The elderly woman's back story is that she'd been left in her home for several days before anyone noticed that she had died. Detailing the exuberance of the series' teenage protagonist at the embalming process of an elderly, partially decayed woman is almost too much to stomach.ĭetails about the embalming process in general, from a simple statement that each person is embalmed with different chemicals, to more elaborate facts about the limitations of a deceased human body, make a person's own mortality a present fact during the reading.īut there's also a subtle call to humanity. I nearly couldn't raise mine.The first book in his series, I Am Not A Serial Killer, is a chilling read from page one. Approximately half the occupants in the room raised their hands. "How many of you have read my books?" Was his next question. " I Am Not A Serial Killer- I mean, that's what the book's called, but I'm not a serial killer," he assured the crowd. To you I say, may your empire thrive.ĭan Wells had a running joke that never seems to get old. Unless you're Disney and you personify elements of almost all of your movies. By the same token, personification is likely better used sparingly. Personification can do more for the mood and setting of your story than sunshine, rainfall, or that amazing cityscape you outlined for your readers, but not if every element is personified. Personification should ultimately aim to be purposeful. Watching their tactics may prove useful to anyone hoping to understand what unbelievable things the audiences are likely to believe. They cut some unbelievable parts that aren't integral, and do their best to explain the others or to make them more realistic. The popular show Once Upon A Time faces these unrealistic elements when they attempt to personify cartoon characters. Which is worth noting: the presence of a second witness adds a layer of credibility to the story that might otherwise leave the audience with questions. Is Pocahontas crazy when she talks to Grandmother Willow? Only John Smith's conversation with Grandmother Willow confirms the phenomenon isn't limited to Native Americans or aimless, motherless women. One-off dancing spoons prompt questions of hallucinations or dreams.
One-off elements like spooky trees can be chalked up to imagination. While Belle's dancing candle is charming in the picturesque castle-filled world of Disney, the back story of magic in her universe is integral to engaging the audience and convincing them to glaze over the leap in logic.
You're drawn to contrasting the uniqueness of the personified elements with the mundane elements of the setting to bring meaning to their presence and give readers a sense of your character's alarm (or amusement, if your personification isn't sinister) within the context of their world. Tossing in personification as an element of your story prompts you to flesh out the world around your character. Both have become a familiar component of stories. Trees are given grimacing or glaring faces when protagonists venture into forests, and gnarled branches resemble witch's crooked fingers, rising as unrealistically airborne roots. From Belle's dancing dinnerware to Tellytubbies giggling, baby-faced sun, personification has its place in many Disney classics and in children's shows alike.īut personification can also have a more sinister role. With the umbrella term of speculative fiction, personifying inanimate objects within your story becomes an option.
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