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Come Play a Game About Literary Devices!

Jul 6, 2017 | Writing | 10 Comments

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I’ve finished a series on literary devices. (One is more a problem than a supportive device.) As a review, I list the devices, definition hints, and the sentence number(s) of where they show up in my scene below. I invite you to ignore my answers and try to spot the examples(s) for each device. If you want to know more about a device, click on the device’s name to go to my post about it.

Literary Device	Hint	Sentence #
Allusion	a passing reference	3
Amplification	add more information	14
Aphorism	true, short, and witty	45
Asyndeton	omission of conjunctions	11
Authorial Intrusion	author seeks relationship	11
Circumlocution	express in roundabout way	54-60
Diction	word choices	14, 15, 28, 46
Euphemism	less offensive expression	33
Faulty Parallelism	rebel in a series	22
Foil	opposing traits to protagonist	Sam
Foreshadowing	“clue” to the future	1
Hyperbaton	sentence order transposed	29, 31
Imagery	creates strong mental pictures	10
Malapropism	sneaky lookalike	15, 18
Metonymy (Synecdoche)	things called by another name	4, 12
Personification	give things human traits	26
Symbolism	imbue things with deeper meaning	49

¹Sam leaned against the bus stop pole and slid a piece of paper into his pocket. ²“Here comes Jocelyn. ³Time to don my Superman cape.” ⁴He flexed his pecs, expanding his T-shirt sporting the word STUD.

⁵On the bench, Grayson didn’t move. ⁶No way would he check behind him and let Sam blast him with another “gotcha,” especially when it had to do with Jocelyn.

⁷Sam’s eyes lit up and he turned on his I’m-your-man smile.

⁸The guy was telling the truth.

⁹Grayson turned his head until he could sneak a glance at Jocelyn. ¹⁰Her brunette ponytail swished as her pink tennis shoes slapped the sidewalk’s incline. ¹¹You know the type, young, pretty, a fresh look of innocence. ¹²Grayson’s pumper skipped a beat.

¹³“I don’t think the cape’s going to help,” he said. “¹⁴In case you haven’t noticed, we’re loitering at a bus stop.”

image by Yummymoon

¹⁵ “Is your point that bus stops are for suave octogonians to pick up old women with oxygen tanks? Not for macho guys like me?”

¹⁶Grayson rolled his eyes then checked Jocelyn’s progress toward them. ¹⁷“For once, can you act normal?”

¹⁸“I’m no wolf in cheap clothing. ¹⁹I can’t help it I’m a friendly”—he pointed at the word on his shirt—“stud.”

²⁰Had Jocelyn read his note? ²¹Grayson wiped the sweat beading his forehead. ²²She didn’t look particularly happy, bummed, or had a frightened expression. ²³Why had he asked her out in a note? ²⁴How lame was that?

²⁵“Hi, guys.” Jocelyn flashed them her full-lipped smile. See nodded at the bus stop sign. ²⁶“Sam, is your clunker Camaro sick?”

image by warner22brigette

²⁷“Clunker? ²⁸Honey, that ride is a classic in her prime.”

²⁹“So you say.” ³⁰She turned to Grayson.

³¹Here it came. ³²He braced for the shoot-down.

“³³I heard your dog passed away, Grayson. ³⁴I’m sorry.”

³⁵So was he, but what about the note? ³⁶The date?

³⁷Sam tugged out the piece of paper he’d pocketed.

³⁸Grayson did a double take. ³⁹That was the paper he’d scrawled his dumb note on. ⁴⁰Sam had taken it off Jocelyn’s door? ⁴¹The slimeball. ⁴²But wait. ⁴³She hadn’t seen it. ⁴⁴He let out a breath. ⁴⁵Sometimes a buddy in greed was buddy indeed.

⁴⁶“Well, lookie here.” ⁴⁷Sam dangled the paper.

⁴⁸Grayson stood, blood draining from his head. “Sam!” ⁴⁹He eyed the note threatening his doom. ⁵⁰Don’t. ⁵¹I mean it.”

⁵²Jocelyn’s forehead wrinkled as Sam laughed.

⁵³Sam waved the paper. “⁵⁴I decided to ask you out, but when I got to your house what should I see on your door? ⁵⁵It wasn’t a foreclosure notice. ⁵⁶No. ⁵⁷It wasn’t a bill collector’s letter. ⁵⁸No. ⁵⁹It wasn’t an offer for low-cost Internet service. ⁶⁰N—“

⁶¹Grayson lunged and grabbed for the note. ⁶²Sam yanked it out of his reach, guffawing. “⁶³No, it was a note from Grayson asking you out. ⁶⁴How uncool is that?”

⁶⁵Jocelyn stared at Sam then turned to Grayson. ⁶⁶“Sounds sweet to me.”

See if you can spot seventeen literary devices in a short scene. Click to tweet.

What is your favorite literary device? Why?

