Literary

Devices
Figurative language is used to
make a story come alive

Which ones do you know?

We use them in Creative

Writing.
 How to write a Novel
• Identify the genre of your novel
• Create your characters
When writing your biography, note down aspects such as:
age
gender and sexual orientation
race and place of birth
personal history
habits and quirks
Here is your 12 step guide for good character
development:
Create a background for your character
Give your character strengths and weaknesses
Create nervous ticks for your character
Avoid making a “perfect” character
Give your character realistic motives
Give them a unique feature
Develop a wide variety of character personalities
Create an impact of your character’s past
Make secondary characters foil types
Give each character a unique voice
Create a diverse character cast
Avoid character stereotypes

• Build the world of your novel

The first question to ask yourself is whether your novel is
set in:
the real world
an older world
or a different world
Thi s Photo by Unknown Author i s licensed under CC BY
 How to write a Novel
• Kick your worldbuilding up a notch
The way I enrich my novels is by looking at the real world
and translating its individual aspects into my own worlds. Some of
these aspects are:

Landscape and topography

Weather
Fauna
Flora
Religion
Creation, history, and mythology
Society
Culture
Transport
Recreation
Employment or business
Military
Technology
Medicine
Politics, rulers or royalty

• Create a chapter outline

Now’s the time to start putting all of your ideas and notes
into a plot.
• Find and perfect your style
• Don't edit as you write

Thi s Photo by Unknown Author i s licensed under CC BY

 Alliteration
Alliteration describes a series of words in quick succession
that all start with the same letter or sound. It lends a pleasing
cadence to prose and poetry both. And if you have any doubts
about the impact of alliteration, consider the
following unforgettable titles: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Sense and
Sensibility, and The Haunting of Hill House.
Example: “Peter Piper picked a pot of pickled peppers.”
She sells seashells by the seashore.
A big black bug bit a big black dog and the big black dog bled
blood.
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, this butter’s
bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, but
a bit of better butter will make my bitter batter better.
Examples of Alliteration Using the “B” Sound
1. Janie read a book by the babbling brook.
2. The child bounced the ball at the backyard barbeque.
3. The barbarians broke through the barricade.
4. He acts silly at times, but he was blessed with a brilliant
brain.
5. The beautiful bouquet blossomed in the bright sun.
Examples of Alliteration Using the “C” and “K” Sounds
6. When the canary keeled over, the coal miners left the cave.
7. The captain couldn’t keep the men in the cabin.
8. Erin cooked cupcakes in the kitchen.
9. My Cadillac was completely crushed in a car crash.
10. The candy was killing my cavity.
Examples of Alliteration Using the “Ch” Sound
11. Despite their mother’s warnings, the children chose to chew
with their mouths open.
12. They would have been on time, if they didn’t dilly-dally.
13. He dunked the delicious donut in dairy creamer.
14. There is nothing but death in the desert during the day.
15. I woke up at school in a slobbery pool; though I used to be
dry, now I’m drowning in drool.
16. I dreamt of a drip-dropping drain in my dream.
 Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that emphasizes the
significance of the statement’s actual meaning. When a friend
says, "Oh my god, I haven't seen you in a million
years," that's hyperbole.
Example: “At that time Bogotá was a remote, lugubrious city
where an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of
the 16th century.” — Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel García
Márquez.
I have told you a million times to wash the dishes.
You are so slender that the wind can carry you away.
The afternoon is so bright that the sun would have to wear
sunglasses.
You snore like a freight train.
My grandmother is as old as the hills.
Your suitcase weighs a ton!
She is as heavy as an elephant!
I am dying of shame.
I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar’s back when he
received the alms.
He saw a man as tall a power poll.
He saw his childhood friend after ages.
The weather was so hot that literally everything was on fire.
The boy was dying to get a new school bag.
The teacher told his students not to repeat that mistake for the
umpteenth time, but to no avail.
He was in such a hurry that he drove his car at a bazillion miles
per hour.
The minister told the guests that the couple’s friendship was
deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey.
The blacksmith’s hand was harder than the rock.
Their headmaster was omnipresent, as he seemed to be all
around the school all the time.
The businessman was so busy that he was attending to a million
calls simultaneously.
The old man was older than the Himalayas.
The mule is able to lift tons of weight uphill.
His classmates laughed at him, saying he had a pea-sized brain.
John was called the elephant of the class for his clumsiness.
 Imagery
Imagery appeals to readers’ senses through highly descriptive language.
It’s crucial for any writer hoping to follow the rule of "show, don’t
tell," as strong imagery truly paints a picture of the scene at hand.
Example: “The house stood half-demolished and abandoned.
He left with his haunted and spell-bound face.
He did not like the odourless and colourless shape of water.
His friend was looking at spooky glissando twangs.
Zigzag fissures in the land made him look for snakes.
The old man took the handful of dust, and sifted it through his fingers.
The starry night sky looked so beautiful that it begged him to linger, but
he reluctantly left for home.
The fragrance of spring flowers made her joyful.
The sound of a drum in the distance attracted him.
The people travelled long distances to watch the sunset in the north.
Just like the five senses, there are different types of imagery, such as:
Visual imagery is when vivid images are conveyed in the reader’s mind.
Olfactory imagery is when smells are described to the reader.
Gustatory imagery is when tastes are described to the reader.
Tactile imagery is all about the reader’s sense of physical touch.
Auditory imagery is when sounds are described to the reader.
These are examples of the five types of imagery:

