how to include language devices and dialogue in your creative writing short stories
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE DEVICES AND DIALOGUE IN YOUR CREATIVE WRITING
Short stories
DIRECT SPEECH
When used well, dialogue can assist in constructing a character.
Furthermore, the words which are used in direct speech can often
say more about a character than narration of those words.
Also punctuation is important in portraying the correct tone
during direct speech, as is the use of powerful verbs.
“Get him…get him!” screamed the boys
“Get him, get him,” said the boys
Which line is more effective?
POWERFUL VERBS
Make a list of powerful verbs you could use when
narrating direct speech
POWERFUL VERBS
Screamed
Bellowed
Hissed
Chuckled
Grunted
Mumbled
Murmured
Stuttered
Growled
Exclaimed
Squealed
Sang
Shrieked
Declared
Bragged
Wailed
Argued
Roared
Ranted
Panted
Entreated
Yelled
Shouted
Rejoiced
Retorted
Sighed
Whispered
Gasped
Chanted
SHOWING AND TELLING.
The writer dramatizes the story by showing and not telling.
Showing the reader what happens helps to construct a believable
story. A believable story assists the writer in creating a dream
inside the mind of the reader. To create the dream, the reader
must narrate the story by “showing” the reading what happens.
The best way to show the reader is to provide concrete and
specific descriptions, sensory details, and particular details. The
writer also narrates the story in scenes, which include dialogue,
time and place details, action, description.
Writers use various types of “figurative language”
to create a dream inside the mind of the reader, add
vivid details, entertain the reader, and create a
memorable story.
SOUND DEVICES
Alliteration. Repetition of a consonant. (e.g. Can’t Kate
cook without catastrophe?)
Assonance. Repetition of a vowel sound. (e.g. Lou said
coo to the moose Sue let loose.)
While the audience is quickly aware of alliteration,
assonance tends to work more subtly, setting tone and mood
in a subconscious way, the way music does.
Onomatopoeia. Use of words that sound like their
meanings. (e.g. ‘Oomph,’ said the girl as she fell.
Rhythm. The pattern of words in a sentence that gives
the sentence a cadence. (e.g. Fast he ran, fast he ran, until
he reached the end.)
Allusion. A reference to literature or historical events
that are part of our common cultural heritage. (e.g. He was
as arrogant as Colonel Gaddafi.)
Diction. This refers to the author’s choice of
words. (e.g. A simple country girl might use simple,
earthy words, whilst a sophisticated city girl might
use complex words.)
Tone. Tone reflects the author's attitude toward
the story. (e.g. The story might be reflective, sad,
encouraging, horrifying…)
VISUAL DEVICES
Writers use visual devices to make their stories vivid.
Imagery. Words that appeal to the senses: sight,
smell, sound, taste, and touch. (e.g. The rose garden
swamped his senses with its lush colours, enticing
fragrances and cool air.)
Figurative language. Using words in a non-literal
way. (e.g. Fatima ate her words.)
Simile. Comparison of two dissimilar things with
"like" or "as." (e.g. She sang like an angel.)
Metaphors. Suggesting one thing is another. (e.g.
She was an angel.)
Hyperbole. Using exaggeration. (e.g. He was the best
story-teller who ever lived.)
Understatement. Underscored statement with a
seeming lack of emphasis. (e.g. A large building collapses,
killing 100 people. One person survives, and he says, “I
guess I was a little bit lucky.”)
A symbol is a person, a place, an activity, or an object
that stands for something beyond itself.