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The Power of Anacoluthon in Writing and Speech

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Often, how we speak differs from how we write. Sometimes, we do not even realize it is happening. For instance, humans use asides and segues to shift between ideas. Anacoluthon in writing is just that. It can be an abrupt change, or a shift to a different idea. Writers use this in dialogue and argumentation to move between ideas to shift or obfuscate meaning.

Anacoluthon Defined

Whereas anaphora works through repetition, anacoluthon is defined as an inconsistency in a grammatical sentence. They are made to “shift in an unfinished sentence” unintentionally or with purpose. In other words, anacolutha is a break in sentences, or a movement from one idea to another, though they can be unrelated.

More often than not, it is used in rhetoric as a means of persuasion. Or, sometimes, it is simply a grammatical mistake. In this way, it mimics real-world speech patterns, as humans are apt to shift between ideas midsentence. Additionally, anacoluthon is used in poetry and verse to show a splintering in ideology. It shows the break in structure to steer the reader toward a significance.

Examples

A well-known example of Anacoluthon comes from King Lear by Shakespeare. The example here appears in one in this passage. He writes: “I will have such revenges on you both, / That all the world–I will do such things, / What they are, yet I know not.”

Take notice of the break in thought. First, it is about revenge. Then, the reader can sense the frustration of the speaker. Suddenly, the narrative changes. The anger and rage of the speaker comes through and not only does it shift between ideas, but it also shows us the temperament of the character.

Similarly, it is often used in stream of conscience writing to indicate the swerving of ideas. James Joyce employs this roundly in his novel Ulysses. Franz Kafke utilizes anacoluthon in his book The Trial as well.

Conclusion

Anacoluthon is used in every day speech, yet we don’t acknowledge it. If you are like me, you speak in asides. As in, I was doing this (and also this), and here is the outcome. These types of speech patterns happen often. Recognizing anacoluthon then allows you to add it to your own dialogue, enriching the reading experience. So, stop the next time you are having a conversation, and consider your asides. Maybe that is just what your next chunk of dialogue needs.

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Explaining Concrete and Abstract Nouns

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We must understand the fundamentals of English grammar if we want to craft excellent sentences. We also have to know what things in life (and language) are perceptible and which things are more like ideas that can be interpreted by an individual. This is the difference between a concrete and an abstract noun.

Concrete Nouns

Nouns constitute people, places, and things, and they are often defined in terms of whether there is something to see or touch. Houses, blankets, and cars are these types of nouns because they are concrete. We can see and touch them, taste them, hear them, and smell them.

Any and all nouns that we acknowledge with our senses are qualified as concrete nouns.

Examples include:

  • Teacher
  • Bike
  • House
  • Stars
  • House

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns, meanwhile, are the opposite of concrete nouns in that they are more like ideas than real things we can hold in our hands. Drive, spirit, and ambition are all abstract nouns because while they are things, they are intellectual things that we have to quantify through vague or arbitrary definitions, which means we cannot use our senses to engage with them. Rather, we think about them and define them with our minds.

Examples include:

  • Courage
  • Loyalty
  • Friendship
  • Fear
  • Peace

Conclusion

Defining these two types of nouns helps us understand our language and the parts of speech a little better. Understanding if something is concrete or abstract helps us understand how we interact with it in life, and that helps us identify varying characteristics associated with the particular noun (and what modifiers and descriptors we will or won’t use).

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How to Correct Verb Shifts and Save Your Writing

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When writers correct verb shifts, it can be a difficult grammar skill to master. Essentially, verb tense asks writers to be aware of their sentences in complex ways, from the mundane story to the action scene. Likewise, you have to ask yourself a few questions: Are you writing in the present tense or past tense? And if you are unsure, how can you be sure?

Using Past Tense in Stories

Typically, a written narrative is written in the past tense because you are telling a story that has happened in the past. As such, you should focus on your past tense verbs in writing.

For example:

“I went to the park yesterday and saw some of my friends playing a game. They let me join, but they said I had to be the scorer. I hated being the scorer.”

In this example, we can look at words like “went,” “saw,” “said,” and “hated” as indications of tense. The narrator had “gone” to the park, and they “hated” being the scorer. It’s important to keep this tense consistent so we don’t confuse the reader.

Additional examples:

Incorrect: I opens my Christmas gift and cries because of its beauty.

Correct: I opened my Christmas gift and cried because of its beauty.

Using the Present Tense for Essays

The following rule is one I mess up all the time, because it seems wholly unnatural. However, it makes sense as it relates to writers who correct verb shifts once you read it.

“In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy meets the Tin Man and he joins her on her adventure. The Cowardly Lion soon joins them and they head off to the Emerald City together.”

While we might assume that the action of the novel has taken place, it is the present experience that we are writing about, as if we ourselves are telling the story. Therefore, we are in the moment of the telling.

Incorrect: In Chapter 3 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, Hank Morgan looked at the knights as they came over the hill and swallowed his pride.

Correct: In Chapter 3 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, Hank Morgan sees knights riding over the hill and this makes him swallow his pride.

Conclusion

Knowing what tense your story or essay is in will keep you consistent. Write the tense down in the margin if you must or in your text’s footnotes; that way, when exploring options in revision, you know what resources to seek out. As well, please keep in mind that tenses are tricky and when to use the correct one might be a matter of consulting a handbook or a reliable grammar website. Focusing on these issues often as a mode of editing will keep your skills sharp and your tense in tact.

Remember: providing clear explanations and descriptions is ideal and using correct verb tense can help you sound like you are a professional in your field.

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Crafting Atmosphere in Writing for Better Stories

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Atmosphere is an essential part of reading and writing. It is a catalyst for all of the feelings that a reader will experience throughout a book or story. There are not many books that are devoid of atmosphere, and if there are–they are probably experimental in nature. Atmosphere is hard to avoid in writing. It can be a subconscious effort from a writer describing their life or the fictitious lives of their characters. In this post, we are going to discuss the idea of establishing “atmosphere” in stories.

Defining Atmosphere in Stories

In defining atmosphere, Merriam-Webster states that “atmosphere” is a “surrounding influence or environment.” It is also, “the overall aesthetic effect of a work of art.” Additionally, it is stated that “atmosphere” is “an intriguing or singular tone, effect, or appeal” in a piece of writing. In combining these ideas, we can see that atmosphere is like the coat a story wears to give off some impression. Gloomy coats give off gloomy vibes, while sunny coats give off sunny vibes.

Another way to view “atmosphere” is through the mood an author establishes in a story. Mood, in this instance, refers to how the reader feels when they are reading a story. For example, when reading a horror story, you might feel scared, anxious, or apprehensive about what is to come next. The mood, however, differs from atmosphere, as mood is an overall feel of the writing in the moment, as opposed to atmosphere, which is the aesthetic, or the feel of the writing from cover to cover.

