19.43: A Close Reading on Structure: Parallelism and Inversion

Writing Excuses

The structure of The Fifth Season features both mirroring and inversion. How do these structural shifts interact with the three POVs? On today’s episode, we talk about the parallelism of the perspectives and the linguistic references to seasons. This leads us to the question, how many things need to work in sync in order for readers to feel the cyclical nature of the plot (and life)? How does N.K. Jemisin use structural arcs, beats, and elements to create upheaval? And finally, how can you create overlapping emotional states and narrative rhyming in your own writing? (And what is narrative rhyming you may ask? Don’t worry, we define it for you!)

Thing of the Week: Who Lost, I Found by Eden Royce

Homework: Take a look at one of your main character's arcs, and then try to rework another character's arc to match similar beats and structure to the first one.

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