When you go on a trip, you start excited, but after a while, the landscape loses its attraction and boredom takes its place. Reading a book (or telling a story) faces the same danger. Every writer does hor best on the plot, the characters and the setting, but you also surprise your reader with a gold coin on the road, and then another one, which turns the 10-hour voyage from Opening Image to Closing Image into an amazing adventure.
Stylistic devices are gold coins to surprise your reader, brief moments of attention. Narrative techniques are long-term devices to keep the trip interesting. Both work like spices: the soup tastes better when you add a pinch of salt, but don't turn it into the Dead Sea.
Some novel writers change Point of View with every new chapter; this confuses readers and avoids that they identify with just one Main Character. Write in past tense or in present tense and don't alternate. Keep flashbacks brief, as they drag the reader away from the main story. Don't hop around between past and present; a solid time-line makes the story easier to understand. Read lots and lots of fiction, be a reader and find out. Is it interesting? Is it clear? And remember, there's only one rule: there are no rules!
Poetry doesn't suffer these problems. An average poem doesn't take long enough to get bored. But a complete bundle of poems, all in the same format, the same beat, the same topic, the same song...
Rock bands in concert know what it takes to make their audience go bananas. A rock concert is a perfect metaphor for a bundle of poetry. We start with a hit, then a new song, an old one, and we end with our latest single. First an instrumental ballad, then something to sing along, and finally, an up-tempo song to dance on. Each member of the band gets a moment in the spotlight, with a solo or as a singer. Combined with the outfits, the lights, the act on stage and a return for an «Extra» Encore, a rock concert is like a collection of poems, jokes or short stories.
Musicians have the benefit of knowing their fans. That's the beauty of making art with a live audience. Writers hide in dungeons to throw their ink on paper, with no idea if readers will like their work. Get experience by making mistakes, learn from professionals, and give everything you can imagine. As long as you're open to learn and improve, you're doing fine.
Each poem is a story, with a start, a middle, and an end. With narrative techniques, you can give your creativity the chance to grow, and your readers will admire your versatility.
A novel writer has to stick to the same POV, tone, concept, for at least 70.000 words. A poet can (should) do something different each day. Who wants to read a long and boring novel when you can recite a poem for your live audience in less than a minute? Praising Ovations Every Time...
Allegory
A story that uses animals or stereotype characters to represent a more general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or events.
«Animal Farm», by George Orwell, represents the ideas of democracy, dictatorship, socialism and communism.
Aesop's Fables, such as «The Ant and the Grasshopper» show flaws in human behaviour.
In 1.4 - «The Beauty and the Beast», coloured birds represent humanity, one race of many colours, each with a unique voice.
Anaphora or Repetition
Anaphora is when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences throughout a piece of writing. It's used to emphasise the repeated phrase and evoke strong feelings in the audience.
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Precious Poetry
PoesíaFrom PROBLEM to POEM in 7 steps the Why, Where, When, What, Who, How & Wow of writing poetry Ai Ni and Ronaldo made this book to help poor people in Haiti, to build a school and teach them the art of a happy life. A warning upfront from the editor:...
