tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post3425165709029848343..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: How Dramatic Irony Can Heighten Tensions and Strengthen PlotsJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-23044190810400172862018-08-14T07:30:19.654-04:002018-08-14T07:30:19.654-04:00Great example. An old mystery writer trick is to h...Great example. An old mystery writer trick is to hide the detail in the middle of the paragraph. Readers pay more attention to the beginnings and endings of paragraphs. :) We can sneak clues by them more easily that way.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-84706618030165507682018-08-09T23:30:49.311-04:002018-08-09T23:30:49.311-04:00I'm trying to introduce dramatic irony at the ...I'm trying to introduce dramatic irony at the moment without making the POV characters appear stupid. The easiest character to do this with is the reckless hot headed one... he notices things but doesn't over analyse. Now I'm wondering of the other POVs are too observant!<br /><br /> My favourite example of dramatic irony is Oedipus. We all know what will happen but we keep reading the play because everything poor Oedipus does brings him closer to fulfilling the prophecy.Vahlaeityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18038892372374001592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-20744198265854069292018-08-08T13:03:08.904-04:002018-08-08T13:03:08.904-04:00That's a great genre for it!
I doubt it coul...That's a great genre for it! <br /><br />I doubt it could since there's no other person to reveal information, unless it was something well-known for readers. Such as, it took place during a particular time period and the reader knows what historical event is bearing down, but the character doesn't.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-31811989383687409202018-08-08T10:19:37.610-04:002018-08-08T10:19:37.610-04:00Dramatic irony is one of my favorite plotting devi...Dramatic irony is one of my favorite plotting devices. I've used it quite a bit in my romantic comedies. It helps that I usually write in multiple POVs. Don't know if it would work in a single POV story, though.Karenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770486767357201455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-41909124927385345922011-04-12T12:54:47.176-04:002011-04-12T12:54:47.176-04:00Elizabeth: A little of both. Some stuff I know, ot...Elizabeth: A little of both. Some stuff I know, others appear as I write. I jump back and forth a lot as new things pop up that I can tie back into something I wrote previously. And I'm sure I'll have more things to tie together once I have the first draft done. <br /><br />Ben: Yep, it's a real challenge to keep a first person POV in the dark about stuff. What I've found that works fairly well, is to have them notice things that have no real context yet, then later let them put the pieces together. Some readers will pick up on things early on and know the answer before the POV. But you're right, you can't leave them dumb too long or they just look stupid. <br /><br />Elle: Most welcome!<br /><br />Liz: Awesome! I love it when that happens.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-77871377523489707992011-04-08T15:38:11.088-04:002011-04-08T15:38:11.088-04:00My mind is a-whirr with possibilities! Although I&...My mind is a-whirr with possibilities! Although I'm writing in the first person, I'll find a way to make this rock. I love it Janice when you do writing posts that get the juices flowing....which is most always. LizAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-42361584971857074792011-04-08T12:35:18.325-04:002011-04-08T12:35:18.325-04:00This is great! I'm just plotting out a new boo...This is great! I'm just plotting out a new book now, so very timely for me--thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09687047513163296827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10338217052290034062011-04-08T10:56:32.390-04:002011-04-08T10:56:32.390-04:00More excellent plotting advice! This is really hel...More excellent plotting advice! This is really helpful. I may have to print this out and keep it in my notebook. Thanks, Janice.<br /><br />IMHO, keeping characters in the dark doesn't work as well with a single POV, especially 1st person. Most of the ideas in that last bulleted list can work fine, but not the third one. With 1st person, you can't reveal information to the reader and keep the character in the dark without making the character seem—a little slow. That really bugged me in CATCHING FIRE.Ben Spendlovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17715176546668792509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-50697523830578518422011-04-08T10:39:26.429-04:002011-04-08T10:39:26.429-04:00I usually have two different POV of views, and one...I usually have two different POV of views, and one of the ways I keep the conflict going is doing just this!<br /><br />I really like your idea of letting them help each other, but it actually making things worse overall. I am definitely going to bookmark this post.<br /><br />Do you add this in while you're writing the book? Or is this something you look at while editing? Maybe both?Elizabeth Poolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214706118828699708noreply@blogger.com