Writing Focus: Hyperbole
It’s almost guaranteed that we will all have made an exaggeration (large or otherwise) in our lifetime. Most of the time, we use these as a figure of speech and they’re definitely not intended to be taken seriously. This can also be done within writing and that’s where hyperbole comes in.
What Is Hyperbole?
Hyperbole is the deliberate and gross exaggeration of something within a piece of writing or a piece of speech. This is normally used to describe something as largely better than normal or understating and putting down something as worse than it normally is. The exaggeration can have a multitude of effects on the piece of writing and is a fairly common figure of speech that is used in both everyday life and in literature.
Tips
Hyperbole can be put to many uses within writing, but one of the most common and well-known ways of using it is to create a humorous tone. For example, a character carrying what they perceive to be a heavy load can complain that they feel like their load “weighs a ton!” when it only really weighs a small amount.
However, hyperbole cannot only be used for humorous effect. It can also be used to show the psychological effect that something has one somebody without physically mentioning it. For example, a character in a crime novel who witnesses a murder or discovers a crime scene could explain to officers that “there was blood everywhere”. The odds on the blood actually being everywhere would be incredibly slim, but it shows that the blood was all that the character could see and would lead to the suggestion that they have obviously been very shaken by the entire ordeal.
Prompts
Looking to use more hyperbole in your work? Check out these prompts for some ideas!
- Take simple phrases and turn them into hyperbole. For example, taking a phrase like ‘I am so hungry that…” and finishing it off with an exaggerated clause.
- Write a character into a story who only speaks in hyperbole. Bonus points if the other characters notice, and they are annoyed by the constant exaggeration.
Although simple and easy to add, hyperbole will create a whole new dimension within your writing.
Special thanks to losing control. and cleopatra. for editing!