Specifically, these two words are interested in describing two bits of minutia in writing: the micro-feeling of words (angry and worried), and the macro-feeling of words (creepy or strange).

Identifying Atmosphere in Fiction

In looking for examples of atmosphere, it can either be difficult or extremely apparent. For instance, in The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, we have a “nostalgic” atmosphere that appeals to Bradbury’s youth and memories of Halloween night. The story tells the tale of a group of boys who ventures with a mysterious man named Moonshroud on Halloween night to save their friend pip. The story uses an overtly “sensory-driven” atmosphere, as Bradbury’s poetic style fixes on the reader’s senses to overdrive the narrative in imagery.

Here’s an excerpt:

Eight boys made a series of beautiful leaps over flowerpots, rails, dead ferns, bushes, landing on their own dry-starched front lawns. Galloping, rushing, they seized a final sheet, adjusted a last mask, tugged at strange mushroom caps or wigs, shouting at the way the wind took them along, helped their running; glad of the wind, or cursing boy curses as masks fell off or hung sidewise or stuffed up their noses with a muslin smell like a dogs hot breath. Or just letting the sheer exhilaration of being alive and out on this night pull their lungs and shape their throats into a yell and a yell and a … yeeeellll!

The Halloween Tree | Ray Bradbury

In examining this excerpt for atmosphere, let’s dial into the “nostalgic” part of it, as Bradbury takes us through the motions of boys hooting through the spookiest night of the year. If we use our previous simile in that atmosphere is like a coat on a story, then we are looking at a sentimental view of boyhood.

Bradbury states that there is a frantic sort of energy amongst the boys. The energy is both frantic and exciting. It is happy. Who doesn’t have this memory of Halloween? The feeling is there but at a much larger level than say, “happy” or “joyous,” which is more definitive of mood.

Additionally, the “sensory” portion of our atmospheric analysis can be pulled from the same excerpt. For example, “dead ferns” references our visual senses, because we can see that in our mind’s eye. Bradbury finishes the description with “letting the sheer exhilaration of being alive and out on this night pull their lungs and shape their throats into a yell and a yell and a … yeeeellll!”

Our auditory senses are pulled toward the enthusiastic scream of the boys. Enthusiasm, in this case, being descriptive of mood, while the sensory feeling of description is the overall atmosphere. Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree is replete with sensory descriptions, and these descriptions build the atmosphere.

Tips for Writing Atmosphere

One tip in tracking atmosphere or even implementing it in your own writing, is to treat atmosphere as a post-writing/reading consideration. What did the book feel like across the whole body of the work? What feelings did you experience the most, and what word comes to mind that describes all of those emotions?

After you have answered these questions, you can begin going back through the text and sprinkling in your atmosphere. In this way, you need to identify the atmosphere itself. If you are writing a noir mystery, you might want to add more smoky rooms and shadows. If it’s a romance story, adding more fluffy language may better mold your story to the genre.

Conclusion

There are many techniques in writing, so deciding which ones to employ is essential. Atmosphere may seem like a small detail–but it is a major element. The atmosphere of a text describes the larger picture of a work of narrative. It steers us in a larger direction rather than touching on our lesser feelings, such as horror, happiness, and anger. The atmosphere of a novel can sometimes be difficult to track, as a reader has to take the whole of the text into consideration rather than just a few examples here and there.

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Improving Syntax and Sentence Structure in Writing

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Writers must stop and wonder about their craft often. If they don’t, then evolving as a writer becomes impossible. One way to guarantee an evolving writing style is exploring the fundamentals of writing. By understanding what makes grammar work and function, writers obtain a larger command of language and set better routines. In this way, understanding syntax and sentence structure in writing is important for writers, so they know the best ways to formulate words and sentences.

What is Syntax and Sentence Structure?

To put it simply, syntax is the way an author structures a sentence. The Guilford College Writing Manual states that syntax is a “joystick” that allows you “to control your style,” as it “refers to the way you arrange words in such units as phrases, clauses, and sentences.”

Additionally, Purdue asserts how a writer’s sentences are written and received are “matters of syntax,” and “as are the ways that different clauses are arranged and how they flow. Choosing different kinds of syntax allows writers to manipulate the qualities of rhythm and coherence throughout a piece of writing.”

Thus, if we consider syntax, then we are considering how to structure our sentences.

What are Three Syntax Considerations?

There are many elements of writing to think about when writing. Three aspects are worth your time and consideration: sentence structure, grammar, and creativity.

Sentence Structure

The top of the list is certainly sentence structure. If you are unfamiliar with different types of sentence structures just remember that there are four main types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

  • Simple: A subject and a predicate (also known as an independent clause).
  • Compound: Two or more independent clauses (simple sentences) joined with a comma and a conjunction.
  • Complex: One or more independent clauses joined by one or more dependent clauses (and a subordinating conjunction).
  • Compound–Complex: Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction and one or more dependent clauses (and subordinating conjunctions.

Grammar

It is important to understand the basic conventions of grammar in writing. That is to say, there are some elements that are absolutely essential for a sentence to work. For instance, capitalize the first word of every sentence, put punctuation at the end, use commas where necessary, and make sure your ideas flow clearly. The best way to get a handle on grammar is to practice writing simply and focus on simple and complex sentences to begin with.

Creativity

The best way to describe the final syntactical consideration is by asking a writer to go to their bookshelf and open their favorite book by their favorite author. Look at the first few lines of their story. What moves do they make as authors to get across their point?

For instance, consider these first lines from famous literary works and authors:

  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King: “By the time he graduated from college, John Smith had forgotten all about the bad fall he took on the ice that January day in 1953. In fact, he would have been hard put to remember it by the time he graduated from grammar school. And his mother and father never knew about it at all.”
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.”
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were calmed, he was almost never (concerned and a little worried about how you’re acting or what you look like) about his injury.”

The writers presented above use a conversational tone. However, consider that Rowling tone is a bit cheekier while King’s is a bit more colloquial. Meanwhile, Lee speaks to the youth of her characters and gives a sort of innocent retelling of events. With that said, each of these writers conveys their point clearly. We have a writing voice and that helps us convey information in our own way, whether we are informal or formal. Typically, a writers creativity and understanding of grammar and conventions guides their voice.

Conclusion

A helpful way to implement improvements in syntax and sentence structure in writing early on is to think while you write. More or less, writers should be aware of what they are doing while crafting. There are many people who write with fear, angst, and resentment, and with good reason–writing is hard. The trick is to find ways to ease the burden of the process so writers can be productive in their composing journeys.

