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Should You Avoid Mixed Metaphors?

May 7, 2018

A mixed metaphor is the intermixing of two or more metaphors the literal meaning of which comes from different and incompatible areas. Apart from my cheeky example in the note above, also consider the following:

I shall make no bones about the skeleton in the closet.
We’ve got to grab the bull by the tail and look him in the eye.
He’s like a duck out of water.

As you might already guess, the juxtaposition of such incongruous elements can have a profoundly humorous effect. However, humor is not the only possible option for mixed metaphors, as we shall see below. Whether to avoid mixed metaphors or not depends entirely on the intended meaning.

Avoid Mixed Metaphors — You don’t HAVE to avoid mixed metaphors, provided you know how to use them

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How to Use Juxtaposition in Fiction

April 6, 2018

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

fiction, juxtaposition, literature, writing

The word juxtaposition comes from the Latin juxta (meaning “next”) and the French poser (meaning “to place”). In other words, juxtaposition refers to the practice of arranging things next to each other. Now, in terms of writing and literature, juxtaposition refers to the way (usually) two elements are grouped in order to create a certain effect. In today’s article we’ll take a look at juxtaposition. Particularly, I’ll give you tips on how to use juxtaposition in fiction.

How to use juxtaposition in fiction — Juxtaposition in fiction is often about the unexpected

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Use of Tenses in Fiction: How to Pick the Right One

March 9, 2018

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

change, creativity, grammar, literature, time, writing

The use of tenses in fiction (and writing in general) seems like a self-evident thing. You use the past tense when things happened in the past, the present tense when they happen in the present, and the future tense when they will happen in the future. It seems so simple, and yet picking the right tense at the right time is a crucial element for success in writing fiction.

You see, one major aspect that most writers don’t seem to grasp, is that a novel is not an exercise in writing “proper” English. Instead, a work of fiction is a necessary medium for an author’s thoughts to reach an audience. As a result, rules are secondary; affect is primary.

Still, even within a “playing-by-the-rules” context, the choice of the right tense isn’t always an obvious thing. In today’s article I’ll let you know how to pick the right tense at the right time. By “right”, we mean the tense that allows affect to be expressed. We are not concerned about “proper” English. We are concerned about affective power.

use of tenses in fiction — Often in photography it’s not about what you show, but about what you don’t. It’s the same in narrative, and choosing the right tense can be crucial about “nudging” the narrative in the proper direction, temporally and emotionally.

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