A place to discuss the craft of writing: tricks, philosophies, styles

[SkyBubble]

Can I ask about something specific? Alliteration. I know you can overdo it, and it becomes distracting. But do any other authors like using it? I’m a decidedly dedicated devotee.

A good, clever alliteration can be fun on occasion.

 

[SkyBubble]

Plotting doesn't come naturally to me, so I spend quite a bit of my non-writing time thinking about how to improve it.

Read the beginning; know your ending. Ask yourself "How did we get here?"

 

[StillStunned]

Rad the beginning; know your ending. Ask yourself "How did we get here?"

I'm a pantser. I write to find out the ending. If I know beforehand, I lose the motivation to write it.

What plotting I do takes place midway, when the foundations are in place and I have some idea where the story's going. I rewrite what I have and carry those lines forward towards the end. Elsewhere I've compared it to shaping pottery: you go back and forth, moulding the story until it's aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Publius68]

A good, clever alliteration can be fun on occasion.

If you use alliteration, you have to have a very good reason, or… just commit to the bit and use it evenly throughout the story as a stylistic choice. (Warning: Advanced difficulty)
Accidental alliteration, or indulging that one phrase once that just seems way too good to pass up, always derails the reader.

Just my opinion.

 

[StillStunned]

If you use alliteration, you have to have a very good reason, or… just commit to the bit and use it evenly throughout the story as a stylistic choice. (Warning: Advanced difficulty)
Accidental alliteration, or indulging that one phrase once that just seems way too good to pass up, always derails the reader.

Just my opinion.

I use alliteration to emphasise words or sounds. Even if the reader isn't reading the story aloud, repeated sounds will stand out and draw their attention. It's a useful tool for fixing the reader's eye on whatever you want them to notice.

If a dog walks on "padding paws", it reinforces the image because the reader can almost hear it walking. The antihero's "darkest deeds" will stick in the reader's mind where his "shameful acts" won't. A "smooth smile" has a very different ring to it than an "easy smile".

 

[Publius68]

Two word alliterations weren’t really my focus in my comment. Those come to me easily, and work just as you said.

But as soon as you hit three words or more, you are hanging a lantern on it for the reader.

 

[SkyBubble]

I use alliteration to emphasise words or sounds. Even if the reader isn't reading the story aloud, repeated sounds will stand out and draw their attention. It's a useful tool for fixing the reader's eye on whatever you want them to notice.

In the right circumstances, it can be effective in prose; it's even more effective in poetry.

 

[SkyBubble]

You should do all the “side work” that you need to keep things organized. I have used family tree charts, chronologies, etc. to help keep track of things. If they are helpful, use them.

I wrote the first meeting of the main couple in my most current story. It's briefly referenced in the story, but obviously 99% of it won't fit. But it's a good exercise. It helped me understand my characters better.

 

[SkyBubble]

If a dog walks on "padding paws", it reinforces the image because the reader can almost hear it walking. The antihero's "darkest deeds" will stick in the reader's mind where his "shameful acts" won't. A "smooth smile" has a very different ring to it than an "easy smile".

For another example, you might describe the leaves in an autumn scene as swaying, swinging, swishing, getting that sound of the wind blowing them into the sentence.

 

[Nynah]

@onehitwanda 's latest definitely belongs in here: https://literotica.com/s/painting-with-soft-brush-strokes

Lovely bit of insight into the process of one of AH's preeminent wordsmiths. Recommended reading for anyone who wants to learn how the right words and phrasings can improve your story.

 

[StillStunned]

I stumbled upon an old thread of mine about crafting paragraphs: The IKEA paragraph (note that this has nothing to do with the trope of IKEA sex). If you make it past the bit about the 750-word challenge, there's some useful back and forth.

 

[AG31]

I stumbled upon an old thread of mine about crafting paragraphs: The IKEA paragraph (note that this has nothing to do with the trope of IKEA sex). If you make it past the bit about the 750-word challenge, there's some useful back and forth.

Thanks for that. I recommend it to those who missed it.