Hello SErs! Harmony here. I hope this finds you all well. Today, I wanted to talk about using vignettes in your novels. Here is the dictionary definition of a vignette:
vignette
viːˈnjɛt,vɪˈnjɛt/
noun
1. A brief evocative description, account, or episode.
“a classic vignette of embassy life”
One of the best uses of this device is one I saw in The Outsider, Stephen King’s latest book. The situation is tense. Detective Ralph has just arrested Local guy Terry –rather publicly–for an horrific crime. Terry keeps the detective and the DA in the room by saying, ‘I’m not going to discuss any of this until Howie gets here, but I want to tell you one thing.’ (Howie is the lawyer.)
Against his better judgement, the detective stays. Right here is where King leads us skilfully into the vignette, which serves multiple purposes. For one, it slows the pace and allows the reader to catch their breath–it’s been a hell of a ride up to this point. For another, it shows the back relationship between the detective and the suspect without boring telling and information dumping. For a third, it shows–artfully–how much danger a lot of local kids would have been, might yet be, in if this guy really is the killer.
King leads you into this bit of back story in a way that has you wanting more, especially as the main character doesn’t want to go there with the guy …
‘Go ahead.’ That was Samuels (the DA), trying not to sound eager, but his face fell at what Terry said next.
‘Derek was the best drag bunter I ever had.’
‘Oh, no,’ Ralph said. He could hear the rage trembling in his voice, a kind of vibrato. ‘Don’t go there. I don’t want to hear my son’s name come out of your mouth.’
Terry nodded. ‘I can relate, because I never wanted to be arrested in front of my wife and daughters and a thousand other people, many of them my neighbors. So never mind what you don’t want to hear. Just listen a minute. I think you owe me that for doing it the nasty way.’
King then allows Terry two pages to tell the story of how he helped Ralph’s boy Derek. Now, being a Brit, I don’t know about baseball, and especially not little league, but I got the message regardless. For me, this enticing lead-in has as much importance, if not more, than the actual vignette given. It sets it up so nicely.
Vignettes are something I haven’t yet tried, but this book and its skilful use of vignettes has inspired me to give this a try sometime. How about you? Have you used this device in your writing?
Story Empire 
This is very useful to me, Harmony. A fabulous post. I love the way King writes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great! Thanks, Roberta 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Author Inspiration and This Week’s Writing Links – Staci Troilo
You make an excellent point here, Harmony. And the example is great! I think of a book as a compilation of vignettes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In many ways it is, Jan. As long as each one has an arc, a beginning, middle, and end. A true vignette is a slice of life, which a book or short story isn’t. So glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been wanting to read this book. Good description of this technique.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Denise 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reading is so important. It’s a classroom without the heavy book bag. A good book teaches us all the tricks and what you just described is one of them.
Thank you for doing this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true, Bryan. Glad you enjoyed the post 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Archer's Aim and commented:
An excellent example of using vignettes by Harmony Kent on Story Empire.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing, PH! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide and commented:
I’m reading this book now. That scene is chilling. I wasn’t familiar with vignettes, thanks, Harmony!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It grabbed me by the throat, lol! Glad you like the post,Traci, and thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a terrifying book! I’m nearing the end but still have a ways to go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure I have used them. Your example makes me want to try though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s good, John. I’d love to see what you come up with 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure I’m understanding the concept. Is it more a telling, in narrative form, of past events, or is it a full trip down memory lane with dialogue and description?
LikeLiked by 1 person
A full trip down memory lane, Jacquie. It’s a way of avoiding telling 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I’m interpreting it correctly, I’ve used them a number of times, but usually in the form of a flashback. I sometimes set a separate “snapshot” as Yvette said within a scene that contributes to the overall plot. I did it a lot in Myth and Magic, and to a lesser degree in A Thousand Yesteryears.
Cool topic, Harmony!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds good, Mae. Glad you enjoyed the post 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a novella-length work that’s a series of vignettes. I love the form. Not too many people talk about them. Great post, Harmony.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ooh that sounds great, Staci! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed writing it. I also got hammered by a reviewer because it’s not a “regular” story. (Despite the fact that it says “series of vignettes” right in the description.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wonderful post today. I hadn’t given it conscious thought before. Oddly enough, there is one in my current project.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Craig! Glad you’ve enjoyed it. Best of luck with your current project 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never used them before and I’m not sure I’d do a good job. Then again, I’m still not exactly sure how they work. It sounds almost like a flashback, but it’s just one character explaining a situation. Sounds like something hard to pull off without going into ‘info dump’ territory.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think using vignettes might have become another questing beast for me, Charles! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck. Those can be pretty risky. 😜
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t used vignettes, but one of the books that I use in my classroom is The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and the entire book is a collection of vignettes, and I love it. 🙂 I tell my students that a vignette is a snapshot of a moment that the author then magnifies to draw the reader in. It’s a great book to use to teach figurative language as well. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
That sounds like a great resource for your classroom, Yvi! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is! 🙂
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this post from the Story Empire blog on the topic of Using Vignettes
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the reblog, Don 🙂
LikeLike