Jessica Strong

Wednesday, October the Twenty-Fourth - Literary Plot Devices

Oct. 24: - Plot: Literary Devices ▼

(1) Brainstorm possible solutions to your conflict and complications using the list of literary devices below or your own ideas.
I’m not really a big fan of literary devices. That’s because there are so many of them that fit my novels. It’s hard for me to just select a few of them. I don’t want to do all of them either. So, I decided to do just these five for right now.

Literary Devices List
Foreshadowing: Hints of something to come.
I am a big fan of hinting, and there are plenty of hints in this novel. Some of them you won’t get or suspect, and some that you will. At least that’s what I think.
Plot Twist: Surprises the reader with something unexpected.
Suspence. I’m a big fan of suspense in my stories. It’s mostly for my Mysteries, Horror/Scary, and Action/Adventure, but it can turn up anyone in my stories. This one has a lot of them.
Reveal: A hidden connection between characters or facts is revealed in time.
Nothing hidden here except for Jessica not knowing why Secret Location is still trying to kill her. Jessica know why Social Services and the law is after her, and in time she will know about Secret Location is too.
Narrative Hook: Story opening that grab's the reader's attention.
I’m a big fan of opening a Short Story, Script, or a Novel with a hook. It doesn’t have to be life-threatening, but with a novel like this one it will be.
Cliffhanger: Ending a scene, chapter or story in the middle of action, hooking the reader.
I like to end all of my Chapters with a cliffhanger. It depends on what Chapter it is as to how much of a cliffhanger it is. Chapters one, three, six, and eight are my shock and surprise ended. They end with a shock or a surprise. One that we often don’t see as readers yet. Chapters two, four, seven, and nine are my question and comment enders. There is usually at least one question, comment, or both. Finally, my Chapters five and tens. They are my action-oriented and life-threatening chapters. It’s not just the end of my Chapters, though. You will find a lot of cliffhangers at the end of each Chapter part too.

(2) Identify a mentor or helper who aids the protagonist(s) in achieving their goals.
Jessica’s mentor is her dad. Even after his death he helps her with her real goal. No, he’s not a ghost, but what he has taught her she will never forget. Other than her dad Jessica doesn’t have anyone to help her. She’s on her own.

(3) Identify any other literary devices from the list you could use to enhance your writing.
A few more literary devices that might help me with my writing. I need all the help I can get, and I think that these will help me to do it.

Literary Devices List
Poetic Justice: Good guys are rewarded and bad guys are punished.
Of course, the good guys, or in this novel female, is supposed to win. In Jessica’s case, sometimes she win, and sometimes she doesn’t.
Red Herring: A false trail diverts the reader's attention from what really happened.
I’m a big fan of Red Herrings. Especially, in my Mysteries and Suspense stories. There aren’t a lot in this novel except for what Secret Location is doing, but there are some.
Plot Device: Advances the plot forward, often pushing the main character past a hurdle.
I use this literary device a lot too. Almost every part and Chapter, if not all of them, end in a Plot Device.
MacGuffin: Something the protagonist wants for unknown and unimportant reasons.
Jessica knows what she wants. She even has a plan on getting it too.
Ticking Clock Scenario: The threat of impending doom if the protagonist's objective is not met.
No impending doom for Jessica. Jessica’s only problem is how long is it going to take to get her objective. The answer to that question is twenty-one years.

Literary Devices List
Foreshadowing: Hints of something to come.
Chekhov's Gun: The gun on the wall in Scene 1 is eventually fired.
Repetitive Designation: An object or fact appears over and over.
Symbolism: Small facts, objects, or characterizations represent something bigger.
Self-fulfilling prophecy: Protagonist attempts to thwart prophecy but in attempting, fulfills it.
Poetic Justice: Good guys are rewarded and bad guys are punished.
Plot Twist: Surprises the reader with something unexpected.
False Protagonist: The protagonist dies or turns out to be something other than the protagonist.
Red Herring: A false trail diverts the reader's attention from what really happened.
Unreliable Narrator: The narrator has been misleading the reader all along.
Irony: The exact opposite of what the reader expects happens.
Reveal: A hidden connection between characters or facts is revealed in time.
Plot Device: Advances the plot forward, often pushing the main character past a hurdle.
Object of Power: Either the protagonist wants it, or the object drives the plot of its own accord.
MacGuffin: Something the protagonist wants for unknown and unimportant reasons.
Quibble: Following the letter of the law, contract, or agreement instead of its intent, changing the outcome.
Narrative Hook: Story opening that grab's the reader's attention.
Cliffhanger: Ending a scene, chapter or story in the middle of action, hooking the reader.
Ticking Clock Scenario: The threat of impending doom if the protagonist's objective is not met.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: A character speaks directly to the reader.
Or anything from this list: http://literary-devices.com/