The word ‘hyperbole’ is derived from Greek, meaning excess. It literally means to exceed or to throw beyond. Hyperboles are mainly found in literature and add humor to the story and color to a character.
Like metaphor or simile, a hyperbole is a figurative language. Since hyperbole involves two objects, it is often confused with the use of simile and metaphor. Hyperbole, however, does not involve comparison of two things as in similes and metaphors, but just creates an exaggerated effect of a particular quality or action. Basically, hyperbole is an exaggeration as in the following example: ‘He has the weight of an elephant.’
Like other figures of speech, hyperbole is used to communicate emotions, images, and ideas in a more efficient way than using plain language. For instance, a writer might want to say that John has a large house. Authors can use hyperboles to frame their ideas and give them the context in order to allow readers to better understand what they intend. For example, if John really lives in a very big house, the author may write, “John’s house is so big that a million people can fit into it.’
Authors have been using hyperbole for many centuries. Modern tall tales use hyperbole to exaggerate the characteristics and feats of their characters. Hyperbole is also used in comedy to provide a humorous description of something or somebody.
The power of observation is a natural human faculty that people are born with. This faculty can atrophy due to lack of use. However, with practice, it can be regained.
Developing observational power is simple. You need to turn your attention away from all chatter in your mind—I wonder if I should sell the car… I think she likes me…I wish I told him that… and turn it toward around you. Begin to notice what is there: What is the person standing next to you wearing? How loud is the train? What does the town look like today? How does your coffee taste?
Although this practice is simple, it is not easy. For many people, the act of engaging with things around them sends their minds into the mode of judgement and evaluation. Very often people leap from attention to evaluation without even realizing they are doing so: I hate this person or that woman is wearing an ugly dress.
Writers should know that observation is not judgement. Observation requires that people pay attention to things around them not with judging minds but with noticing minds: This women’s dress is white and blue with red stripes.
Writers should learn to notice things around them: a glass, tree, chair, car, sky, building, other people etc. This practice seems simple and unimportant. Yet it is one of the fundamental ways of being a good writer.
Foreshadowing is a literary device that writers use to hint toward future happenings in the story. It often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter. The main purpose of foreshowing is to help the readers develop expectations about future events in a story.
Foreshowing can be helpful to the authors when they craft their story to develop the plot, to add nuance and to build suspense. For example, if a character we were never introduced to ends up being a murderer, then the reader can feel unsatisfied and confused.
An author may use character dialogues to hint at future events. Any action or event may throw a hint about future actions or events. Even a chapter title or a title of work can act as a hint that suggests what is going to happen.
Examples of foreshadowing
John opened his drawer to find a note and a revolver. (Foreshadows warning)
In the middle of the night, the mother hears the back door opening. She rushes to her children’s room, but a masked man is blocking the way with a gun. (Foreshadows threat)
Ann sees her face under Joyce’s mask. (Foreshadows Joyce is her mother)
The purpose of foreshadowing is to create anticipation in the readers’ mind about what might happen next; therefore, it adds dramatic tension to a story.
If your writings are lifeless and dull, maybe it needs some literary devices skilfully placed to keep your readers excited and interested.
Also called literary techniques or rhetorical devices, literary devices have different purposes. Flashback, foreshadowing, and flash-forward are used to fabulous effect in fiction writing. Others are stylistic tricks that are used in almost all genre including blogging and non-fiction.
You’ve come across similes and metaphors, right? Similes show similarities between a thing or person. On the other hand, a metaphor states outright that something or someone is the object of comparison. Some well-known similes you will frequently hear are: as light as a feather and as cold as ice. One of the conventional metaphors people use is: my sister was boiling mad
Simile and metaphor are the most commonly known literary devices. Many others add meaning, depth, and color to your writing and make it come alive. Other literary devices that you must become familiar with and learn how to use include alliteration, assonance, metonymy, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, personification, asyndeton, polysyndeton, hyperbole, allusion, anaphora, anacoluthon, hypophora, procatalepsis, and epizeuxis.
If you want to try one literary device you’ve never used before, ensure you understand it and you’re comfortable with it fist.
Fiction writing and creative writing are different from technical, scientific, or academic writing. Both types of writing require creativity and talent. The main difference between the two types of writing is that fiction writing includes works that involve imaginary events and people while creative writing includes both fiction and nonfiction.
Various features and techniques such as diction, imagery, emphasis on feelings and emotions, character development, and narrative style separate creative writings from journalistic, technical, professional and academic forms of writing. The main elements of creative writing are characters, themes, settings motifs, plot, dialogues, style and point of view.
“Creative” doesn’t mean coming up with imaginary characters or events. Creative writing includes both fiction and nonfiction. Feature stories in newspaper or magazines, which are about real people and real events, fall into creative writing category. Literary works such as plays, novels, poetry, short stories, and biographies also fall under the category of creative writing.
Fiction stories are not real stories because they are created in imagination. Fiction is a subdivision of creative writing. Short stories, dramas, novels, and novellas are some examples of fiction writing. Although feature stories, biographies, and memoirs fall under the category of creative writing, they are not fiction because they are about real events and real people.
Figuring out what to do with a blank page is one of the hardest parts of writing. Coming up with short stories ideas should not be painful. The following writing exercises are designed to help you write new short stories:
This writing exercise uses secrets to suggest themes and plots one might not write about ordinarily. Your secret could give another person big ideas. Photographs suggest a narrative. Working in groups, in pairs, or alone, come up with a story you would not have thought of on your own.
Writers should start collecting images, words, objects, and phrases that motivate them so that when writer’s block strikes, they have a place to turn.
Write down several memories. Then, try to be as specific as possible. Determine why each memory is important. Why did the moment stay with you, and what did it mean?
Get out of your house and go to a local restaurant. Get a coffee and listen. Some people talk loud enough for you to hear. Collect random words and sentences from peoples and start a short story with one of them.
The Road not Taken by Robert Frost is a beautiful poem about making life choices. It discusses the common situation where people find themselves in a dilemma.
One morning the poet came to a crossroad. He stood there for a long time, not knowing which way to choose. He felt sorry he could not choose both. He finally decided to take the second road, a road that was grassy and less traveled by. The first road was kept for another day. He doubted, however, if he should ever go back since one way leads to another.
Frost ends his poem dramatically when he hopes that later in life he will say with a sigh of relief that taking the road less traveled by has made the difference in his life.
The poem shows Frost’s bold choice to become a poet. Although Frost has tried his hands at numerous things, he only achieved success later in life after becoming a poet. The poem also shows the human dilemma in decision making; especially when one choose something uncommon. However, many of the critics thought Frost aimed to make fun of his friend who kept procrastinating at the crossroads.