Many people nowadays misunderstand the role of villains in stories. This misunderstanding has ruined a sad number of good stories, so I call upon my fellow-storytellers, and our audiences, to correct it. The storytellers, by creating villains and heroes differently; and the audiences, by being alert and holding us to account. Whether their creators realize … Continue reading [Essay] The myth of the good villain
Tag: technique
[Writing tips] The difference between similes and metaphors
Last week, a fellow word-lover shared with us his struggle to learn the difference between similes and metaphors. I hope this excerpt will help every visitor who wants to learn those definitions — and learn why to use such figures of speech. A simile is a figure of speech consisting in comparing one thing to … Continue reading [Writing tips] The difference between similes and metaphors
[Writing tips] Examples of metaphors
Isn't Henry Morton Robinson a writer to wonder at? In a passage published before, we have seen him use chess metaphors in a masterful way. Here we will look at some shorter metaphors, and one simile, also from his famous novel The Cardinal (yes, I admit it's his only work I have read). Check how … Continue reading [Writing tips] Examples of metaphors
[Literary passage] Poetic prose in Brideshead Revisited
Let's enjoy two particularly poetic passages from Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece
[Literary passage] Chess metaphors in The Cardinal
Let's delight in Henry Morton Robinson's deft use of chess figures of speech towards the end of this scene. The man was a master at simile and metaphor. Setup: Young Father Stephen Fermoyle has fallen in disgrace with the irascible Cardinal Glennon, who banished him to a remote, penniless parish as assistant to the ailing … Continue reading [Literary passage] Chess metaphors in The Cardinal
[Essay] What’s wrong with Dan Brown’s Inferno
Do you sometimes itch to pinpoint why exactly a story affects you in a certain way? I do. My friend did, in the case of Dan Brown’s Inferno. "What makes it 'unputdownable'?" she wanted to know. So here are some thoughts on it — for her and for you, if you care to learn more … Continue reading [Essay] What’s wrong with Dan Brown’s Inferno