#how to write dramatically

[3hks]

How to Dramatize Your Writing Subtly

Let's say you have a huge scene you're writing. A scene that's emotional, deep, and dramatic, and... you're scared it's going to be cringe.

Every author's worst fear.

But we all want our writing to have some level of emotion. We want melancholy to feel heart-wrenching. Hope to feel liberating. Regret to feel devastating.

Yet how do you go about that without doing too much? Without trying to overcompensate?

Let's talk about it here: how to dramatize your writing subtly.

𑣲 Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are fantastic because they offer direct insight to your character. You don't have to beat around the bush or worry excessively about show, don't tell because this is your character's voice coming through in full transparency.

Example:

"It’s a lie. They both know it’s a lie. Her friend doesn’t push for the truth, and the girl doesn’t ask her to. She wants to feel hurt, but what was she expecting? "

This last question "what was she expecting?" highlights how the girl already gave up on her friend. How she wanted her friend to ask for the truth but knew she wouldn't deep down.

𑣲 Comparisons

Comparisons (similes, metaphors, etc.) are so useful in general because help the readers visualize and understand the impact of things that adjectives can't fully encapsulate.

Example:

"Her friend hurls careless, double-edged remarks about the girl seeming too distant, too unsupportive, and too indifferent, each thorn cutting deeper than the last."

In this example, the friend's words are compared to thorns, effectively emphasizing just how hurtful they are.

𑣲 Italicize or Bold

This is probably the easiest one by far. Do you already have your text down? Then select some impactful words or phrases and italicize (or bold) them. As a matter of fact, that's what I'm doing in this post right now!

When readers spot a word that has a different typeface, they'll naturally understand that most of the time, they're different for emphasis. This changes up how the sentence is read while bringing forth ideas about the current situation.

Example:

They're the friends: permanently attached at the hips and constantly begging teachers for free seating because they’d absolutely die if they couldn’t sit together.

The italicization of "the" and "die" in this context demonstrates how close these two are. They're not just friends--they're "the" friends. The kind of friends in the movies and stories; the perfect set of friends.

𑣲 Repetition

Repetition can refer to the repeating of many things: ideas, sentence structures, phrases, and even just words. However, they're so effective because it drills the idea into the readers' minds and because you can combine it with other devices, such as rhetorical questions.

Example:

"But the girl sits alone at lunch more often now. She gets interrupted by her friend more during conversations.  She finds that she’s talking less and listening more."

This example is really just a list of changes the girl notices, but it's so effective because of repetition.

Here, the simple sentence structure is repeated, along with the use of "she" in the last two sentences and "more" to accentuate the change taking place. That's what makes this feel so heavy.

𑣲 Short Sentences

Short sentences can be very powerful because they're to the point. They emphasize. They don't even have to be full sentences; that's the beauty of creative writing. Incomplete sentences are okay because they still build on.

Example:

His fingers hesitate over the keyboard. Should he text? What if she leaves him on read? Or delivered? Or what if she doesn't like that he's texting so much?

The use of repetitive, short questions reflects how antsy the character is by presenting simple yet rapid concerns.

𑣲 Be Honest

This is the most important piece of advice, so listen up!

Be honest.

If you're writing about a life-changing realization, a silent breakdown, or a heart-warming reunion, be honest. Don't hold back because readers can tell when you do.

Honesty isn't cringe. It's powerful because honesty is vulnerable. And people want vulnerability.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that these devices aren't separate from one another! You can most definitely combine repetition with comparisons, short sentences with rhetorical questions, and italicization with just about anything!

Happy writing~

3hks <3