things i'm going to steal: the colonel

These are the things I liked and plan on somehow stealing for my own writing. I'll also explain why I liked them and why I found them effective.

1. "Broken bottles were embedded in the walls around the house to scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs...": I think this works so well because it is dealing exactly with shape and size. The shape of a broken bottle and the shape and size of a knee cap fit together perfectly. Usually when I see the kind of wall that he is talking about I only imagine what it will do to the hands. The knee cap is much more effective (because of the size/shape relation) and I know that this image will stay with me for a long time. Scoop is also a word that produces a curved kneecap shape. I haven't actively thought about fitting the size and shape of objects together in my work, so I am going to steal this trick: Find two things that physically fit each other perfectly but don't actually go together and make them connect in a sentence.

2. "There is no other way to say this" This sentence stood out. It was a clear and defined statement and it was unlike all of it's fellow sentences to this point. It speaks directly to the reader and conveys a deep sense of shock and almost fear. Sometimes it can be easy to read through something that talks about ears like dried fruit or spilling them out on the table or whatever. Using this direct statement re-enforced the image in my mind. It was like the writer himself couldn't believe what he just wrote and makes the situation feel real, factual. I do think the only reason this works is because it was only used ONCE, and not throughout the entire piece. I'm also going to steal this: to break away once from the description and write a simple, direct sentence that does not involve any of the characters, plot, or description.