RHETORICAL DEVICES IN CREATIVE WRITING

It’s been a little while since I last posted anything so I thought I would dedicate this post to writing and a few writing techniques.

RHETORICAL DEVICES IN CREATIVE WRITING

Whilst studying psychology, one of the courses inside of that included a topic on verbal and written communication. It was a topic that I found particularly interesting, especially when we covered the persuasive techniques that are often used in political speeches or in debates. However, upon going onto rhetorical devices, I realised that not only did these persuasive forms of writing appear in speeches and debates but they also often made an appearance in fiction. After all, it makes sense that a writer would use such techniques that enable them to not only draw in the listeners and the readers but the keep their attention too. The list of techniques is plentiful so here is a quick look at just a couple of them:

Personification

Personification. I remember learning about it in primary school and it is a concept and technique that has always stuck with me.

According to my trusty dictionary (because it always comes in handy to have one near you – whether it be a book, phone app or internet link) to personify is “to give human characteristics to (a thing or abstraction)”.

As a writing tool, this can really make your writing come alive.

The darkness can loom and stalk. The wind can caress and whisper. Destiny can mock and tease.

The options are endless and depending on which way you take it, you can change and alter the mood of a story or scene.

Irony

In life and in writing, irony can bring a smile to your face. Generally it is the use of a word or a phrase that whilst meaning one thing, in the context of the story the opposite ends up true. The first example I can think of is one I saw in motion awhile back. Irony in this case was in the form of a small red van being overtaken by lorries on a motorway because it was going so slow and yet the name of the company on the side of the van was ‘Speedy’.

As well as being used in short scenarios and for comic relief, irony can also be used in the wider context of the story. An example would be in the case of character development – that useless, good for nothing farm boy eventually turning out to be the hero of the tale or the innocent, kindly character proving to be the true villain of the piece.

Irony also, can be used to foreshadow events. A twist of words met only in jest early on in the story can end up coming true.

Lists of three

I can be quite bad for this one. Usually it’s a subconscious thing, when listing something, three examples just seems right. There’s something about the beat of three things being listed that has an effect. You can see that I used this when giving examples of personification.

Sometimes two examples will do, sometimes more are needed, but often, three concise examples can have an impact, and mostly, in my opinion, this is to do with rhythm. Whether writing a story or a poem, rhythm can have a big impact on a reader. If it lacks rhythm, the reader may feel it’s awkward. So lists of three is one way to give a sense of rhythm.

And I’m going to end this blog post on that note, after giving my list of three rhetorical devices that can be used as writing devices.

If you look over your work or work of others, you may see these being used, and sometimes the writer doesn’t even realise they’re using them. They’ve subconsciously picked up these techniques by writing and through reading. The subconscious can be an amazing thing and a brilliant tool for the writer.