Surprise and delight readers with plays on words
Why wordplay? | |
 | We pay attention to and remember puns, alliteration A hand shoots up in my Make Your Copy More Creative workshop. “But,” the communicator says, “don’t you risk confusing people with wordplay?” |
Types of wordplay | |
 | Alliteration makes you ‘instantly eloquent’ Tickle the intellect, please the ear Alliteration — using a series of words that start with the same sound — tickles the intellect, pleases the ear and makes messages memorable. |
 | Balance taps the power of twos Makes message memorable with parallelism “Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee.” The rhetorical technique of balance, or parallelism, makes messages more memorable. |
 | Create a portmanteau, verbify a name or make a mnemonic A whole new word: Create new words with neologisms and more. |
 | Etymology adds layers of meaning Explore word origins Add layers of context to your topic by looking into the meanings behind and origins of your key words. |
 | Rhetorical devices ring in their ear Practice persuasion through language “Rhetoric” — from the Greek word for “teacher” — is the art of persuading through language. Master the timeless techniques of Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan. |
 | Plus, it stands out in a crowd People are more likely to believe a rhyming statement than a non-rhyming one. (I know. Seems crazy.) |
 | Make your message ring in their ears Triad, haiku and other rhythmic devices ring in your readers’ ears. |
 | Twist of phrase tickles the brain Mark my words Mark my words: Twist of phrase gets readers to pay attention to — and remember — your message. |
 | This list is made for twisting Wordplay techniques to steal from ‘Kinky Boots’ Here’s a quick humor technique: Twist a list. |
Practice wordplay | |
 | Practice playing with your words Want to become a master of wordplay? The more you play with your words, the more effective your wordplay will be. |
More on wordplay | |
 | What writers and others say “Why isn’t ‘phonetic’ spelled the way it sounds?” — The Atomic Café |
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