. Point of view strategy is deeply bound up with what story you want to tell and will guide how that story unspools. No matter where you are in the drafting process, devote some time to thinking through the risks and rewards of different point-of-view strategies and consider who in your story may be best suited to hold the narrative reins.
- Use the “meanwhile” device. If you are using an omniscient narrative point of view strategy, your narrator may recount a parallel event happening simultaneously in another place using the “meanwhile” device (e.g., “Meanwhile, across town…”). Because this device lets the reader in on happenings that one character has no knowledge of, it is a great tool for generating dramatic irony.
- Use a flashback sequence. When your narrative or characters recall a long memory from a time before the story began, you may want to pull the reader back into a past scene. This is called a flashback. It important to mark the beginning and end of a flashback to make your time jumps clear to the reader, which you can do using past perfect tense to introduce the change—e.g. “he had gone to the marina.” Past perfect tense uses the verb “to have” with the past participle of another verb (in this case “gone”). After a few lines of this, transition into simple past tense—e.g. “he climbed onto the boat.” Generally speaking, using past perfect for a long section of text is jarring for most readers. It’s enough to use it only at the start of the flashback before switching to simple past tense. At the flashback’s end, use a reminder that the reader is back in the current scene.
There you have it! Please reblog, like and comment if you find these helpful!
Dive in Deeper: Imagery
Let’s not dilly-dally!
What is Imagery?
- imagery is a vivid and vibrant form of description that appeals to readers’ senses and imagination
- imagery” is not focused solely on visual representations or mental images—it refers to the full spectrum of sensory experiences, including internal emotions and physical sensations.
Seven Types of Imagery
- Visual imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet/writer appeals to the reader’s sense of sight by describing something the speaker or narrator of the poem sees. It may include colors, brightness, shapes, sizes, and patterns. To provide readers with visual imagery, poets often use metaphor, simile, or personification in their description.
- Auditory imagery. This form of imagery appeals to the reader’s sense of hearing or sound. It may include music and other pleasant sounds, harsh noises, or silence. In addition to describing a sound, the writer might also use a sound device like onomatopoeia, or words that imitate sounds, so reading the poem aloud recreates the auditory experience.
- Gustatory imagery. In this form of imagery, the poet/writer appeals to the reader’s sense of taste by describing something the speaker or narrator tastes. It may include sweetness, sourness, saltiness, savoriness, or spiciness. This is especially effective when describing a taste that the reader has experienced before and can recall from sense memory.
- Tactile imagery. In this form of imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s sense of touch by describing something the speaker feels on their body. It may include the feel of temperatures, textures, and other physical sensations.
- Olfactory imagery. In this form of imagery, the writer/poet appeals to the reader’s sense of smell by describing something the speaker of the poem inhales. It may include pleasant fragrances or off-putting odors.
- Kinesthetic imagery. In this form of imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s sense of motion. It may include the sensation of speeding along in a vehicle, a slow sauntering, or a sudden jolt when stopping, and it may apply to the movement of the speaker/narrator or objects around them.
- Organic imagery. In this form of imagery, the poet communicates internal sensations such as fatigue, hunger, and thirst as well as internal emotions such as fear, love, and despair.
Short and quick, I switch between writer and poet but it’s the same, really.
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Dive in Deeper: Humor
Hello, hello! Today’s post will be about humor!
“What? Humor? But I’m naturally funny!”
Ha, ha! Maybe you are but that doesn’t mean you don’t need advise on how to transfer your unique sense of humor into the pages of your amazing new book!
As a quick refresher let me remind everyone that this post is one of the rest that belong in the series 22 Essential Literary Devices.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
What Is Humor Writing?
- Humor writing is a piece of fiction or nonfiction written with the express purpose of being funny.
- How it strikes a humorous chord and the resulting laughs (or groans) it produces depends on the piece.
Three Types of Humor Writing
- Humor novels. Humor novels are their own genre. These can be both fiction and nonfiction. In fiction, satirical novels fall in this category. Satire fiction uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to critique or expose a corrupt aspect of society. Two of literature’s most popular satire novels are George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22(1961).
