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Pun Intended: A Look at Pun Examples in Literature

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What do you call a sandwich made of wordplay? A pun-ini. The English language abounds with pun examples in literature. From Chaucer to Shakespeare, from the Romantics to contemporary poetry, writers have twisted language to explore new (and often hilarious) possibilities with words. We generally consider puns to have humorous intent. However, The pun in […]

How to Start a Story: Examples and Inspiration

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It happens to the best of us: you open a new word document, you’re faced with the many possibilities that a story can take, and then you realize you don’t know how to start a story. Or you do know, but you’re not sure how to start this story. Or you know exactly what this […]

How to Write Dialogue in a Story

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Dialogue writing is essential to the art of storytelling. In real life, we learn about other people through the ideas they communicate and the words they use to share those ideas; in story writing, it’s much the same. Knowing how to write dialogue in a story will transform your characters, your prose style, and your […]

What is the Plot of a Story?

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The plot of a story defines the sequence of events that draws the reader from beginning to end. Storytellers have experimented with how to structure the plot of a story since the dawn of literature. No matter what genre you write, understanding the possibilities of plot structure, as well as the different types of plot, […]

Onomatopoeia Definition and Examples

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What is onomatopoeia? To describe it in a zip, an onomatopoeia is a word that smacks the reader’s ears and makes them pop. Onomatopoeia words describe sounds by copying the sound itself. Crash! Bang! Whiz! An onomatopoeia doesn’t just describe sounds, it emulates the sound entirely. With this literary device, you can hear the meow […]

Static Characters vs. Dynamic Characters: Definitions and Examples

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You can categorize the people that populate your stories as static and dynamic characters. These categories correspond to character development: if they’re a changed person by the end of the story, they’re a dynamic character; if they haven’t changed at all, they’re a static character. There are many other ways to categorize characters—flat and round, […]

What is a Narrative Poem? Definition and Examples

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Writers who want to set their stories in verse may be interested in the narrative poem. One of the oldest literary art forms in the history of written language, narrative poetry puts plot to poesy, combining the art of storytelling with the techniques of poetry writing. So, what is a narrative poem? To answer that […]

Imagery Definition: 5+ Types of Imagery in Literature

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What is imagery? Take a moment to conceptualize something in your mind: an object, a sound, a scent. Transcribe whatever you think about into language, transmitting to the reader the precise experience you had in your brain. This is imagery in literature​​—a powerful literary device that communicates our everyday sensory experiences. Literature abounds with imagery […]

Interview: Antonia Angress, Author of Sirens & Muses

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Sirens & Muses, Antonia Angress’ forthcoming novel from Penguin Random House, follows the fates of four artists as each is unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat New York art world. All must struggle to find new identities in art, in society, and amongst each other. In the process, they must find either their most authentic terms […]

Character Development Definition: A Look at 40 Character Traits

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For any work of fiction to resemble real life, it has to portray real character development with a convincing character arc. Additionally, those characters need to have believable character traits, which evolve as the character grows. Stories are about people—even if your main character is a cat, a tree, or some other nonhuman entity. Great […]
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