I've been writing about literary techniques and the next one is all about the drama – hyperbole. Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is usually not taken seriously. Hyperbole is possibly the most effective way to add silliness and humor to your writing. I use hyperbole in my Why Do series frequently. In this series, a question is asked and then a silly answer is given that contains hyperbole before the real and serious answer is given. For example, as you can see in WHY DO TRACTORS HAVE SUCH BIG TIRES, for the title question, the first answer is, “Is it so they can crush the other machines on the farm?” This is hyperbole because it is obvious that the tractors are not used to do this. Even if it is not obvious for the child at first, then it becomes a learning experience because the book then answers the question with, “No, that’s silly!” This tells the child that the first answer is not to be taken seriously because it is hyperbole. This is further reinforced in the book because the next part gives the real answer. I have been told by many parents that their children love the silly answers so much that it keeps them listening for the real answers. This is how it can grab and then, keep the reader/listener’s attention and make them lean in to the story.

One of the best writers at using hyperbole was Roald Dahl. You can find hyperbole is all of his books such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach or The Witches, among others. He used it for several reasons, to add fun or drama, or to suggest the magnitude of a situation or to convey emotions, and other things. Here are two examples from the book BFG, “The wind rushing against Sophie’s face became so strong that she had to duck down again into the blanket to prevent her head from being blown away." As you can see here, the hyperbole is that her head would be blown away. Though her head won’t really be blown away, Dahl used this to communicate the strength of the wind. He also had her duck down under a blanket to convey her emotions of panic and fear. In this example, we can also see how hyperbole can be a great tool in showing, not telling. Writers are always told, “show, don’t tell” in your writing. In this example, instead of saying the wind was fierce (telling), the author showed us it was fierce from the hyperbole. Even without an illustration we could picture the wind and the action but it wasn’t just told to us, it was shown. Hyperbole is a great way to help a reader picture in their mind what you are describing. Another example of showing and hyperbole, once again, in BFG, is “The houses looked bent and crooked, like houses in a fairy tale." Here the hyperbole was used to show how quickly Sophie and the Giant were traveling. It also gave a fun and whimsical effect.

For a writing exercise, look at your manuscript or if you don’t have one, think of hyperbolic statements to convey humor, movement or emotion. Or use hyperbole to set up a situation that is exaggerated and then give the real answer/situation, even in non-fiction like in my Why Do series. Or think of familiar sayings with hyperbole such as, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse,” or “It’s raining cats and dogs,” and how you could add them to your manuscript or they may even give you an idea for a new manuscript. To sum up, try using hyperbole, not just for drama and humor, but also to show, not tell.