- Short form. Short humor pieces usually take the form of a short story or piece of humor fiction. A short humor piece is usually a piece of writing under 1,000 words whose main purpose is to amuse.
- Humor essay. Humor essays are usually a personal essay whose primary aim is to amuse rather than inform or persuade. Sometimes, writers mix fiction with nonfiction in humor essays for comedic effect.
Four Golden Rules for Writing Humor
- Identify your style of humor. Everyone has a different sense of humor. We all find different things funny for different reasons. This is why it’s important that before you sit down and try to write funny things, you think about your own personal sense of humor and how you want to mine that to produce a piece of humor writing. Trying to mimic other people’s styles in creative writing won’t work. If you try and write in a style that is not your own, or if you try and force yourself to be funny in a way that you are not, the effort behind your writing will show. There are many kinds of humor. Look at this list of some popular types of humor and try and analyze where your individual strengths are and what you feel most comfortable with.
Observational/situational humor. This involves finding humor in mundane, everyday situations.
Anecdotal humor. This involves mining personal stories for humor.
Dark (or gallows) humor. Finding humor in darker, more unpleasant circumstances or aspects of life, like death, suffering, and unhappiness.
Self-deprecating humor. This involves you, the writer, making fun of yourself for comedic effect. Having a sense of humor about yourself endears you to others.
Satirical humor. Looking to the various faults of individuals, organizations, or society and mining them for comedic purposes.
- Use the rule of three. The rule of three is a common rule in humor writing and one of the most common comedy writing secrets. It involves establishing a set pattern with two ideas and then subverting that pattern with a third, incompatible idea. For example: “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Doughnut? A better attitude?”
- Mine humorous anecdotes from your real life. This is especially pertinent for humor essays. If you think about it, most of the funny things in your own life are things that our friends and family also find funny. These are the stories we tell over and over. These are the stories we use to bond or connect with others. Sometimes, we mine these stories for a more humorous effect. This is exactly what a humor essay does. Before you start writing, make sure you identify why a particular story or anecdote is funny. Is it funny to you because of your unique circumstances or understanding of a wider context? If so, it’s unlikely to be funny to your readers without that prior context.
- Leverage cliches. While clichés are something most writers try to avoid, it’s important to recognize them. Humor relies in part on twisting a cliché—transforming or undermining it. You do this by setting up an expectation based on the cliché and then providing a surprise outcome. For example: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger.” In humor writing, this process is called reforming.
Quick Tips For Writing Humor
- Surprise the reader. Twist a cliché or undermine any expectation you’ve set up.
- Put your funny expressions at the end of a sentence. Humor is often a release of tension, so the sentence builds that tension, and the pay-off happens most naturally at the end.
- Use contrast. Are your characters in a terrifying situation? Add something light, like a man obsessing about his briefcase instead of the T-Rex looming behind him.
- Find funny words. Some words are just funnier than others, so make a list of those that amuse you the most.
- Try a “figgin” —a story element that promises to be something horrible or disgusting but which turns out to be humorous, and yet later has a pay-off, or a moment where the item becomes important to the plot.
- Give them “sherbet lemon” —minor details you put in a text to make the reader smile. These small pulses are in the text just for humor; they don’t necessarily have a pay-off later.
There ya have it folks! Humor! Now you too can be even more funny and write it down through your writing!
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Dive in Deeper: Foreshadowing
Hello, hello! Apologies for being MIA the past few days!
Busy, busy, busy! Aha…
What Is Foreshadowing?
- it is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.
- it is useful for creating suspense, a feeling of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a mark that things may not be as they seem.
- Foreshadowing does not necessarily mean explicitly revealing what will happen later in your story.
- when it is used effectively, many readers may not even realize the significance of an author’s foreshadowing until the end of the story.
Why Is Foreshadowing Important?
- Foreshadowing is a key tool for writers to build dramatic tension and suspense throughout their stories
- Foreshadowing makes your reader wonder what will happen next, and keeps them reading to find out.
