Literary Devices help readers interpret, analyze and appreciate a literary work. These devices can be broken into two parts: Literary Techniques, such as metaphor, hyperbole and alliteration; and Literary Elements, such as plot, setting and theme. W...
Dear Diary, I had the strangest dream last night. I was stuck inside a carnival fun house. When I passed through the maze of mirrors, I couldn't see my reflection. I woke up in a cold sweat, but I pulled myself together. I needed to be fresh for the biology exam. At school, my friends acted weird. They said I kept appearing in the halls and ignoring them when they called to me. I figured they were just joking around. Then, on my way home, I felt like someone was following me. I jumped behind a bush and waited for them, expecting to see my friends. My blood froze as a single person walked past, and I stared into my own face.
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PLOT refers to the main events in a story. A plot is made up of a series of threads or events that are connected in some way. A great plot is built on logic. That means when something happens there must be a consequence. Everything you add to a story should push the plot forward.
👇🏽 How A Plot Is Typically Structured 👇🏽
Exposition - the introduction of information in your story. This may be where we meet the protagonist. Or we may experience an event that affects the protagonist. Exposition can be conveyed through dialogue or narration, sometimes through a flashback or prologue. Here, writers often try to Hook the reader with something shocking. However you present your story's exposition, be sure to keep your writing concise and deliver it through action. Your readers have not yet become invested in your characters. Lure them in with something exciting or outrageous.
Inciting Incident - an event that disrupts the status quo and starts the story's momentum. Sometimes the Hook serves the purpose of the inciting incident. The protagonist experiences something new and external that affects their life. This is their Call to Adventure.
Binding Point - the protagonist is confronted with a situation and attempts to resolve it. There is likely angst and pushback, or maybe there is excitement and hope if the incident is a positive one. Either way, this is the pivotal moment when your protagonist is forced to change course. To make a choice. This is The Point of No Return.
Rising Action - the protagonist's world has just changed and they are tripping over their own sword on their way to fight the battle. They need to learn skills, maybe through a mentor, a failed experience, a black eye, a quirky friend with a sense of humor. Consider your character arc here. Where did your protagonist start their journey? Where are they going? And what is unique about both?