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Creating Simple Sentences for Stronger Writing

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As writers, we should know our craft, and, unfortunately, part of that is grammar. I say “unfortunately” because English grammar is really hard to understand sometimes. Yet, the more you know the better off you will be when it comes time to write. With that in mind, the best place to start is always at the beginning. Of course, we can skip the letters and sounds that we learn when we are children, but we need to start at a foundational point. This point is known as “the simple sentence,” which is also known as a subject and a predicate. Creating simple sentences in writing can help create stronger writing.

What is a Subject?

To put it plainly, a simple sentence has a subject and a predicate. Both of these elements make up the simplest sentence type. But, what are the subject and predicate made up of as far as words?

A subject is what the sentence is about. What this means is that the subject is the noun or noun phrase (person, place, or thing) that appears in a sentence. They often appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Let’s take a look at this example:

Larry played his guitar.

In this sentence, Larry is the subject, because that is who or what the sentence is about. Additionally, Larry is a proper noun. Thus, it fulfills the requirements of being a subject.

Still confused? Work in reverse by asking yourself what the subject is doing.

So: who played the guitar? The answer is Larry.

In other words, who or what is performing the action of the sentence? In this case, who is playing the guitar.

Here’s another example:

The house was on fire.

In this sentence, the house is the subject because that’s what the sentence is about. It’s the noun.

Still confused? Work in reverse by asking yourself what the subject is doing.

So: what is on fire? The house is on fire. Here, the word “was”is acting as a verb, so that’s the action.

As such, the house, much like Larry, fulfills all the requirements of being a subject: it’s a noun and it’s doing something (an action).

What is a Predicate?

A predicate in simple terms is what the subject is doing, or, as some put it: the rest of the sentence. This is also the verb part of the sentence or the action.

Look at your subject like the VIP of the sentence: he/she/they/them. It is the most important part of the sentence, so we can move them off to the side. Now, we can identify the predicate. In this case, it is what the VIP is doing—the action they are performing—and it’s the rest of the sentence. This part we can think of as the fans of the VIP. They are just straggling along to follow the subject.

Consider the example “Larry played his guitar.” In this instance, “played his guitar” is the predicate.

For the second example, “The house was on fire,” “was on fire” is the predicate.

Conclusion

There are many rules and parts of speech to contend with. There are also a variety of sentence types. Yet, you really need to start at the beginning in order to understand how sentences are written. Identifying the subject and predicate helps you understand basic grammatical constructs. It also helps you identify the parts of a sentence that make it a sentence. Once you get that down, you are already on your way to mastering the craft.

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What to Avoid When Writing Fictional Characters

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Writing a believable character is difficult, and as readers we want that believability to be right there on the page. There is nothing worse than wasting your time on writing boring characters. As writers, you should know that if you do not want to read boring characters then you should not want to write boring characters. There are in fact some strategies to employ as a writer, and there are a few things to avoid when writing fictional characters.

How to Create or “Discover” Character Interests

We’ve discussed characterization before on the blog. But, there are many ways to write good characters. For example, a good strategy to figure out your fictional characters interests is to try to interview them formally. Simply put, get out a sheet of paper and write down a list of questions for your character to answer. Then, respond to the questions from your character’s perspective.

However, we must be a little careful with this piece of advice because it could enable some odd writing behavior. Answering questions on your character’s behalf simply changes your frame of reference. Chances are, as a beginning writer, you will respond by using generalizations and stereotypes. Of course, this does more harm than good. Without decent research, thorough planning, and prior knowledge, we are likely to fall back on tropes and archetypes. This can be poison for original fiction.  

Giving Your Characters Likes and Dislikes

You have probably heard this a few times as you have scoured the internet for decent writing advice:

Your fictional characters must have likes and dislikes to be believable (verisimilitude).

As Purdue University states: “When writers talk about believability, they talk about whether the constituent parts of a character make sense and feel cohesive.”

Likes and dislikes, much like desires and ambitions, simply adds nuance to your characters. These opposing traits help reveal how your character responds qualities to particular situations. If their responses seem real, then you have done your job as a fiction author.

Using Constructive Imagination

What you should do instead is think constructively about your characters. These characters include a protagonist, antagonist, or any ancillary people, animals, or monsters that appear in your story. This is regardless if they are static, dynamic, or just hanging out in a coffee shop in the background. Think about where they came from and how they ended up where they are now. What elements informed their decisions and reasons for their lifestyle?

For example, if you know your fictional character grew up poor and lived in a house with a bunch of siblings, what do you think would be their favorite food? We can probably rule out cheap food and ready-made meals. Or, maybe they actually love that type of food for nostalgic reasons. Because of this, maybe that sense of nostalgia has caused them to open a curiosity shop, which led them to find that mummified hand that helps your character discover some power they didn’t realize they possessed.

As such, we are building a character’s background by using real prior knowledge and personal experiences to inform the character. Whether you know it or not, that creates an interesting background for your character and helps the audience understand their goals in a more nuanced way.

Researching What You Don’t Know   

Understanding your character’s background also implies that you might have to conduct some research if you are unsure about the specifics. That is, if they grew up in a metro area, which you are clueless about, then you should seek resources that help you understand that lifestyle in a more vivid way. As a writer of fiction, part of your job is being an expert on many things. That only comes from studying. The best characters in the history of literature are really either mirrors of authors themselves or are characters they were able to create from other researched materials. A realized character is going to have more of an impact on your reader and your story.

Consider Judge Holden, from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Judge Holden is arguably one of the most evil, complex characters ever put to page. However, he also is like a spark that jumps from the book when you read about him. He’s evil and does evil things. Yet, he’s also nuanced and real. If you did not know, McCarthy developed this character from a real-life scalp hunter in New Mexico. By exploring this reality, McCarthy is able to deliver us a truly volatile antagonist, but that’s because he knows this character deep down.

“He Never Sleeps” by DeimosArt | NewGrounds

What to Avoid when Writing Fictional Characters

There are many things we have to try to avoid when writing fictional characters. Considering this, there are two main ideas to tackle here. As writers, we should avoid generalizations and cardboard characters.

Generalizations

Generalizations are stereotypes that use broad traits and assumptions to characterize a person. These are often characters we see far too often. For instance, a nerdy kid with glasses, a dumb jock, or a bubbleheaded cheerleader. You can also look at typical characters like damsels in distress, wise mentors, and tough, intelligent soldiers.

Generalizations often create harmful stereotypes as well, including people of different races and religions. Sometimes, our gut is to go with a villain who hails from a strange, exotic land far away. Yet, this generalization seems to imply that people from far away are villains, or are evil in some way. This can’t be true, especially if their stories similarly imply that we are the villains.

