Writers Jargon

Writers have their own language. A shorthand, if you will. Outsiders (non-writers) think they know what most of these words and phrases mean. But they don't.

Here, for the first time, I will divulge the SECRET MEANINGS OF WRITERS' JARGON. This is, as you might imagine, the first in an ongoing series of posts -- that is, if some writers' conspiracy group (aka "book club") doesn't get to me first.

Character Arc: (geometry) Curve defined by how high and distant you toss your laptop when you realize you're writing the story from the wrong character's point of view.

Dialogue: (noun) The log I beat my characters with until they start talking.

Foreshadowing: (verb) The act of going back to an earlier point in your manuscript to drop in a clue about something you just realized while writing the last chapter.