imagery examples
 Metaphor
A metaphor compares two similar things by saying that one of
them is the other. As you'd likely expect, when it comes to literary
devices, this one is a heavy hitter. And if a standard metaphor
doesn't do the trick, a writer can always try an extended metaphor: a
metaphor that expands on the initial comparison through more
elaborate parallels.
Example: Metaphors are literature’s bread and butter (metaphor
intended) — good luck finding a novel that is free of them. Here’s
one from Frances Hardinge’s A Face Like Glass: “Wishes are thorns,
he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin
and hurt us.”
The warrior has a heart of stone.
Love is a battlefield.
Baby, you are my sunshine.
Chaos is a friend of the legislator.
I am drowning in a sea of grief.
My roommate is going through a rollercoaster of emotion My Friend
is a Shakespeare when in English class.
He was a roaring lion in anger, though now he is silent.
They seem like jackals when running in fear.
Kisses are roses in the spring.
This world is a sea of anonymous faces.
 Onomatopoeia
Amusingly, onomatopoeia (itself a difficult-to-pronounce word)
refers to words that sound like the thing they’re referring to. Well-
known instances of onomatopoeia include whiz, buzz, snap, grunt,
etc.
Example: The excellent children's book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That
Type.“ Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day
long he hears: Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack,
moo.”

The fireplace heater hissed and cracked.

The truck engine roared as it climbed the hill.
achoo
The alarm clock buzzed at the time I was going to the bathroom.
bam
bang
beep
belch
blah
blab
blast
blow
boing
boo
boom
buzz
ca-Ching
clang
click
clink
clap
clang
clop
creak
crunch
crackle
ding
dong
drip
fizzle
flick
flop
flush
 Oxymoron
An oxymoron comes from two contradictory words that describe
one thing. While juxtaposition contrasts two story elements,
oxymorons are about the actual words you are using.
Example: "Parting is such sweet sorrow.” — Romeo and Juliet by
Shakespeare. (Find 100 more examples of oxymorons here.)

