Normal 0
Creative Writers - do you know how to use inference? Learn everything you don't know about it here!
Creative Writers Use Inference to Say More by Saying Less
All creative writers use inference, whether by choice or by accident. So you may be thinking, “If I can do use it by accident, why should I study it? You need to study it until you are able to use inference at will.
This is inference:
Mary was in labor. The baby was a monkey.
All writers use inference, so learn to use it by choice. On the surface, one could assume the following:
- A woman had mated with a monkey and got pregnant
- She went to the hospital to give birth
- Her baby wasn’t a child, it was a monkey
- It was a historical event
- This event would open new doors to the medical community and scientists
- The news media would hound the monkey child throughout its life
- Documentaries would undoubtedly be created
- A movie would be in the making
Thoughts would flood your mind. Did the lady go to Africa? Perhaps an ape or a monkey mated with her? Where was her husband? Or was the lady married? How will her family accept the monkey baby? You would wonder if it had any human characteristics?
But if you know what I was thinking, you would know that Mary was in labor, but she owned a monkey. Do you see what inference can do?
Mystery writers often drop clues that will lead their readers in the wrong direction. You can also use inference in games and riddles.
Inference presents clues that can be misleading, and can therefore confuse the reader, which is the whole point. You can count on the reader's mind jumping to a conclusion before it has all the proper facts. If the writer wants to, he can change the mental image in the next sentence.
Another example:
The bride collapsed in tears, and could not be consoled.
We might think:
- The groom didn’t show up for the wedding
- Someone dropped the wedding cake
- The organist or preacher could not be there
We could imagine all sorts of things, but what I’m actually thinking is that her father died of a heart attack during the wedding. But from what I said, it is improbable that anyone would come to that conclusion. The reader will assume what they believe to be fact and will come to the wrong conclusion. Using inference is easy; the trick is to learn to do it at will.
Inference is a great tool. You could even infer that a man is having an affair with his sister-in-law, and never say that. You could even say they are having a love affair, and that the husband was clueless, but he was sure going to find out what was going on. If you were to imply that a gun was involved, you could even infer that someone might be killed.
You can use inference in a wise way and say more by saying less.
US $8.00
How I Used The Fresh Papaya (PawPaw):
The fruit was to be consumed ‘As is’ because we always have a small plate of fruit everyday around 5 pm.
I planned on adding a teaspoon of seeds into my Yogurt at lunchtime.
The ‘Coleslaw’ I would add to any Salad (even in a sandwich) as it’s summertime in Oz and we are eating a lot of Salads. Don’t know what I am going to do in the Winter though? If you have any ideas please add them as a comment so everyone can benefit.
I had also planned on five serves per day because I thought it would be better to ‘Drip Feed’ it into me, as my wife thinks I am a ‘Drip’ sometimes anyway – so that should fit.
Now… Continue reading Prostate Cancer Diary - My Papaya Recipe
Monday 6th Feb 2012: My Prostate Cancer Diary.
So here is the problem. I have dismissed Surgery completly and that leads me to Radio Therapy as the only available conventional medical alternative.
My Oncologist want me to have Hormone Treatment to:
- a: Slow the Growth of the Cancer cells by (basically) chemically castrating me. Ouch!
- b: Shrink the Prostate down to a smaller target for his magic Death Ray.
I didn’t want to do that with Hormone treatment, but can appreciate why he wants to do that.
So I’m looking into all types of Natural and Alternative medications.
The best I have come up with is PawPaw (Papaya) as there have been quite a few studies with very promising reasults, PLUS it has been… Continue reading Prostate Cancer Diary - My Natural Alternative
Prostate Treatments and Me.
Long time coming since my last post – but I have been kinda busy…. Tests – tests and more tests 
So this is the latest:
My Urologist sent me to the Radio Oncologist because I decided I do NOT want surgery. Apparently I can’t have Brachyatherapy (my original choice) because my Gleason Score is 8 – too high, so External Beam Therapy is the only option, even though they only found cancer cells in ONE of the TEN Biopsies they took.
HOWEVER: (I am discovering LOTS of ‘Howevers’), the Oncologist wants me to have Hormone Treatment first to bring my enlarged prostate down in size.
An ‘Average’ prostate is about 40mm – about the size of a small Plum -… Continue reading My Personal Prostate Cancer Treatment Options