Use Alliteration Like Spices

Photo credit to Jason Tuinstra on Unsplash.

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In the writing program that I am part of, one of the instructors said something that really stuck with me: ‘use alliteration like spices’.

Imagine yourself cooking a meal. The food is high quality and cooked well, but it needs a little extra flavor. Do you empty a whole container of oregano on top of it? The answer is, quite obviously, no. It doesn’t matter how high quality or well cooked the food is - that amount of salt will ruin it.

So it is with alliteration.

While some authors (including myself) love the sound, it can get to a point where it is too much. Take the following example:

Sara stared out at the starry, saturated sky.

While it does convey what the author is trying to say, it is also a bit of a mouthful.

Thinking back to our cooking analogy, imagine that you are about to put a bite of steak into your mouth. As you chew, you are surprised by the lack of flavor. Then, you get another forkful. This one has a pile of salt on top.

No one is going to enjoy a meal like this, just like no one would enjoy a story with clumps of alliteration. We need to spread it out and use it sparingly.

When used effectively, alliteration can actually make for a delightful treat and, in fact, you can even find it in the Bible. Take Psalms 119:9 “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?...”

In conclusion: alliteration is a wonderful thing to include in our writing - we just need to remember to use it like spices.

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Also, this is a reminder that you only have one week left if you want to enter my poetry contest. If interested, you can find my information post here.