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🌿 | A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words | 🌿

♠️A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. ♠️
Fact and Fiction
Written by- HermioneBc3
[Non blogger]

Dear Authors,

Have you ever heard the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words? Today, I will be diving into the concept of this.

Example: We were surrounded by humongous redwoods shielding us from the sun like doting grandfathers.

OR

Example Two: The girl hid in the shadows while a light hit just over her eye.

Here, you are likely to agree and say in the first example, the sentence was worth more while in the second example, the picture was worth more. Why is this? Figurative language. Yup. Smacks you right into 5th grade.

When a type of figurative language such as onomatopoeia, simile, metaphors, imagery, etc are added to a piece of writing, it gives an added depth to the meaning of the word. You could say: The little girl was stung by a jellyfish but she didn't cry. Instead, you could say: The little girl was a brave warrior when she got stung by a jellyfish and didn't shed a tear. Easily, you could claim the second sentence was better since there was imagery and a metaphor in it.

Now, you might be saying, "I already know what figurative language is." That is NOT the point. I have read a lot of stories on Wattpad and at school. The easiest way to make me disinterested is to not add figurative language to your pieces. I look forward to the fun and quirky sentences that you pull from your brain. The difference between 90 and 100 percent is if you decide to use the easy method of figurative language and get creative! Sometimes, the older we get, the more we forget the basic elementary principles on how to write a good story. We think we are better than the common rules -which is not true.

Don't misunderstand, I am not telling you to fire your graphic designer. So, if that is what you got from this, keep reading. Graphics are extremely important too. I am a graphic designer AND a writer. A balanced relationship between words and pictures is important. Add in banners at the end of pages where you feel like it might have been a filler chapter or just lacking. I've read a lot of Wattpad stories where the authors use a picture instead of describing a piece of clothing. This is a perfect spot for an image. I don't want to listen to you rant about how her dress was yellow, was wavy, and had polka-dots. Show it to me!

Pictures -in my opinion- are a necessity as a chapter header. It gives the reader a feel of the chapter's tone before they start. The better the intro graphics, the more likely the reader will comment and vote. Readers like to paint mental pictures in their heads but sometimes they also need visual ones. I find the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover' as complete ludicrousy. For me, when I am torn between a few books, I always choose the best cover. So, this also means that you should just go find some stalk image and slap it up as your cover. There are scientifically proven formulas that make a book more attractive by the eye. Research it. I'm not lying.

I, myself, have designed a cover for a real -non-Wattpad- novel. When I talk about graphics and how they work with words, I know what I'm doing. Please, heed my advice. Once you use figurative language and quality graphics throughout your story, your book has a higher chance of success. If you can't design graphics yourself, you can search for graphics shops on Wattpad. Most are free and only request credit or a follow.

Here are several examples of Figurative Language just in case you need a reminder:

•Onomatopoeia - Boom, Bang Crash

•Simile- She was as sweet as strawberries.

•Metaphor- Carl's a vulture. Always looking for the next great bargain.

•Imagery- Her long blonde hair dragged the ground as she glided across the room.
(There are more that you can find on the internet)

Thanks for listening,

Love and hugs.
⚫️⚜️⚫️⚜️⚫️⚜️⚫️⚜️⚫️⚜️⚫️
August 5, 2020 (Wednesday)