Reading Time: 9 minutesOverview Definition: A pun is wordplay where one word or phrase carries two meanings at the same time. The flip comes from similar sound, similar spelling, or a word with more than one meaning. What you’ve seen before: You hear a line that sounds normal, then your brain snaps to a second meaning. The joke… Continue reading What Is a Pun? Definition, Types, and Examples
Writing Techniques
Dialogue, Pacing, Scene Structure, Literary Concepts
Literary Device vs. Rhetorical Device vs. Figure of Speech
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you also get confused by all the categories of literary terms, you’re not alone. Some of the confusion stems from the fact that some terms may fall into several categories. In this article, I hope to clear up some of that confusion and explain the difference between a figure of speech, a literary device,… Continue reading Literary Device vs. Rhetorical Device vs. Figure of Speech
What Is Parallelism? Definition, Types, and Examples
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhat is Parallelism? Definition & Overview Parallelism is when you repeat the same grammatical structure across two or more phrases, clauses, or sentences, so each beat lands with equal weight. What you’ve seen before: You have heard dialogue that repeats the same sentence frame, so the line sounds organized and deliberate. Example: “We plan the job. We… Continue reading What Is Parallelism? Definition, Types, and Examples
Hendiatris, Tricolon, and Parallelism – Difference Explained
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you also sometimes get confused by all the literary concepts, you’re not alone. Today, I’ll explain the differences and similarities among three related rhetorical devices: hendiatris, tricolon, and parallelism, which are related but distinct concepts. First, let’s briefly define and exemplify each: Hendiatris Hendiatris is a figure of speech in which three words express… Continue reading Hendiatris, Tricolon, and Parallelism – Difference Explained
What Is Ambiguity? Definition, Types, and Examples
Reading Time: 14 minutesOverview Definition: Ambiguity is when a film moment is designed to support more than one reasonable meaning without confirming which one is correct. What you’ve seen before: You’ve watched an ending or a character choice where the credits roll, and you still cannot say, with certainty, what “really” happened or what someone truly meant. Example:… Continue reading What Is Ambiguity? Definition, Types, and Examples
Screenwriter’s Toolkit of Literary Devices & Literary Elements
Reading Time: 2 minutesLiterary devices and elements aren’t just for novels. Screenwriters use them to shape meaning, build suspense, or surprise viewers in a single line of dialogue. Here’s how to tell the difference between devices and elements — and how both affect how your audience interprets a screenplay. Here’s a screenwriter’s toolkit with links to explanations of… Continue reading Screenwriter’s Toolkit of Literary Devices & Literary Elements
What Is Cacophony? Definition & Examples
Reading Time: 7 minutesOverview Definition: Cacophony is the deliberate use of harsh, clashing sounds at the same time, so a scene feels noisy, stressful, and out of order. What you have seen before: You feel this in scenes where shouting, alarms, engines, and music all fight for space, so the sound itself becomes pressure. Example: In the Normandy… Continue reading What Is Cacophony? Definition & Examples
What Is Apostrophe (Figure of Speech)? Definition & Examples
Reading Time: 6 minutesOverview Definition: Apostrophe is when a speaker addresses an absent or unresponsive listener (a dead person, an abstract idea, a place, or an object) as if it could hear them. Quick note: This page covers apostrophe as a figure of speech, not the punctuation mark (’). What you’ve seen before: You’ve seen it in scenes… Continue reading What Is Apostrophe (Figure of Speech)? Definition & Examples
What is Chekhov’s Gun? Definition, Examples & How to Use It
Reading Time: 3 minutesChekhov’s Gun Definition & Meaning Chekhov’s Gun is a dramatic principle that asserts that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed. Named after the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, the principle is commonly phrased as, “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then… Continue reading What is Chekhov’s Gun? Definition, Examples & How to Use It
What is Intertextuality? Definition, Examples & How to Use it
Reading Time: 6 minutesWhat is Intertextuality? Definition & Meaning Intertextuality is treating, reading, and interpreting a text in relation to other texts to extract meaning. Philosopher and literary critic Julia Kristeva coined the term in the 1960s and argued that texts are not isolated creations but are shaped by a network of other texts. This suggests that understanding… Continue reading What is Intertextuality? Definition, Examples & How to Use it