Horror film director John Carpenter once discussed the idea of internal and external conflict when describing his philosophy of storytelling. In a 2011 interview with Vulture, he stated, “There are two different stories in horror: internal and external. In external horror films, the evil comes from the outside, the other tribe, this thing in the darkness that we don’t understand. Internal is the human heart.”

While generalizations can simplify characters, it can also lead to hateful stereotypes.

Cardboard/Static Characters

Static characters do happen, but they shouldn’t happen to main characters (or even some secondary characters). Essentially, your character should change by the end of the story. They should grow and mature. If your character is a super-intelligent, impervious hero in the beginning, they should at least learn something by the end. Otherwise, you are going to bore your reader to tears.

Remember that your main character should always change by the end of the novel. This is a classic trope that work. Characters must learn through conflict and evolve as a person. If they do not change, then what is your book about? The humdrum nature of everyday life?

In the film Adaptation (2002), protagonist Charlie Kaufman visits a lecture by writer Charlie McKee, who chastises him for his story’s premise in which “nothing much happens.”

McKee states: “First of all, you write a screenplay without conflict or crisis, you’ll bore your audience to tears. Secondly, nothing happens in the world? Are you out of your f****** mind? People are murdered every day. There’s genocide, war, corruption. Every f****** day, somewhere in the world, somebody sacrifices his life to save somebody else. Every f****** day, someone somewhere takes a conscious decision to destroy someone else. People find love. People lose it. Christ, a child watches his mother beaten to death on the steps of a church. Someone goes hungry. Somebody else betrays his best friend for a woman. If you can’t find that stuff in life, then you, my friend, don’t know crap about life.”

Conclusion

Learning what to avoid when writing fictional characters is a tricky business, but there are strategies to conquering how you craft them in your own writing. While this is only one piece to the puzzle, developing likes and dislikes through interview and research can immediately make clear your character’s preferences in a variety of situations. They go from one-dimensional to three-dimensional quickly. If real people are shaped by what they love and what they loathe, then so too must your characters.

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Figurative Language Definitions and Examples

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Figurative language has many terms under its umbrella. But, simply put, figurative language is often any expression that creates an image in our head. As such, figurative language has the ability to convey a lot information in simpler, more relatable terms. In this post, we are going to define figurative language so we can employ it in our own writing.

Defining Figurative Language

Figurative language is nonliteral language in writing or everyday speech. In other words, readers and writers should not take it seriously. Thus, figurative language acts as expressions or figures of speech meant to convey a specific message. These messages are often contrasts or sensory in detail and relate what you are describing to something else.

Types of Figurative Language

There are many types of figurative language to consider when trying to spruce up your writing.

  • Simile: A simile, in its simplest form, is a comparison using the words “like” or “as.” These comparisons conjure a visual image in one’s brain.
  • Metaphor: Metaphors act like similes without using the words “like” or “as.” However, a more appropriate definition is a direct comparison of two things to conjure visual images.
  • Hyperbole: Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect. For example, saying, “My backpack weighs a ton!” is an exaggeration. Your backpack can’t weigh a ton, so it’s an exaggeration to let us know that it’s very heavy.
  • Idiom: An idiom is a common expression not mean to be taken literally. If you are very hungry, for example, you might say, “I could eat a horse.” This lets us know you could consume a lot of food, but surely not a horse!
  • Personification: Personification is when you give an inanimate object human characteristics. “The trees danced,” implies that the trees are moving in the wind as if they are dancers.
  • Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the first letter of a series of words. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” is an example of alliteration as it repeats the “p” sound.
  • Onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is the sound effect a word makes. “Boom!” “Pow” “Pop” or “Buzz” all tell us what a word sounds like, so there for it is onomatopoeic.

These are a few of the types of figurative language you can use in your own writing. Yet, there are many more.

Conclusion

In defining figurative language, we can see that it is nonliteral language. It also often compares two or more things to convey a complex message more directly. Likewise, there are many types of figurative language to use in order to accomplish this feat. Using the right type of figurative language at the right time can dramatically impact your meaning. It also leaves readers with a greater sense of what you are describing. Hopefully, learning about figurative language will help your future adventure into the realms of poetry!

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Kairos Meaning: Timeliness in Rhetoric

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Do you have a friend or relative who says the right thing at the right time? Or, maybe, you have that one funny person in your life who just drops the right joke when it’s needed? If so, these are all examples of kairos, or timeliness. The meaning of kairos is not overly complex. This post will dissect kairos and show how you can use it in your own writing to stay current.

Kairos Meaning and Definition

As with most of rhetoric, you can define it a variety of ways. For the purposes of this post, we are going to define Kairos as “timeliness.” With that said, kairos is linked to ethos, pathos, and logos, or credibility, emotion, and logic respectively. These three rhetorical strategies act as a sort of extension of argument. Obviously, it goes much deeper than that because there’s a lot to rhetoric. However, a simplified definition is functions in this context. To put it simply, kairos is a matter of appropriateness of speaking or writing.

“Kairos is knowing what is most appropriate in a given situation; for our purposes, let’s think of it as saying (or writing) the right thing at the right time,” states writer Kate Pantelides for Writing Commons. “Appeals to kairos in written form try to make use of the particular moment—attempting to capture in words what will be immediately applicable, appropriate, and engaging for a particular audience.” In other words, there is a time and place for something to happen (a certain message, phrasing, praise, retribution, etc.) and we can define that as kairos.

Examples of Kairos in Rhetoric

The example that is often given is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” This particular speech draws on the fiery feelings of the time into one dramatic and relevant speech. I also recall reading King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that equally speaks to kairos. This is the case because it tapped into the political and intellectual zeitgeist of the time.

Here are a few more examples:

  • Comebacks
  • Wit
  • Adaptability
  • Anticipation (rhetorical velocity)

Conclusion

With these considerations to the meaning of kairos, you might think about how you can incorporate kairos into your own writing. For instance, think about the relevancy of your argument. Does it matter to you or your community right now? Also, think about what you are writing about and the world at large. Is it a timely argument or is it going to matter in the context of the timeframe in which you live? Using kairos strategically can help you not only get the attention of readers, but it can also make you persuasive.

Works Cited

Pantelides, Kate. “Kairos.” Writing Commons. Web.

Spacey, John. “8 examples of kairos.” Simplicable.com. Nov. 28, 2018. Web.

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The Truth About Writing Spaces: Myth vs Reality

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There seems to be a consensus that it is lame to write in a coffeeshop. Obviously, the reason for this is because it appears to be a cry for attention. Yet, day after day, month after month, year after year, the reality of a writer’s den becomes clearer. Namely, it doesn’t matter where you write as long as the writing gets done.

