I’m always running across things that make my brain go POP – zeugmas, anyone? (You can find that definition in the list!) Like me, you’ve probably encountered these things, but you didn’t know the term. One of the most famous is Chekov’s Gun, a literary device that I am not including in this list as it is pretty well-known. (But here’s a link to a Reedsy post describing it just in case you need a refresher.)
Here’s a list with some of my favorites, presented below in alphabetical order.
Aesthetic Distance
Ever wonder why, when you’re reading something or watching a movie, something happens that jolts you back into cold reality? You’ve been so engrossed in the book or show, feeling like you’re there, and then your brain goes, “Yeah, this is fiction.” That’s aesthetic distance! Or rather, a violation thereof. Aesthetic distance is the space your brain lives between actual reality and the fictional reality that makes you feel like you’re a character in the story as well. A common violation of aesthetic distance is breaking the fourth wall, but this can sometimes be done well (looking at you, Deadpool). You can watch this video about aesthetic distance and learn how it’s used or misused, especially in film.
Alien Space Bats
Often abbreviated as ASBs, this trope is an attack on a poorly written plot, usually in an alternate history, that is completely implausible without the help of alien space bats (which are, of course, not mentioned or given proper credit in the story). You tend to see this kind of thing in science fiction or fantasy, and while it’s on this list because it’s interesting, I don’t recommend using it. Unless you can subvert it in a really cool way. Learn more about ASBs and the history of the term with this post from Dark Worlds Quarterly.
Ear/Eye Dialect
You’ve almost certainly seen eye dialect in practice when the dialogue you’re reading is filled with spelling changes to indicate a speaker’s accent. Most instances of it are used in a wildly racist way… or in a way that indicates a person is poor, uneducated, or something else the story shows as undesirable. Happily, this isn’t as common today, but you definitely still see it. I haaaaaaate it because it’s hard to read and also violates that aesthetic distance we talked about, ripping me right out of the story. But there’s hope with Ear Dialect. That’s the use of punctuation changes, grammar, and other syntax clues to indicate a person’s accent. Think Joel Chandler Harris’ version of Br’er Rabbit (eye dialect) versus Toni Morrison (ear dialect). You can read more about eye dialect in particular with this article from Grammarly.
Frame Story
Arguably the most famous example of a frame story is One Thousand and One Nights, but more modern examples include “The Princess Bride,” House of Leaves, and “Forrest Gump.” If you hadn’t heard the term before, the examples have probably given you a solid idea of what a frame story actually is: a story within a story! They’re also called framework stories, frame narratives, embedded narratives, and a slew of other things, but it’s all the same. Check out this post about frame stories with examples AND tips on how to use that structure.
Hamartia
A fraternal twin of the fatal flaw, hamartia is essentially the Greek word for oops. While a fatal flaw is a character defect that leads to their downfall, hamartia refers to an error in judgment that leads to a character’s ultimate demise. One of the most famous examples of hamartia is with Oedipus – he didn’t kill his dad and hook up with his mom knowing who they were, after all. A more modern example is Walter White’s fate in “Breaking Bad.” You can find out more with this article from LiteraryDevices.net.
Idiot Plot
This is another one of those things I don’t recommend using, but I was absolutely thrilled to learn it had a name. An idiot plot is a story with a central problem that could be solved incredibly easily except that every person in the story is a complete dumbass. Not just the main character – EVERYONE. It may be controversial, but I see “Friends” thrown around as an example of idiot plot… and I tend to agree. Learn more about idiot plots and the history of the term in this article of Far Out Magazine.
Intercalary Chapter
Let’s say you’re reading a novel about Millicent and Frank. Then you get to chapter 9, and suddenly the story is about Bob and Theresa with absolutely no mention of Millicent and Frank. In fact, you’re not even sure they exist in the same city… or maybe they’re very distant side characters. Then chapter 10, you’re back to Millicent and Frank. Periodically through the book, a chapter randomly appears that talks about Bob and Theresa. They have no plot significance. The themes in their story are the same, but the stories are not the same. This is, in my opinion, one of the most annoying things that can be done in fiction (Moby Fucking Dick)… but I concede that it can also be done very well (Neil Gaiman’s American Gods). I wasn’t able to find a detailed resource on intercalary chapters, but here’s a goodreads list of books that have them.
Mary Sue/Gary Stu
I’ve spent a big part of my life thinking this was a super well-known thing… but recently I’ve discovered that isn’t the case. So a Mary Sue is a largely flawless main female character who is a clear surrogate for the writer. They are perfect in every way, and everyone is in love with them or wants to be their bestie. The male version of this is a Gary Stu. You’ll see this a LOT in fan fiction, particularly with new or young writers. (Let me be clear: I’m not hating on fan fiction or new/young writers.) Examples NOT from fan fiction include Bella from the Twilight series and Brian in the Taken films.
Plot Voucher
You’re reading a book where the main character’s little sister (who’s super sick with like Chronic Wasting Flatulence) gives the MC her favorite stuffed narwhal for luck. Hundreds of pages later, the MC is facing off against the Big Bad, and during the epic battle, the MC hears the Big Bad softly whisper that he wishes he had a stuffed narwhal and that everything would be just fine if only he had one. The MC presents the Big Bad with the toy, and everyone is gloriously happy and, in exchange, the Big Bad uses his once-dormant but now awakened healing powers to cure the sister’s horrible fart disease. That stuffed narwhal? A plot voucher. Also called a plot coupon, it’s an item given to the MC near the beginning of the story that turns out to be the ONE THING they need to solve the problem. Not to be confused with a MacGuffin as those actually push the plot forward. Not many pages dedicated to plot vouchers exist, but here’s an interesting list, with examples, of a bunch of plot devices from Screen Craft.
Synecdoche/Metonymy
These are related figures of speech that can make your writing more punchy… or more purple, if you overuse them. A synecdoche (pronounced sin-ECK-doh-key… yeah, yeah, I know) is when you use a PART of the object to refer to it as a whole. Common usages are things like “hungry mouths to feed” or “boots on the ground” or “the brains of the operation.” Now, metonymy (meh-TAWN-uh-me) is using a CONCEPT of something to refer to it as a whole. For example, think about using “tongue” rather than “language” or “hands” to refer to “workers” or even “heart” for “passion.” You can read more about these devices with this post from Merriam-Webster.
Tuckerization
A tuckerization is using a real person’s name in a fictional story. Maybe you entered a raffle and won the chance to have a character named after you in a story. This happened to a friend of mine who got their name used as one of the villains in “The Blacklist.” It was amazing. Stephen King does this a lot in his stories, and Star Trek throws real names in their episodes often. Check out this TV Tropes list for SO MANY examples!
Zeugma
Finally, the zeugma (ZOOG-muh). This is a sentence where one of the words, usually the verb, is used to apply to two different things… and not necessarily using the same meaning for each of those things. Grammarly uses a great example: “After the long argument, he was still on her nerves and her couch.” I just think they’re neat. Here’s a Grammarly post with a bunch of examples.