by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jun 29, 2017 | Writing
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. Foils and protagonists aren’t necessarily opposites. The foil could be...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Nov 10, 2016 | Writing
Definition of Juxtaposition Combining my research: Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which the writer places two story elements side-by-side for the reader to compare and contrast. Elements can be characters, places, concepts, events, actions, or...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Feb 11, 2016 | Writing
“I look for ways to purposely write myself into corners and then use them to my advantage.” —Steven James (Writer’s Digest July/August 2015) While writing a scene, I realized it was turning into a cliché for a Christmas story. Snow falls and the couple builds a...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jan 28, 2016 | Writing
“What your characters observe—or don’t—can be effective red herrings.” —Jane K. Cleland (Writer’s Digest February 2016)Definition of a red herring:In storytelling, a red herring is an author’s intentional misdirection of the reader or a character. The author...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Apr 11, 2013 | Writing
“Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin.” –Victor Kiam We don’t plan to procrastinate. We want to fulfill our obligations and move forward. But too often we don’t.Let’s face it. Procrastination is a weird kind of selfishness, because it robs others...