Writer’s
Toolkit
A painter uses a paintbrush to convey his meaning. A carpenter uses a hammer
to achieve her purpose. In the same way, a writer has tools that she uses to
convey meaning, and to write effectively.
These are some of the tools that you, as a writer, can use to make your writing unique,
interesting, and meaningful:
Figurative language: Any use of language where the intended
meaning differs from the actual literal meaning of the words
themselves. There are many techniques which are considered
figurative language, i.e. metaphor, simile, hyperbole,
personification, onomatopoeia, and verbal irony.
Hyperbole: A description which exaggerates.
Imagery: Language which describes something in detail, using words that
appeal to the 5 senses.
Onomatopoeia: When words describing sounds actually sound like the
sounds they describe.
Repetition: Where a specific word, phrase, or structure is repeated
several times, to emphasize a particular idea.
Simile: A comparison between two dissimilar things, usually containing the
words like or as.
Symbolism: The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas.
A symbol must be something tangible or visible, while the idea it symbolizes
must be something abstract or universal.
Foreshadowing: Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are
hinted at by the author before they happen. It is not considered foreshadowing
if the outcome is explicitly revealed early in a story (such as by the use of a
flashback).
Metaphor: Comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways
are similar in one important way. Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to
make a comparison, metaphors state that something is something else.
Irony: A contrast between appearance and reality or a discrepancy between
what is expected and what actually happens. There are three main types:
Dramatic: Where the audience or reader is aware of something
important, of which the characters in the story are not aware.
Verbal: Where the meaning is intended to be the exact opposite
of what the words actually mean. (Sarcasm is a tone of voice
that often accompanies verbal irony, but they are not the same
thing.)
Situational: Where an event occurs which is unexpected, and
which is in opposition to what is expected or appropriate.
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds within close proximity,
usually in consecutive words within the same sentence or line.
Dialogue: Where characters speak to one another, often designated by
using quotation marks.
Personification: Where human thoughts and/or actions are
directly attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.