- it is also a great tool to prepare your reader emotionally for big reveals
Two Types of Foreshadowing
- Direct foreshadowing (or overt foreshadowing): In this type of foreshadowing, the story openly suggests an impending problem, event, or twist. Direct foreshadowing is usually accomplished through the characters’ dialogue, the narrator’s comments, a prophecy, or even a prologue. Example: in Macbeth, Shakespeare uses direct foreshadowing when the witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and, later, king.
- Indirect foreshadowing (or covert foreshadowing): In this type of foreshadowing, the story hints at an outcome by leaving subtle clues throughout the story. With indirect foreshadowing, readers likely won’t realize the meaning of the clues until they witness the foreshadowed event. Example: in The Empire Strikes Back: In a mysterious vision, Luke Skywalker sees that the face behind Darth Vader’s mask is his own. Later, the audience understands the significance of this foreshadowing when it is revealed that Vader is, in fact, Luke’s father.
Five Foreshadowing Examples and Techniques
- Dialogue: You can use your characters’ dialogue to foreshadow future events or big reveals. This foreshadowing may take the form of a joke, an offhand comment, or even something unsaid that adds personality to your characters while planting the seed for later revelations. Example:Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo says, “My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” This line foreshadows Romeo’s eventual fate: commiting suicide over the loss of Juliet.
- Title: The title of a novel or short story can be used to foreshadow major events in the story as well. For instance, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” foreshadows not just the destruction of the physical house, but the demise of an entire family.
- Setting: The choices you make about the setting or atmosphere of your story can foreshadow events as well. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses descriptions of weather to foreshadow the dark turn Pip’s story will take: “So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death.”
- Metaphor or simile: Figurative language like similes and metaphors can be effective foreshadowing tools. In David Copperfield, Dickens uses simile to foreshadow the betrayal of David by his mother, comparing her to a figure in a fairy tale: “I sat looking at Peggotty for some time, in a reverie on this suppositious case: whether, if she were employed to lose me like the boy in the fairy tale, I should be able to track my way home again by the buttons she would shed.
- Character traits: A character’s appearance, attire, or mannerisms can foreshadow that character’s true essence or later actions. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for instance, author J.K. Rowling makes a point of describing Professor Quirrell’s turban and noting Harry’s curiosity about it. Only later, at the end of the story, do we discover that Quirrell’s turban conceals his possession by the evil Lord Voldemort.
Five Tips for Using Foreshadowing in Your Writing
- Plan your story. You need to know exactly where your story is going before you can decide which events you can foreshadow, and how to do so. You may need to wait until your second draft to properly incorporate foreshadowing into your work. Take as much time as you need to work out every detail before dropping hints. Plan, outline, revise, and plan more.
- Plant seeds as early as possible. The closer to an event foreshadowing is placed, the less effective it usually is. In fact, foreshadowing immediately before an event can act as a “spoiler” for the reader. Instead, make sure foreshadowing takes place long enough before the event or ending that it is not fresh in your readers’ minds. This will give your readers even more joy when they comb back through your story to find the breadcrumbs you left.
- Scatter those seeds. When choosing where and when to foreshadow in your story, be as sly as possible. Think of it as a scavenger hunt: you wouldn’t hide all of your treasures in the same place. Instead, distribute your foreshadowing evenly throughout the story for maximum enjoyment.
- Foreshadow in moderation. Don’t wear your reader out. Add too much foreshadowing, and your readers will feel as though they’re getting all “setup” and no “payoff.” Not enough foreshadowing, and your readers may be frustrated by an unexpected resolution. Craft the right balance, and your readers will find themselves re-reading your stories to find all of your clues.
- Enlist a second set of eyes. As the person closest to your story, you may feel that your foreshadowing is perfectly clear—but if a reader can’t see or appreciate it, your clues will be ineffective. Grab your friend, coworker, or neighbor for a cup of coffee and hand them your manuscript. Once they finish reading it, ask them if the clues were too obvious, not obvious enough, or just right.
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