A Foil in Fiction: Emphasizes the Protagonist’s Qualities

Jun 29, 2017 | Writing | 4 Comments

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Foil

In fiction, a foil is usually a secondary character whose traits contrast or oppose qualities of the protagonist. The foil is created to highlight certain characteristics of the protagonist.

image by johnhain

Foils and protagonists aren’t necessarily opposites. The foil could be like the protagonist with one important difference.
A foil character may be a good person who emphasizes the protagonist’s flaws or a bad person who makes the main character seem extraordinary.
A protagonist may have multiple foils.
The foil character is usually not the antagonist

Foil Versus Antagonist

A foil could be a best friend or a sidekick whose opposing traits to the protagonist, by contrast, make certain protagonist qualities stand out. The antagonist’s purpose is to stop the protagonist from achieving his goals.

The foils purpose is to bring out traits in the protagonist that make him an interesting and complex person. The antagonist could be a foil but not merely because he fights the protagonist.

Examples

image by skeeze

The protagonist and foil may work together, such as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. For example, Dr. Watson’s opposing traits make Sherlock appear more astute and impersonal.

The “good cop-bad cop” behaviors of detectives, parents, and business partners are often given to a protagonist and an important secondary character.

Here’s my attempt at showing Billy as Trevor’s foil.

Billy huffed and bumbled along as Trevor raced ahead to the car smashed against a tree, its hood crumpled like an accordion.
When Billy caught up, Trevor had the unconscious driver out of the car and was ending a call with a 911 operator.
Billy peered inside the front and back seats of the sedan. “His wallet’s on the floor.”
Trevor lifted his head from the man’s chest. “He’s alive, thank God. Bring his wallet.”
Billy carried a fat wallet with an abundance of green protruding from inside. His eyes were wide and focused on the wad of bills. He licked his lips. “Who carries this much cash these days?”
“Does he have a driver’s license?”
“Yeah.” Billy slipped the plastic license from a slot above several credit cards. “If only my wallet contained a quarter of what this guy has. With that kind of money, I could gain some respect from women.
“Billy, his name. What’s his name?”
“Edward Freeman.”
Trevor touched the man’s cheek. “Mr. Freeman, can you hear me?” He glanced at Billy. “What are you doing?”
Billy sifted two hundred-dollar bills between his thumb and fingers. “With all the dough this guy has, he’d never miss these two Franklins.
“Put them back, Billy.”

As all secondary characters should, Billy does his job. He fleshes out Trevor’s character, moves the story along, and gives Trevor someone to talk to instead of Trevor constantly reflecting internally. Billy’s opposing qualities quickly highlight Trevor’s efficiency, caring nature, and honesty.

Other Benefits of a Foil

Foils’ choices and consequences opposite to those of the protagonist can demonstrate what could have happened if the protagonist had made the foil’s choices.

The foil’s opposing traits can create deeper emotions for how the reader feels about the protagonist.

Foils can help form how the reader feels about the protagonist. Click to tweet.

What example of a foil comes to your mind?

Hyperbatons – A Word Reversal Device That Gets Attention

Jun 22, 2017 | Writing | 6 Comments

image by yusufk53

Hyperbaton

Hyperbaton is a literary device in which words, phrases, and clauses are transposed from their usual order in a sentence. However, the unfamiliar order retains the gist of the message.

image by rolandmey

These word reversals can be used in dialogue or internal dialogue when a character wants to emphasize his message or add a little drama. For example, “A juggling yellow jacket I must see.” The usual arrangement, “I must see a juggling yellow jacket,” doesn’t have the punch.

Because hyperbatons interrupt the natural flow of sentences and can be confusing, novel writers might want to sprinkle them into their stories only occasionally.

In the following sentence pairs, decide what the sentence with the hyperbaton emphasizes that the second does not. In the first example, I think a good chef is accentuated more in the first sentence than the second. The sentence is talking more about a good chef than about the cake.

Examples

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Laura rolled her eyes. “One successful cake does not a good chef make.” (One successful cake does not make a good chef.)

Carter watched Lily retreat. Her skirt and ponytail swayed in harmony. Was there no mercy? Love struck he was. (He was love struck.)

Julie worked with persistence unstoppable. (Julie worked with unstoppable persistence.)

Until his last breath, he wouldn’t, of such a deplorable conspiracy, be part. (Until his last breath, he wouldn’t be part of such a deplorable conspiracy.)

Every ache and pain known to wrestlers he suffered. (He suffered every ache and pain known to wrestlers.)

“Stupid … ugly … and incompetent you’ve made me feel.” (You’ve made me feel stupid … ugly … and incompetent.”)

Only chaos I saw around me. (I saw only chaos around me.)

image by OpenClipart-Vectors

“A knife to the heart is unrequited love.” (“Unrequited love is a knife to the heart.”)

“Alone, I’ve traversed the continent.” (“I’ve traversed the continent alone.”)

“This woman you love?” (“You love this woman?”)
“Right, you are.” (“You’re right.”)

“Into this, dear cousin, you dragged me.” (“Dear cousin, you dragged me into this.”)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (Bible, John 14:27) (“I leave you with my peace; I give you peace.”)

Employ hyperbatons in sentences; the word reversals can emphasize words. Click to tweet.

What hyperbaton do you use in your everyday conversations?

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Come Play a Game About Literary Devices!

A Foil in Fiction: Emphasizes the Protagonist’s Qualities

Foil

Foil Versus Antagonist

Examples

Other Benefits of a Foil

Hyperbatons – A Word Reversal Device That Gets Attention

Hyperbaton

Examples

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