SilviaKrpatova
Two new chapters are out :)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/407542916
SilviaKrpatova
SilviaKrpatova
While there are hundreds of specialized devices, Imagery is the bedrock of storytelling. It’s the primary way writers achieve the golden rule of "Show, Don't Tell" by appealing to the reader's five senses.
However, depending on how we define "device," there are three heavy hitters that dominate the landscape:
Imagery - Uses figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas. It creates a "mental movie" for the reader.
Metaphor - Makes an implicit comparison between two unrelated things. It is used to explain complex emotions or concepts quickly.
Irony - Creates a contrast between expectations and reality. It's used to add depth, humour, or a "twist" to the narrative.
Why Imagery takes the lead?
Every genre - from high-fantasy epics to gritty crime noir - relies on imagery. Without it, a story is just a list of events.
Visual: "The crimson sun dipped below the jagged horizon."
Olfactory: "The air was thick with the scent of wet asphalt and rotting leaves."
Tactile: "The cold wind bit into his skin like a thousand tiny needles."
If we’re talking about the structure of the story itself rather than just the sentences, Foreshadowing is arguably the most common device. It’s the "glue" that keeps a reader turning pages, planting subtle hints about what’s coming next so the ending feels earned rather than random.
Fun fact: People often confuse "writing devices" with "literary elements." Elements (like Plot, Setting, and Theme) are requirements for a story to exist, whereas devices (like Similes or Personification) are tools used to enhance it.
CFarley982
@SilviaKrpatova I love these fun and helpful tidbits you provide. This one reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut’s philosophy on "being there" when writing a story. He emphasized intense focus on the present moment, emotional honesty, and active engagement with the immediate scene rather than relying on heavy backstory or over-complication. He urged writers to be present by focusing on the characters' immediate desires and actions, famously advising to "start as close to the end as possible.
SilviaKrpatova
New writer has been added :)
If you would like to be featured, just read through the introduction and let me know ♡
https://www.wattpad.com/story/404488969
edithryder
@SilviaKrpatova Unfortunately not - I'm not that into social media but I set up Tiktok for my book. I'll look at discord - a lot of people seem to use it on Wattpad - so it's worth trying out.
SilviaKrpatova
@edithryder You are not on X either? I can tag you on the book with my e mail if you don't want to set up Discord :)
edithryder
Unfortunately not - is there any other way I can contact you? Otherwise, I could set up a Discord.
SilviaKrpatova
William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair (1848) is widely considered one of the greatest satirical novels in the English language. Its most famous characteristic is its subtitle: A Novel without a Hero.
Thackeray’s goal was to show that in a world obsessed with status, money, and vanity, nobody is truly a saint.
The story follows two young women as they navigate 19th-century British society during the Napoleonic Wars:
Becky Sharp: The ultimate anti-heroine. She is poor, brilliant, and utterly ruthless. Becky uses her wit and charm to climb the social ladder, caring little for who she steps on along the way.
Amelia Sedley: Becky’s school friend and polar opposite. She is wealthy (at first), sweet, and passive. While she seems like the good one, Thackeray often mocks her for being weak and overly sentimental.
The title comes from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, where "Vanity Fair" is a never-ending market representing the world's attachment to material things. Thackeray uses this metaphor to argue that everyone—from the lowliest servant to the highest lord—is part of a "fair" where everything (including love and marriage) is for sale.
The Battle of Waterloo is the pivot point of the novel. While the history books focus on Napoleon, Thackeray focuses on the characters in the background: the soldiers’ wives, the debt collectors, and the frantic socialites trying to flee Brussels.
edithryder
@SilviaKrpatova I read the book before I had children so I think I would feel differently about it now.
SilviaKrpatova
@edithryder Yes, I agree. I love the book and all the characters are masterfully written. I think that only thing I really dislike about Becky is how she simply doesn't care about her child.
edithryder
I love Vanity Fair. I read it a long time ago now - at least fifteen years ago - but I remember enjoying it very much. I think Thackeray does a good job of making you care about Becky even if she isn’t strictly “likeable”. This can be a fine line to walk as readers are generally much more invested in likeable characters. An author who does this well, I think, is Tom Wolfe.
SilviaKrpatova
"Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?"
"I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year."
These are two quotes from a 19th century novel, which I'll tell you more about tomorrow :)
SilviaKrpatova
I've added a few more pictures, some to the previous 'picture chapters', too :)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/205530388
SilviaKrpatova
New chapter is out :)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/389242256
SilviaKrpatova
New writer has been added :)
If we know each other and you would like to be featured, have a look and let me know in the comments. Life has been busy for me lately, and coming up personally to everyone to ask takes too much time for me ♡
https://www.wattpad.com/story/404488969
SilviaKrpatova
@Space_Queen_Q Haha, Onc does that to me too.
SilviaKrpatova
Two new chapters are out :)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/407542916