And apparently, I’m on a “without” kick here.)Ĭadence: I admit I’ve never heard of cadence used as a rhetorical device, but I use it as one, and I believe it’s one of the most powerful devices we can employ to strengthen emotions and make our writing more beautiful. (from my August, 2022 Love Inspired release, Embracing His Past. Jase-the sweet little boy who’d wept for days when his father left them without a word, without a hint he was leaving, without a goodbye or a handshake or a hug. (from my February, 2022 Love Inspired release, An Orphan’s Hope.) Jase tried to imagine life at Rosewood without Erin and her kind heart that made sure everybody around her had everything they needed. Then we just bless their hearts and move on.) Also, if I use them in separate sentences (either complete or incomplete), I often also write the third one as a paragraph of its own. (If your critique partners don’t understand anaphora, they might flag them all as errors anyway. Use less than that and it looks like a mistake. I typically use it three times, but I have used it four. So let’s dive into my two favorite rhetorical devices, anaphora and cadence, the techniques I use most often.Īnaphora: This is the intentional repeating of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple phrases or sentences. These are the lines we want the reader to remember long after she has finished the book. The key to success here is to use these techniques in places where we want the characters’ emotions to run high. As a bonus, they can also make our writing more beautiful. We can use them to show why the characters feel the way they do. Rather than merely stating how the character feels, these little gems can pull heartstrings by making us isolate the exact emotion instead of settling for a vague one. Rhetorical devices work by forcing us to take a deeper look into the emotion on the page. Surprisingly enough, using rhetorical devices is one way to help us ramp up the characters’ feelings and thereby deliver a story that will bring readers back for more. Therefore, after I’ve figured out the characters’ SEQs, plotted the middle to keep it from sagging, and formulated a satisfying ending, it’s time to bring words-and emotions-to the page. That could be a deal changer.)Īs a romance author, I want to evoke emotion in my books. If the author hasn’t evoked emotion in me, I probably won’t buy her books again. When that happens, the book’s intriguing plot, flawless character arc, and grand theme don’t matter. As a romance reader, I find that my tried-and-true favorite authors almost always deliver that swell of emotion I long for in the pages of the book.īut sometimes the emotions fall flat, and as a result, the book lacks those satisfying heart tugs. I like to let anticipation build for a few days after a trip to the bookstore, catching an occasional glimpse of my new read on the kitchen table or my to-be-read pile next to my reading chair. Don’t you love the excitement of opening a new novel?
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