Only choice
Same difference
Friendly fire
Virtual reality
Controlled chaos
Freezer burn
Silent scream
Terribly good
Wise fool
Close distance
Stiff drink
Black light
Clearly confused
Genuine fake
Living history
Exact estimate
Quiet roar
Student teacher
Passive aggressive
Smaller half
Magical realism
Loyal opponent
Random Order
Live recording
Jumbo shrimp
act natural
action plan
additional reduction
adult children
all alone
almost exactly
Alone together
altogether separate
another one
 Personification
Personification uses human traits to describe non-human things.
Again, while the aforementioned anthropomorphism
actually applies these traits to non-human things, personification
means the behaviour of the thing does not actually change. It's
personhood in figurative language only.
Example: “Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of
Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though
the ocean were making love with something under a yellow
blanket, his small line was taken by a dolphin.” — The Old Man and
the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
April is the cruellest month of the year.
The radio stared at me.
The car brakes screamed all through the journey.
The car stopped with a groaning complaint.
My alarm yelled at me this morning.
I like onions, but they don’t like me.
The sign on the door insulted my intelligence.
My phone is not cooperating with me today.
That bus is driving too fast.
My computer works very hard.
However, the mail is running unusually slow this week.
I wanted to get money, but the ATM died.
This article says that spinach is good for you.
Unfortunately, when she stepped on the Lego, her foot cried.
The sunflowers hung their heads.
That door jumped in my way.
The school bell called us from outside.
In addition, the storm trampled the town.
I can’t get my calendar to work for me.
This advertisement speaks to me.
Fear gripped the patient waiting for a diagnosis.
The cupboard groans when you open it.
Can you see that star winking at you?
Books reach out to kids.
 Repetition
Repetition, repetition, repetition… where would we be without it?
Though too much repetition is rarely a good thing, occasional
repetition can be used quite effectively to drill home a point, or to
create a certain atmosphere. For example, horror writers often use
repetition to make the reader feel trapped and scared.
Example: In The Shining, Jack Torrance types over and over again
on his pages, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” In this
case, obsessive repetition demonstrates the character’s unravelling
mind.
Time after time
Heart to heart
Boys will be boys
Hand in hand
Get ready; get set; go
Hour to hour
Sorry, not sorry
Over and over
Home sweet home
Smile, smile, smile at your mind as often as possible.
Alone, alone at last
Now you see me; now you don’t
Rain, rain go away
All for one and one for all
It is what it is
 Simile
A simile draws resemblance between two things by saying “Thing
A is like Thing B,” or “Thing A is as [adjective] as Thing B.” Unlike a
metaphor, a similar does not posit that these things are the same,
only that they are alike. As a result, it is probably the most
common literary device in writing — you can almost always
recognize a simile through the use of “like” or “as.”
Example: There are two similes in this description from Circe by
Madeline Miller: “The ships were golden and huge as leviathans,
their rails carved from ivory and horn. They were towed by
grinning dolphins or else crewed by fifty black-haired nereids,
faces silver as moonlight.”
The boy was as brave as a lion in the jungle.
The assistant was as busy as a bee when she was preparing the
podium for the presidential address.
The new teacher is as tall as a giraffe.
The new neighbour is as curious as a cat; nothing escapes her
attention.
His friend is as black as coal.
He has learned gymnastics, and is as agile as a monkey.
When attacked in his home, he will fight like a caged tiger.
Can you dance like a monkey?
Even when he was told everything, he was acting like a donkey
 Tone
Tone refers to the overall mood and message of your book. It’s
established through a variety of means, including voice,
characterization, symbolism, and themes. Tone sets the feelings
you want your readers to take away from the story.
Example: No matter how serious things get in The Good Place,
there is always a chance for a character to redeem themselves by
improving their behaviour. The tone remains hopeful for the
future of humanity in the face of overwhelming odds.

Example #1
Father: “We are going on a vacation.”
Son: “That’s great!!!”
– The tone of son’s response is very cheerful.

Example #2
Father: “We can’t go on vacation this summer.”
Son: “Yeah, great! That’s what I expected.”
– The son’s tone is sarcastic.

Example #3
“Yeah, your grades on this exam will be as good as the previous
exams.”
– The tone is pessimistic in this example.

Example #4
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”
– This has an aggressive tone.

Nostalgic, Disillusioned, Sceptical, Ironic, humorous, solemn,

distant, intimate, ironic, arrogant, condescending, sentimental,
and so on.
 Mood
Mood…In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain
feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions.

Usually, mood is referred to as the Atmosphere of a literary piece, as it

creates an emotional setting that surrounds the readers. Mood is
developed in a literary piece through various methods, including setting,
theme, tone, and diction. Let us see how writers use the afore-mentioned
elements in their literary works to create a particular mood
Example: Example #1: Pickwick Papers (By Charles Dickens)
Charles Dickens creates a calm and peaceful mood in his novel Pickwick
Papers:

“The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it
flowed noiselessly on.”

The depiction of idyllic scenery imparts a serene and non-violent mood to

the readers.