The Myth of the Writer’s Den

To kick things off, films have made writing more difficult, as writing is falls prey to cinema’s irresponsible portrayal of what a job actually looks like. This is especially the case when it comes to romanticizing a writer’s process. Think of movies like Finding Forrester (2000) and Adaptation (2002). If you are familiar with these two movies, you are no doubt thinking about writerly archetypes, and as a result you are thinking of fiction. These things movies show us do not exist, and if they do, it’s probably artifice. Restated, cinema has a way of portraying writing as something that it’s not: a solitary business full of existential crisis and substance abuse. One can treat it that way if they want, but they should not expect to get very much writing done.

That isn’t to say that you should get rid of that wool cardigan you just bought. You also shouldn’t throw out that expensive pipe either. However, you should really reflect on your role as a writer and your writing routine. Think: what you are trying to accomplish in your writing space? What should be in that space to get that goal achieved?

How to Find Your Writer’s Den

Having said that, ask yourself a few questions about your own writing room:

  1. Is it comfortable?
  2. Have you actually completed writing there?
  3. Why do you want that to be your writing room?

If you answered the first two questions with “No” and the third question with, “It makes me feel writerly,” then you might want to think about writing in places more conducive to writing. It is really easy to romanticize the lifestyle of a writer. Yet, if you are not doing your job–writing–then you simply must reevaluate your process until you are at least somewhat productive.

Still, keep in mind that for most of us, we have a few quiet places around the house that we maintain just for writing. Case in point: there might be a comfy chair you write in some days, and then a dark dungeon where you go to get other, more serious, writing done other days. After all, big projects and real work take a lot of focus, but some of the smaller stuff does not need a bevy of leather-bound books and antique globes to convince one to commit to the craft.

Some Ideas to Help You Find the Right Place

This may sound impractical, but in order to find the right place to write, sit around your house in various spots to try out what works best. Try well-lit rooms and dark rooms. Small rooms or big rooms. Space behind your furnace? Try there. A desk by your bed? Why not?

Also, try different forms of writing in different places. Some of us work best when we journal in longhand before bed. Or, when we sit in our comfy recliners and type on our laptops. Both are places of comfort that help us think about writing and not about how our hands hurt, or how lonely we are, or how cold it is in the basement.

Conclusion

Finding the right writer’s den is important as a writer. Yet, a writing room doesn’t have to be lined with bookshelves and leather furniture. It should be unique to you and it should be comfortable. You could even go to the coffeeshop and try that out. Who knows what works for you until you give it whirl, right? These experiments are cheaper than refurnishing an office you’ll never visit or buying a bigger desk that you won’t want to ever sit down at to write. Remember, our job as writers is to write, so always find the easiest, most comfortable ways to get the writing done.

Blog, Writing Craft

Writing Action Scenes: Techniques to Engage Every Reader

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What is good action in a narrative? How do we write good action scenes? Sometimes it’s the tension in a conversation in a drama, and sometimes it’s the clatter of swords on a pirate ship. In this post, we are going to look at tips on writing action and examine some examples from other texts. By the end, you should have a well-rounded approach to incorporating more heart-pounding moments in your writing.

What is Action in Writing?

In writing action scenes, writers need to remember it is dependent upon the movement of the character, whether that be through thought or action. Thus, we have to deal with verbs in many settings. Verbs, as we know, are action words. Action words thrust the story forward and can show emotions and intent.

Here’s a scene from I am Legend by Richard Matheson, a story about the last man on Earth combatting mutated vampires of the night. His use of verbs and adverbs allow us to see the moment blow by blow.

Fury exploded in him. Enough! His rage palsied hands ripped out the clothes from the bureau drawer until they closed on the loaded pistols. Racing through the dark living room, he knocked up the bar across the door and sent it clattering to the floor. Outside, they howled as they heard him opening the door. I’m coming out, you bastards! his mind screamed out. He jerked open the door and shot the first one in the face. The man went spinning back off the porch and two women came at him in muddy, torn dresses, their white arms spread to enfold him. He watched their bodies jerk as the bullets struck them, then he shoved them both aside and began firing his guns into their midst, a wild yell ripping back his bloodless lips. He kept firing the pistols until they were both empty.

The action is palpable, especially if you have the full context of the protagonist’s torment. While it comes off seamlessly in this excerpt (thanks to Matheson’s adroit narration), writing action can be difficult.

As such, writing effective action scenes in a story is a craft that requires a delicate balance between vivid description, pacing, and emotional engagement. Whether it’s a thrilling sword fight, a high-speed chase, or an intense battle of wits, well-crafted action sequences can elevate a narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Setting Up the Action is Just as Important

When action does not seem to play well in writing, you can often pinpoint the setting as the problem. Where are the characters? Why is the scene not ringing true to me at the moment?

In Robert E. Howard’s novella The Phoenix on the Sword, that features his classic character Conan, the author sets the stage for a violent sword fight between the barbarian king and a litany of assassins.

Howard writes: “Alone in the great sleeping-chamber with its high golden dome King Conan slumbered and dreamed … Through the silence which shrouded the corridor of the royal palace stole twenty furtive figures. Their stealthy feet, bare or cased in soft leather, made no sound either on thick carpet or bare marble tile. The torches which stood in niches along the halls gleamed red on dagger, sword and keen-edged ax … They crowded back behind a cluster of carven pillars, and almost immediately ten giants in black armor swung by at a measured pace.”

In this example, Howard has set the stage for violence and action. We know where they are, we have some extra details, and though cliche in it presentation, the colloquial quality draws the reader into the story. We know this place well.

With that said, before diving into the action, it’s crucial to establish a clear and immersive setting. Provide the reader with enough details to visualize the environment when writing action scenes. Include the time of day, weather conditions, and any unique features that might impact the action. A well-described setting not only grounds the reader in the scene but also enhances the overall atmosphere, setting the tone for the impending action.

Engaging Action Writing through Characterization

As with many narrative writing techniques, one can’t expect readers to just gravitate to their writing. Even if the sentences are neat and look nice. There are many examples of bad writing and good storytelling–it happens. But the reason this happens is because some authors have a better command of their characters and their stories. That is to say, if a reader does not buy into your characters, it’s going to be more difficult to sell the action.

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the reader cares very much for Bilbo Baggins. The reader cares about him because Bilbo is more like us than we’d like to admit. He appreciates comfort, he does not want to be bothered most of the time, and house guests often overstay their welcome. We can empathize with all of those notions.

As such, when Bilbo is captured by a group of hungry trolls, we worry about him. So, when the dwarves come into the fray to rescue him, the action feels more grounded.

