Throwing out a bonus, because it is a unique question that made me giggle. Tickled my vanity too ....
Most of them are just common sense and basic psychology.
The dialect switch, or even a language switch, forces people to concentrate. Too much switches them off. If someone talks to you in French you listen harder, no matter how good you are at the language. Ungrammatical or vernacular language have the same effect.
Insulting their intelligence just before laying out a main point gets them annoyed and makes them want to prove you wrong. They pay attention.
Short sentences makes readers breathe faster. There is a well documented link between breathing rate and interest. Hint, it is sex. Long, follow on sentences are soothing.
Skipping prepositions makes it more informal and relaxed.
Always active voice. Passive voice is for flashbacks and side thoughts.
See the person from the question. You might be 100% wrong, but having an image of what they look like makes it easier. For example, I see you as about 5 foot 5, medium length darkish hair, slightly on the thin side and wearing glasses. You bite your lip when you read. Works for dialogue too.
Space your paragraphs. The presence of white space seperates different thoughts and makes them easier to digest.
Sometimes misspell a word or throw in an alternate spelling. It is a bit like the dialect thing, the reader's brain screechs to a stop and pays attention to the whole sentence.
There is always a meta-narrative. The words behind the words. Every last word you use has an emotional content. Though different for every reader, the content is there and is a very powerful tool.
They are tools. And, like all tools, they can be misused. For example, I would never insult someone who is hurting really badly, that would be simply wrong. Fortunately, I get to insult most people.
As to where I learned these cheap tricks? A guy has to have some secrets.
I now expect you to get straight A's in your creative writing class.
Close---you've got it, except, 5'8. :P And I actually do take a creative writing class right now, though I didn't have that in mind when I asked. I just find the way the various uses of language affect people to be intriguing. Your usages are striking.
Nevertheless, I will steal the sh*t out of these in class.
Thanks for the lesson!
Little bit spooky, isn't it .....
Now you have to tell ALL of your readers how you see them...
lol be careful what you wish for lol
"fortunately i get to insult most people" lolol
Haha, I use the hell out of these conventions in my writings. And people love them.
I'm pretty sure you'll get an A+ when you call your audience, aka your teacher, an idiot or other names to grab his or her attention! ( If you are using these new found skills in class.)
There are ways to call people idiots without outright saying "hey, you're an idiot." For example, you could make your -character- say teachers are idiots. You could make it a general railing-against-society type, teen angst work, in which case calling someone an idiot is more or less expected. You could grow a (possibly metaphorical) pair of balls and do it straight; it's a creative writing class, you can't stifle my visions! It's called freedom of expression, maaaaan.
In my case, though he's very capable of waxing poetical, my teacher routinely talks about people being jackasses, and I believe he called someone in a Shakespearean play a douchenozzle. He would probably find all this hilarious.
Holy hell, your teach rocks. Douchenozzle! I love that.
notwithstanding tater's remarks, after reading that i'd say you're in a good line for that a+ anyway lol