Example #2: Wuthering Heights (By Emily Bronte)

Emily Bronte, in Wuthering Heights, creates two contrasting moods
through two contrasting settings. The events of the narrative takes place
in two neighbouring houses: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
A depressing mood is created whenever Wuthering Heights is described.
For example, in chapter 12 the narrator says:

“There was no moon, and everything beneath lay in misty darkness: not a
light gleamed from any house, far or near all had been extinguished long
ago: and those at Wuthering Heights were never visible…”

On the contrary, the description of Thrushcross Grange creates a calm and

peaceful mood:

“Gimmerton chapel bells were still ringing; and the full, mellow flow of
the beck in the valley came soothingly on the ear. It was a sweet
substitute for the yet absent murmur of the summer foliage, which
drowned that music about the Grange when the trees were in leaf.”
 Zoomorphism
Zoomorphism is when you take animal traits and assign them to
anything that’s not an animal. It’s the opposite of
anthropomorphism and personification, and can be either a
physical manifestation, such as a god appearing as an animal, or a
comparison, like calling someone a busy bee.
Example: When vampires turn into bats, their bat form is an
instance of zoomorphism.

There are also many common idiomatic phrases in English which

are examples of zoomorphism. Here is a short list:

She was barking up the wrong tree by questioning him.

He was champing at the bit at the beginning of the negotiations.
The trade deal ruffled some feathers in the company.
There are also many different common features of everyday life
which take on animal characteristics. Here are a few examples of
zoomorphism in common things:

The feet of bathtubs and tables carved to look like lions’ feet
Robotic pets modelled on animals
Building and cities created in the form of animals, such as the
Elephant Hotel on Coney Island, or the city of Juba in South Sudan
meant to be built in the form of a rhinoceros.
 Genre
literature has four main genres: poetry, drama, fiction, and non-
fiction.
mysteries, thrillers, suspense, detective, science fiction, romantic,
historical, realist or even postmodern.

Epic
Romantic comedy
Musical
Crime
Horror
War
Western
Documentary
Fantasy
Adventure
Romance
Contemporary
Dystopian
Mystery
Thriller
Paranormal
Historical
Science Fiction
Memoir
Cooking
Art
Self-help / Personal
Development
Motivational
Health
Travel
Guide / How-to
Families & Relationships
Children’s
 Idiom
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is figurative and different
from the actual words of the expression.

a dime a dozen
Achilles’ heel
actions speak louder than words
add insult to injury
all ears
As Easy as Pie
back to the drawing board
ball is in your court
beat a dead horse
beats me
bent out of shape
best of both worlds
best thing since sliced bread
bite off more than one can chew
Bite the Bullet
bite the dust
blessing in disguise
blow one’s top
bottom line
break a leg
break one’s heart
buck stops here
burn the midnight oil
by the skin of one’s teeth
call it a day
catch some sleep
caught my eye
chew the cud
elbow grease
every dog has its day
fall in love
fed up with
feel blue
fire someone
fit as a fiddle
free-for-all
from the horse’s mouth
give the benefit of the doubt
 Euphemism
Euphemism is a figure of speech commonly used to replace a word or phrase
that is related to a concept which might make others uncomfortable.
Euphemism refers to figurative language designed to replace phrasing that
would otherwise be considered harsh, impolite, or unpleasant.

porcelain throne (toilet)

friends with benefits (friends having sex)
pre-owned (something used)
bun in the oven (pregnancy)
number one (urination)
number two (defecation)
roll in the hay (have sex)
see a man about a horse (go to the bathroom)
senior (old)
gentlemen’s club (strip club)
economically challenged (poor)
put to sleep (euthanize)
between jobs (unemployed)
upchuck (vomit)
big-boned (overweight)
blowing smoke (lying)
split (divorce)
enhanced interrogation (torture)
well-off (rich)
belch (burp)
adult entertainment (pornography)
correctional facility (prison)
go around the bend (to go insane)
thin on top (bald)
had one too many (drunk)
Homework:

Write 5 seperate narative paragraphs with some

literary devices. Each paragraph must use
different literary devices and do not repeat the
same literary decives.

100-120 words for each paragraph.