We will take a look at personification today as we continue our study of figurative language. What exactly is personification? Personification is defined as the application of human characteristics upon something nonhuman. This can be showing an inanimate object, concept, event, or animal through the use of human qualities or characteristics. Because of its prevalence in cartoons, fables, and other children’s media, personification and its subsets are often some of the easiest forms of figurative language for many to understand. After all, how many of us grew up watching Disney films where a clock and a candlestick held conversations and argued with a teapot or the main characters were talking animals?
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All this winter, there's been one thing that's caught my eye every time I take Lily out for a walk. Trees bare of their summer leaves stand out in stark contrast with the clear blue of winter skies. The appearance of one covered root to crown in ivy is even more striking, but there's been something "off" in the appearance of the tree in our backyard.
What might be wrong with it has been bugging me for months, and I got the answer the other day. While trying my hand at teaching high school back in the fall, I spent so long away from my current rough draft, I forgot half of what I'd written. So I've been going back to read through it. In doing so, several issues with the rough have been jumping out at me, but they all stem from one factor common in rough drafts, lacking conflict. Readers have their favorites, and they don't enjoy seeing them put through the wringer, but at the same time, what are the chances they would be so fond of those characters if they never struggled? No matter if your story is plot driven or character driven, without conflict, there is no story.
Have you heard all the hoopla surrounding Star Wars being bought out by Disney and all the new movies? Some are all for it, but others, including Mark Hamill have some... issues... with the new storylines. Why though?
Well, to get at the answer, you have to understand a few things about the Star Wars fandom and the franchise itself over the past thirty years or so. It's time for something fun, so I've decided to do The Naughty List tag, created by Jenna Moreci. I had a really difficult time trying to decide between doing this tag for The Icarus Project and the Myth and Science universe, since I am working on a short story anthology for that one. So I decided to do them both! I did a version for The Icarus Project last week, so make sure to go check that one out if you missed it. Here's the one for the Myth and Science universe today. I thought I'd mix it up a bit this week by answering a writer's tag I found online. It just has ten simple questions, so this should be short and sweet. 1. What do you write? A quick scroll down the categories over to the right of the page ought to prove I write speculative fiction. Spec fic covers a wide range of genres and their subgenres as well as mashups of those. I tend to stick more with science fiction, but I do dabble in fantasy now and again. And like with the Yekara series and the Myth and Science universe stories, there are times when I use both science fiction and fantasy elements in the same piece. Today's review is for A Twist in Time by E. G. Glover. It's a modern day romance with a fantastical, time traveling twist. It's a quick read. I haven't seen the word count on this one, but I suspect it's in the novella range. The ebook price certainly seems to back this up. Who hasn't had something happen in their lives they wish they could do over? That's what A Twist in Time explores. Tragedy strikes, and the main character is willing to risk his life to set things right again. Today's flash fiction is one where I wish I had more than 500 words. It's one I can almost guarantee you will end up being added to before being included in my next short story collection. I have a full fledged idea, but I could really only introduce the story within the 500 word limit without "info dumping."
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this slice of life with a twist. Today's review is of Never Trust a Sorcerer by L. R. Barrett-Durham. It's a fantasy adventure novel with a strong female protagonist. It has a touch of romance without that becoming the main focus of the story. I'll be borrowing Travis McBee's basic rubric for this series, although my way of reviewing is a bit different. It just has a good set of items to look at in works of fantasy and science fiction, so it seemed like a solid place to start. I will try to keep all reviews as spoiler free as possible. All reviews will be available here, on YouTube, and Goodreads. One question genre writers get asked often is, "Why do you write in (insert) genre?" Sometimes the person shows a clear distain for the genre or genre fiction in general. Some feel similarly but are better at hiding it at first. A few are jaded and skeptical, certain you only picked your genre for the "built in market" it has, and others are genuine in their curiosity. It's not always a question that's easy to answer. |
A. B. England is a novelist, all around geek, avid crafter, and the home-schooling mother of two.
She is an autistic creator with a love of mythology, fantasy, and all flavors of science fiction. SubscribeCategories
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Work QueYekara Series Book 2 Prewriting/Outlining 20% The Icarus Project Rough Draft Progress 77384 / 75000 Myth & Science Collection Planning Stages 38% Supers Collection
Planning Stages 23% Icarus Series Book 2 Sketched w/ Some Drafting Icarus Collection
Sketched Yekara Series Book 3
Sketched Myth & Science Collection 2
Intent Only at this Time Icarus Trilogy Book 3
Sketched Supers Collection 2
Intent Only at this Time Yekara Series Book 4
Sketched |