Examples of Writer's Craft:
Structure & Organization:
* Plot: The sequence of events in a story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
* Examples: Classic Hero's Journey, Multiple storylines interwoven, "In medias res" (beginning in the middle of the action).
* Pacing: The speed at which a story unfolds.
* Examples: Fast-paced action thriller, Slow-burn mystery, Deliberate build-up of suspense.
* Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told.
* Examples: First person ("I"), Third person limited (following one character's thoughts), Omniscient (knowing everything and everyone).
* Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot.
* Examples: Internal conflict (character vs. self), External conflict (character vs. character, nature, society).
* Theme: The central idea or message explored in the story.
* Examples: Love, loss, redemption, the nature of good vs. evil.
Language & Style:
* Figurative Language: Non-literal language that creates vivid imagery.
* Examples: Similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery.
* Voice: The distinctive style and personality of a writer, revealed through their word choice, sentence structure, and tone.
* Examples: Formal, informal, humorous, lyrical.
* Dialogue: The spoken words of characters.
* Examples: Realistic dialogue, Expository dialogue, Dialogue that reveals character.
* Sentence Structure: The arrangement of words and phrases within a sentence.
* Examples: Short, punchy sentences, Long, complex sentences, Varied sentence lengths.
* Word Choice: The selection of specific words to create a desired effect.
* Examples: Using vivid verbs, evocative adjectives, precise nouns.
Worldbuilding:
* Setting: The time and place where the story takes place.
* Examples: Detailed descriptions, Atmosphere, Historical context.
* Characters: The people who inhabit the story.
* Examples: Round characters with complex motivations, Flat characters with one or two defining traits, Stock characters.
* Backstory: The events that happened before the story begins.
* Examples: Revealed through dialogue, flashbacks, or exposition.
Specific Techniques:
* Symbolism: Using objects, characters, or events to represent something else.
* Examples: A red rose symbolizing love, a crow symbolizing death.
* Foreshadowing: Hints or clues that suggest future events.
* Examples: An ominous prediction, a recurring symbol, a change in the weather.
* Suspense: The feeling of uncertainty or anxiety about what will happen next.
* Examples: Cliffhangers, Slow-burning tension, Deliberate withholding of information.
* Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality.
* Examples: Dramatic irony (audience knows something characters don't), Situational irony (unexpected outcome), Verbal irony (saying the opposite of what you mean).
These are just a few examples, and the specific techniques and strategies writers use will vary depending on the genre, style, and individual writer.
Remember that writer's craft is a lifelong journey of learning, experimentation, and refinement.