This one I found in a novel I read recently – and it took me COMPLETELY by surprise! Any ‘Reiders’ among my Readers may recall a novel Janet used as a prize in a Flash Fiction comp last year (or perhaps in 2016?): ORPHAN X by Greg Hurwitz. Well, imagine my surprise to find the following alliteration, just last week, when I had tongue-twisters on my mind:
Slatcher’s broad fingers scrabbled for purchase across the sleek silicon, sending shotgun shells scattering.
Oh, and if you haven’t read this novel, do so! I found it really rather enjoyable 🙂
And I wonder if you also, liked his impromptu tongue-twister, too?
Have a great day, dear Reader 🙂
— KRidwyn
[The #AtoZchallenge is a daily blogging challenge which has been running for quite a few years now, with hundreds of participants worldwide. Blogging happens each day in April except Sundays, and on each letter of the alphabet, starting at A and finishing with Z.]
Update: and HUGE thank you to fellow Reider Colin Smith for the exact date of the contest, so I could provide the link for anyone interested: Orphan X flash fiction contest
2 replies on “#AtoZchallenge Day 19 – my most fun ‘S’ tongue-twister”
That would be the February 5, 2016 contest, says the Keeper of the Janet Reid Flash Fiction Writing Contest Spreadsheet. 😉
I’m not sure how I feel about tongue-twisters in novels. I can appreciate effective alliteration. “Sleek silicon” is good because the words themselves *sound* sleek, so they help the mental picture. The last thing I would want my readers to do, however, is stumble over a sentence. That would pull me out of the story. My 2 cents, fwiw.
Hi Colin! I *knew* it was recent…ish… Well, when it comes to by burgeoning TBR pile, it’s not too long ago and thanks for the exact date; I appreciate it!
And although I agree with you, that I don’t want to include anything which would pull the reader from my story (especially if that reader is my future agent, or my future editor!) I was reading so quickly through ORPHAN X that I actually didn’t notice the alliteration until the very end of the sentence – or it may have been paragraph – and I took note of the page, finished the novel, and then returned to it and marvelled. Oh, that I might do that for my readers one day 🙂
And thanks for dropping by! Considering you’re probably busy writing a submission for Janet’s contest today. Am I right?