“Thorin came last–and he was not caught unawares. He came expecting mischief, and didn’t need to see his friends’ legs sticking out of sacks to tell him that things were not all well … and he jumped forward to the fire, before they could leap on him. He caught up a big branch all on fire at one end; and Bert got that end in his eye before he could step aside. That put him out of the battle for a bit. Bilbo did his best. He caught hold of Tom’s leg–as well as he could, it was thick as a young tree-trunk–but he was sent spinning up into the top of some bushes, when Tom kicked the sparks up in Thorin’s face.”

Writing action scenes relies heavily on reader investment in the characters involved. Characters should be well-developed, and their motivations and stakes in the action should be clearly conveyed. In other words, readers should care about the outcomes and be emotionally connected to the characters. This connection heightens the impact of the action. It also makes it more than just a series of events, as the scene becomes dynamic.

Pacing the Action in Writing Makes for Epic Endings

Pacing is a crucial component of storytelling, from how the plot plays out to how the action unfolds. If you have an action-packed scene, it needs to have its own flow. It can not be just a series of “and then, and then, and then.” It must have meaning and it must be conveyed with meaning.

Let’s get back to Robert E. Howard’s Conan in The Phoenix on the Sword:

“With a yell that rang to the roof, the killers flooded into the room, Gromel first. He came like a charging bull, head down, sword low for the disembowelling thrust. Conan sprang to meet him, and all his tigerish strength went into the arm that swung the sword. In a whistling arc the great blade flashed through the air and crashed on the Bossonian’s helmet. Blade and casque shivered together and Gromel rolled lifeless on the floor. Conan bounded back, still gripping the broken hilt.”

We understand at this point that assassins have come to claim Conan’s life in his throne room. But, we also know Conan as a character–and we know he will not go down without a fight. The excerpt is the first in an epic scene of bloodshed and feverish action that pits a large group of men against one aging, yet ravenous, barbarian of Cimmeria.

In this next excerpt, Conan has been wounded by a dagger and the leader of the assassins, Ascalante, forces a few of his men to guard a door against Conan’s escape; however, this gives Conan time to grab an axe from the wall. In this part of the action, we have gone from the initial confrontation to a point where Conan is cornered, which ups the ante of the scene, and now he flings himself into combat with a centuries-old axe if only to die fighting.

“As he sprang from the wall his ax dropped an outlaw with a severed shoulder, and the terrible back-hand return crushed the skull of another. Swords whined venomously about him, but death passed him by breathless margins. The Cimmerian moved in, a blur of blinding speed. He was like a tiger among baboons as he leaped, side-stepped and spun, offering an ever-moving target, while his ax wove a shining wheel of death about him.”

The pacing of this scene is extraordinary and Howard shows his deft ability to control the action, inciting fear and anxiety in the reader, and ultimately relief as Conan slays a roomful of villains.

Conclusion

Action can be difficult to write, but with the right consideration, writers have the ability to show a person struggling against mutant vampires, fantasy characters captured by trolls, or a barbarian fighting for his life against a multitude of assailants. Just remember to be mindful of your setting–where the action takes place, the characters themselves and how they respond to situations, and the pacing of your action scenes. With these few considerations, the action in your stories should come alive.

Works Cited

Howard, Robert E. “The Phoenix on the Sword.” The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, edited by Patrice Louinet, Del Rey, 2003, pp. 3-28.

Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend. Tor Books, 1995.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. Houghton Mifflin, 1937.

Blog, Writing Craft

Writing Suspense Stories: Techniques to Hook & Hold Readers

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Writing suspense stories is akin to writing music. You want something catchy to pull readers in, but then you want to continue creating new lines of interest to maintain attention. Luckily, books and stories have huge windows to maintain attention. In this way, you still want to move readers through a narrative adroitly. The suspense keeps readers reading, and that’s a really good thing. In this post, we are going to discuss a few ideas about how to build tension and suspense accordingly.

Writing Suspense Stories with Gradual Tension

To achieve suspense, one thing you can do is build tension gradually. This element lies in introducing an crucial detail early on and then steadily escalating the stakes. Think of how the governess in The Turn of Screw hints at a haunting early on in the story. The haunting grows from there. This literally creates a palpable sense of anticipation.

In The Scarlet Pimpernel, what’s in the background of everybody’s mind? The Guillotine. A horrid device for chopping off heads. With that in mind, we now know that the tension is in the device of murder—if they are caught, they are dead. Moreover, we have many character’s lives at stake, from Armand’s to Marguerite, to Sir Percy himself. This tension drives our interest in the next revelation.

Moreover, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Marguerite has traveled to France knowing her husband, Sir Percy (The Scarlet Pimpernel), is in danger. We don’t know how much danger he is actually in, but we do know the French spy Chauvelin is devious and will do anything to stop Sir Percy. That’s a suspenseful scenario and a suspenseful moment!

Uncertainty is the foundation of suspense, and writers should keep their readers guessing by weaving unpredictable challenges and ambiguous situations.

Using Your Characters Wisely in Suspense

When writing suspense stories, character involvement is important as well. Readers connect with characters facing problems or threats. Therefore, crafting well-rounded, relatable protagonists is essential. That is to say, when characters are in danger, readers share in their anxiety, and this creates a connection. You should then place your characters in peril, and you should threaten the audience with killing somebody they love.

How many books have you read where a character was not in some form of danger? Probably not many. Danger is conflict, and conflict pushes narrative forward. If characters aren’t facing danger, then the story isn’t really going anywhere.

Keeping Information Behind Your Back

Control over the information in a story is another way to build suspense. Joyce Carol Oates once said that she likes to keep the crucial information behind her back while writing. Logically, that means she would dole it out as she sees fit throughout the story. Revealing these details maintains a sense of vagueness, keeping readers hungry for more. Again, consider The Scarlet Pimpernel, Marguerite slowly discovers that her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel, even though he plays a foolish dandy. That control of information surprises us and keeps us reading the text.

Pacing, too, plays an important role. A twist or turn can heighten suspense in a novel. Continuing with our analysis of Marguerite, we discover that her brother is in trouble the same time Marguerite does, so we feel for her. Additionally, we learn about the cruel Chauvelin only as he reappears in Marguerite’s life. These moments of pacing show revelations when they are necessary. They also come after long moments of doubt in the reader.

Foreshadowing for Suspense

Furthermore, when writing suspense stories, foreshadowing adds depth to the narrative. By laying ideas early in a story, you are setting up a payoff. Readers need that idea! For example, Sir Percy shows hints of himself as a clever and intelligent hero even though he acts like a foppish buffoon. Marguerite can see his skill as a carriage rider and sees glints of dedication and intelligence in his eyes when he speaks to her. She feels it, and this foreshadows the revelation that Sir Percy is actually quite different from who he presents.

