1. Objective
Identify different literary devices to incorporate into their stories which will help build suspense and tension by affecting the pacing of the story.

2. Literary Devices to Make Stories Interesting
Imagery
Foreshadowing
Flashback
Irony
Pacing
Cliff Hangers

3. Imagery
Descriptions involving the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, sound).
Ex: The bold scent of coffee filled her nostrils as she entered the coffee shop. Her wet clothes clung to her from the downpour outside, and the warm embrace of the fire near the couches drew her near to it.

4. Why Use Imagery?
Paints a more vivid picture, makes it more relatable to the reader (especially when describing things they may not have experienced), makes scenes longer

5. Foreshadowing When the author hints at events to come
Ex: “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones.” (Excerpt from “The Lottery”)

6. What is this quote hinting at?
“It's an anti-gravity metal. Its purpose is to keep you from touching this world of the past in any way. Stay on the Path. Don't go off it. I repeat. Don't go off. For any reason! If you fall off, there's a penalty.” (Excerpt from “A Sound of Thunder”)

7. Why Use Foreshadowing?
Builds tension, gives clues for what is to come, makes the reader anxious, highlights what is important to pay attention to

8. Flashback Jumping back to an early memory before the story takes place

9. Why Use Flashback?
Can fill in details about what is happening in the story
Adding these details in the middle of the story can add an element of surprise
Learn more about a character by visiting their memories
Explain why something happened the way it did

10. Irony
Verbal Irony – someone says one thing and means another (sarcasm)

11. Irony
Situational Irony – When you expect one thing to happen, and the opposite happens instead

12. Irony
Dramatic Irony – when the audience knows something the characters in the story don’t

13. Why Use Irony?
Add humor
Add dramatic or tragic effect (mostly situational/dramatic)

14. Pacing
Most stories make the rising action the longest part, while the climax and falling action are usually very short. Why do you think that is?
Action-scenes are usually quick-paced
Horror scenes are usually drawn out without much action until the very ending

15. How Can You Use Pacing in Your Story?
Write down about how long you want each part of your story to be?
Which parts need to be quicker and which need to be more detailed?
How can you use pacing to keep your reader’s attention?

16. Cliff Hanger
Many authors exclude the resolution to leave their reader’s wanting more

17. Removing Parts of the Plot
What effect would it have to exclude the exposition?
In media res – “In the middle of things”
What effect would it have to exclude the rising action?
The climax?
The falling action? (Think of Rosa Parks.)

18. On and Index Card
1. What is a device you can use to make part of your story longer? 2. What is a device you can use to make part of your story shorter? 3. What is a device you can use to add humor? 4. What is a device you can use to add suspense?