Clear Storytelling II-Words & Meaning 204-05

image of an eye exam chart, seen through glasses

On the small scale, clarity is the meaning of the words the story uses; understanding the rules of grammar, as well as carefully weighing the merits of poetic language and figures of speech (simile, metaphor, analogy, etc.) It’s ensuring audiences have the necessary information to understand “why”; whether it’s why Harry Potter is famous, why he was kept out of the magical world, or why some characters adore Harry while others despise him. Carefully managing “what audiences learn” and “when they learn” is a critical component of good storytelling. (See 107-02 Background Information)

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Details & Description 203-02

In photography they say the act of looking at one thing is also the act of looking away from something else. The same can be said of description. When writing description, it’s important to consider what’s left unsaid. For example, a character stands in the middle of a street. Audiences will either assume that the street is empty or that the character is ignoring the activity around them, both of which convey meaning.

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