Conclusion

There are a variety of ways to ensure that readers are caught in suspense. These tactics include using tension, your characters, and foreshadowing. In this way, closure is crucial, but leaving some questions unanswered maintains a lingering sense of suspense beyond the final page. There are many examples of writers using these strategies successfully.

Committing these elements to a story transforms our narrative into something immersive and explosive. By keeping readers on the edge of their seats, they will certainly crave more. The art of suspense is a writer’s guarantee to the reader that they are going to be devouring an unforgettable story that stays with them for years to come.

Blog, Writing Craft

The Importance of Genre in Writing

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Knowing the patterns of a text is crucial for understanding the passage itself. This knowledge allows you to utilize both prior knowledge and context to draw inferences as to how a text is structured and what you should expect while reading. The phenomenon I am referencing is called “genre awareness.” It’s a reader’s ability to acknowledge that they are reading a certain kind of book by noticing its reoccurring conventions. By identifying the importance of genre as it relates to stories and texts, we become better readers and writers.

Defining the Importance of Genre in Context

The easiest way to define genre is to think of it as a category of text (as it relates to our motives as writers). Merriam-Webster defines genre as: “a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content.” Consider the horror genre, for instance. If you know there must be a slow build to a revelation then you are one step ahead as a reader and writer.

No matter what the text is, it has a category: drama, horror, science fiction, biography, autobiography, etc. All of those categories are types of genre. Similarly, while I am talking about texts here, the idea of genre can be applied to most, if not all, works of art.

Fiction and Nonfiction Umbrella Genres

Continuing, genre itself has two main functions as it links to categorization: fiction and nonfiction. Imagine genre as the very top of a giant tree, and then branching beneath it into two main sections are both fiction or nonfiction. The branches then extend from these two main genres themselves into what are called “subgenres.”

On the one side, fiction subgenres include science fiction, horror, drama, westerns, fairy tales (folklore in general), and so on. Nonfiction, meanwhile, deals mostly in biography and autobiography, and informational texts.

Conclusion

While we are only scratching the surface of genre as a whole, we as writers need to understand that texts are split into different types of groups. “Why?” you ask. Because these two types of genres identify the whole of literature and informational texts.

Later, after we know what makes each genre tick, we can identify tropes and archetypes in writing that allow us to interact with the text in a more honest and productive way; as such, if you understand the genre and its conventions, then you can implement or change those conventions and you can add more flavor and interest to your writing!

Works Cited

Merriam-Webster. “Genre.” Oct. 5th, 2022. Web. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genre

Blog, Writing Craft

Writing Tips to Transform Your Writing Routine

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Writing tips are useful only if you can use them. I know, that’s not very helpful, but neither is a lot of writing advice on the web. However, this post is going to offer you a few writing tips that will change your writing routine. I know this is true because each tip is actually tangible, practical advice that you can put to use each time you sit down to write.

Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Chunk It Out

The hardest part about writing is setting a schedule. It’s extremely difficult to sit down and just get to it, and there are many reasons for this. Very few of them have to do with loving or hating writing. It’s a motivation issue. We know we can get to it, but we just aren’t going to do it right now. Here’s a piece of advice: set a writing schedule. Writing is effective when it’s done in short bursts, which actually increases efficiency. Being alert and capable allows you to read with a clear head, edit precisely, and write with creativity and earnestness.

In practical application, this tip asks you to form a schedule for your writing project. If you are writing a novel, create a plan that involves you writing every day. Set the objective on the page with how much you are going to get done and what. Are you outlining? Did you start drafting a chapter? Are you writing character backgrounds?

Write it out over the course of a week, a month, or a year, but make sure it is clearly labeled and you know what your expectation is when you sit down. If you get done with a section early, don’t just ram yourself into the next section. Consider taking a day off. You are “chunking” your writing. That means breaking it down into digestible chunks instead of running headfirst into it miserably, expecting something to change. Additionally, you can use a host of apps to help you schedule and organize. PowerPoint and Google Slides, for instance, can help you map your novel and see it visually. Or, you could just use a good old sheet of paper and a pencil. Whatever works for you!

Here’s a tentative writing week setup with this idea in mind:

Five-Paragraph Essay: Argumentative

  • First Day: Research and find sources
  • Second Day: Draft 1/2 of the Essay
  • Third Day: Draft 1/2 of the Essay
  • Fourth Day: Revise for ideas and structure
  • Fifth Day: Edit for syntax
  • Sixth Day: Edit for grammar
  • Seventh Day: Peer review and/or publish

Tip 2: Find a Place to Write That Works for You

A writer’s room doesn’t have to contain a million leather-bound books. Nor does it need to look fancy or have a giant walnut desk. It just needs to be a place where a writer can write. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a room. As long as you have a comfortable place to write, that’s all that matters.

When looking for a place to write, get rid of the notion that you need writerly attire and thick-rimmed glasses. After all, you just need to sit down and get the work done. In bed? While you are sitting in your recliner? At the kitchen table with the radio on? If it works, it works. We need to find places that are conducive to writing, and we have to remember that this has nothing to do with the mythological idea of the writer persona. Separate yourself from the idea of being a writer and actually write.

Tip 3: Use the Read Aloud Function

One often overlooked tool on most word processors is the “Read Aloud” function. Many authors and writers give the advice that you should read your text aloud to yourself to catch errors. My first writing teacher in college offered the same advice. This is because it actually works. Changing the modality in which you revise and edit can help you see things that you were unable to see before. It clears up missing conjunctions, misplaced modifiers, and missing punctuation real quick.

However, if you spend more time focused on your own voice than the errors, that could be a problem. As such, using the “Read Aloud” function on Microsoft Word (or any app, really) can be extremely helpful. Play the text and sit back and listen to what you have written. It’s very good at catching wonky sentences and missing words. Also, there are many apps like Microsoft Word that only execute a read-aloud function. Regardless, this writing tip may change how you approach editing overnight.

Tip 4: Use Templates and Mentor Texts

Whether you are writing fiction or informational works, you should consider using a template. What is a template? A template is a scaffold for a text that shows you the form and structure of a given piece. For instance, a template for an argumentative essay will have starter sentences for all five paragraphs and will show the layout of the essay. Run a web search for the keyword “Template” along with the type of essay, story, or text that you are working on at the moment. You will find immediate examples. Writing tips often employ vapid language about studying craft, but what does that mean? Here, that means studying a template to see the inner workings of a text. It may seem like cheating, but pushing to internalize structure is an age-old method of perfecting craft.

