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Craft Word Pictures that Plunge Your Readers into the Scene
Who is your favorite writer? Chances are, they are your favorite because their writing takes you away from your current reading spot and transplants you into the world about which they write. It’s like being there: you smell the smoke, hear the screams, feel the heat, and taste the same fear as the heroes, heroines, and victims. Good writing, great writing, snatches the reader from their everyday existence and plunges them into the action as if they, too, were a character in the story.
How does that happen? How do readers get so drawn into a story or description that they cannot stop reading? It doesn’t happen by accident, just like any good writing. It happens by design. Great writers use literary tools to add spice and flavor to their writing, like chef Emeril Lagasse adds his own special “Essence” to every dish, along with about 30 cloves of garlic! Bam!
Let’s examine three literary devices that writers use to plunge readers into the story. As you read these examples, ask yourself how you can incorporate each device into your own writing. Not a…
