Tmesis is originally a Greek word, which means “to cut.” This rhetorical device involves breaking down a phrase or word into two parts with another word or phrase. A good example is "abso-freaking-lutely," or "Get the hell out." In this article, we examine the unique qualities of this...
Have you ever heard of self-deprecation? Before you start thinking about your answer, I’ll give you an example to help you relate quickly. Now you remember how much people who didn’t know how to play football were mocked in junior school and high school. Assume you...
Tautology is a literary device involving using different synonymous words in a sentence. This language usage can be redundant in writing. But writers often use it to create emphatic and rhythmic effects, permitted as poetic license. In this article, we explain various types of tautology...
Synecdoche is a literary device that is commonplace in everyday conversation. When you say, "Can I buy you a glass?" That's a synecdoche. It refers to using a part of something to refer to the whole or vice versa. In literature, it creates rhythmic, artistic,...
Symbolism is a literary device that employs an object, word, or action to portray ideas beyond literal interpretation. A symbol can be an action, a word or phrase, a person, location, color, description, or object. Writers can use these symbols to evoke a certain mood...
A soliloquy is a literary device employed in dramatic literature. Here, a theatrical character expresses thoughts, emotions, or an exposition directly to the audience. It also helps a playwright fill in the role of a narrative for the audience. In this article, we explore the...
Diacope is a rhetorical and literary device where repeated words are separated by a single or few intervening words. Derived from the Greek word “thiakhop,” meaning “cutting in two, ” this device can be used to create emphatic, persuasive, and rhythmic effects in writing and...
Epizeuxis is the repetition of a word or phrase in instant succession, usually within the same sentence, for emphasis or intensity. It helps create an emotional appeal, enlightening and motivating your audience, and adds a comic effect to your writing. A closely associated literary device...
Polyptoton is an artistic, literary, and rhetorical device that employs repeating a root word in different conjugations or contrasting cases for emphatic and rhythmic effect. By placing varying forms of the same word nearby, you can create irony, emphasize an idea, or produce a rhythm....
The setting in your novel is essential to create context and contribute to the mood in your story. A detailed environment will active your readers' imaginations and transport them to the world where your characters live.
But how can a writer create this fictional setting in...