Moreover, one should consider using mentor texts to help guide them through the writing process. That is to say, if you are new to fiction, consider finding a story that fits the narrative you are trying to weave. Now, don’t steal the author’s words and story, but consider their layout, and investigate their moves. Very quickly, by paying attention to how they convey imagery and characteristics, you will be able to identify the text features that you need for your own work. Using mentor texts also helps in writing essays and informational works through the same process. Painters use images for reference, and you should use mentor texts for writing.

Tip 5: Write Trash

Admit to yourself that your draft is going to be terrible. There is no way around it. It is not going to be very good, because that’s what drafts are, after all. With that in mind, you need to sit down and start writing all of the trash that is on your mind. If you are writing an essay, just spit out all of the ideas as you move across the page. If you follow the writing process, schedule your writing, and identify a template, then you should be in a fine position to put garbage all over the page. Your job is to produce ideas and put thoughts into text. You can’t do it perfectly the first time, so sit down and get the work done, so that you can come back through and revise and edit.

Furthermore, writing is recursive, therefore you can come back to it when you want. That means you can clean it up when you want as well. Do not sit down and expect to spin gold—it will never happen. You must embrace writing trash in order to overcome those immediate deficits with writing—procrastination, imposter syndrome, anxiety, etc. In this way, writing trash will get you to the good stuff, which is revealed through revision and editing.

Conclusion

A good writer does what they have to do to get the writing done. This involves sitting down regularly and pumping out words, texts, stories, and whatever else crosses their brain. Writers also utilize all of the resources afforded to them and are not above any process until they have at least tried it once. Similarly, writers do not have to be in fancy rooms spinning gold. They just have to sit down and write it out, which can be done anywhere that is comfortable for them.

Simply put, a true writer is somebody who writes. They are not worried about whether they are considered a writer or not, whether they look like a writer, or whether they actually ever get to it or not. A true writer hones their skills and perfects their craft by any means necessary, and practical tips always help.

Blog, Writing Craft

How to Write a Ghost Story: Eerie Essentials

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In the realm of literature, few genres speak to the same sense of excitement as a horror story. The mystery, suspense, and eerie stories will always fascinate readers. Thus, exploring different types of ghost stories (and ghosts in general) helps writers understand their own approach to this genre. In this post, we will look at how to write a ghost story to weave our own spooky tales.

Writing Ghost Stories with Ghostly Character Development

Character development in ghost stories is important. In learning how to write a ghost story, we also have to learn about motivations. The following examples should help us familiarize ourselves with this idea.

A Christmas Carol

To begin, character development is one of the most essential parts of a ghost story. For example, the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge throughout A Christmas Carol shows the power of well-crafted characters. His movement from a monstrous anomaly of capitalism to an equitable seraph shows the power of character development. It also shows how it can move a story both plot-wise and thematically. In addition, Scrooge’s character helps us understand the story and the motive of the plot. As readers, we can see the plot unfold through the miserly old crook’s experiences. Then, suddenly, he is not such a miserly old crook anymore.

The Tell-Tale Heart

Furthermore, we can see more nuanced character development in the ghost story. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” the lead character is haunted by the murder of the old man with the milky eye. His hysterics over this violence causes him to reveal himself to the police. In examining this, we can see him as a paranoid, psychologically disturbed individual in the beginning of the story. What is more, Poe’s narrator, consumed by guilt, becomes a spectral presence in his own right, offering a different dimension to character-driven ghostly tales. Poe skillfully crafts a character whose internal turmoil becomes an essential part of the ghostly narrative, emphasizing the profound impact of psychological depth on the eerie atmosphere. By the end, he is a full on homicidal maniac.

The Turn of the Screw

Similarly, the governess in Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” changes from both a caring, loving caretaker of the children to somebody equally paranoid and lost in her own psychosis by the end. Likewise, the ambiguity of The Turn of the Screw creates a different take on ghosts and the ghost story. In this, the reader has to question the reliability of the narrator. This ambiguity prompts readers to question the characters’ motives. They also question the very fabric of reality within the ghost story. This illustrates how characters can be a nuanced and pivotal in shaping the overall eeriness of the narrative landscape.

Ghost Settings in Craft

The setting is not merely a backdrop in a ghost story. It is also a living, breathing entity in the story. If you consider the locations and the places where the story takes place, all you must do is reach a little further and examine both the real and the metaphorical aspects of the setting. Both of these details help the reader feel as though they are in an environment that is alive.

For instance, Dickens masterfully transports readers to the cold, desolate streets of Victorian London in A Christmas Carol. This brings more sensory experience to the tale’s haunting quality. The reader can see the ghostly plumes of nearby factories. They can also hear the hollow coughs coming from destitute children on the street corner. The click and clack of Scrooge’s cane on the sidewalk is another added detail.

Additionally, when considering Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the confinement of the small home creates a claustrophobic environment. James’s The Turn of the Screw has an equally claustrophobic environment in Blythe Manor. This is where the governess cares for the children. Eventually, every turn leads down the rabbit hole of ghostly encounters.

How to Write a Ghost Story with Suspense and Themes

Moreover, a successful ghost story should not just rely on spectral encounters but explore deeper, richer themes. Dickens seamlessly weaves social commentary into A Christmas Carol, addressing themes of greed, redemption, and the role of the rich and powerful in benefitting society. Meanwhile, Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” examines how mania can transform somebody from simple paranoia to a murderous vulture, praying on the weak and vulnerable. In addition to that, Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw explores an unreliable narrator and ideas of “the truth” in context. These themes allow a deeper exploration of the work and ties many of the story threads together.

Conclusion

In learning how to write a compelling ghost story expects an execution of skill in the horror genre. There should be character depth, atmospheric setting, thematic richness, and effective pacing. In looking at similar writings, such as A Christmas Carol, and The Turn of the Screw, writers can use these mentor texts to guide them through writing.

As it relates to your own writing, thematic knowledge and research may be the most beneficial. Horror authors look into the hearts of humanity and pull out the taboo. A murder spree in the Bahamas has a juxtaposition at play. Meanwhile, a love story in a Gothic castle presents a new twist on an old genre. The most important thing with a good ghost story is to keep it interesting, even if it is a slow pot-boiler, or a fast-paced murder mystery. Give the reader something to grab onto, so they don’t get left behind.

Other ghost stories that can help guide you in your own writing:

  1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  2. The Shining by Stephen King
  3. Ghost Story by Peter Straub
  4. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
  5. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. “A Christmas Carol.” Project Gutenberg, 2008, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/24022/pg24022-images.html.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Project Gutenberg, 2008, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148.

James, Henry. “The Turn of the Screw.” Project Gutenberg, 2014, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209.