Style Features For My First Piece

• In my monologue, I feel that stage directions are important because they will help build an atmosphere and paint a picture in the reader/listener's head of the visuals and scenes they would be seeing if they were to hear the monologue in it's intended setting. The stage directions must be clear and detailed but not overwhelming because it can often detract from the actual speech.
• I also think that similes and metaphors will help with creating a mental picture of what is going on and also allow the reader to experience the thoughts and memories of the soldier more clearly. This will allow them to get more of an experience from reading/listening to the monologue.
• Anecdotes bring the reader/listener closer to the character and allow a friendly bond to form. They are often personal and this makes the reader feel special and more emotionally attached to the soldier and therefore they will react more when the soldier feels pain and distress or does eventually die. These anecdotes must be clear images in their own right to make them realistic and authentic, otherwise it will detract from the performance and leave the reader unsatisfied.
• Direct address and rhetorical questions involve the reader to a degree where they almost feel like they are there with the soldiers. By saying 'we' or 'you', the speaker is addressing the reader personally and because of this, the reader is more likely to feel stronger emotions.
• I think that the language I use is very important. I must keep the language authentic to the time and also I must choose a dialect and accent and stick to it ( English, Buckinghamshire accent). Using slang and idioms from the time will help with the authenticity of the monologue. Apart from the phonology of the monologue, I think that I must  use emotive language in my writing. This monologue is focused on evoking emotions in the reader and displaying the emotions of the character and I feel that it is important that this is done to its full potential by including personal opinions from the character and quotes from his past (eg. something his father used to say etc.)
• Structurally, I want to use complicated to simple sentence structure. I find that this builds tension and suspense but it can also create wonder and excitement. It also keeps a piece of writing interesting and stops the reader from getting bored by the repetitive nature of the piece.
• With the phonology of the piece, I want to make the speech quite dynamic. By using alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia, I can make words sound harsher or softer, building an atmosphere and giving an impression on the scene. Onomatopoeia especially, helps to play on the listener's senses and give an idea of the sounds present in a war, thereby allowing them to paint a picture of the scene it's sounds etc.
• Because my monologue is based in WW1, it is important that I have a good knowledge of the mannerisms and etiquette of the time. I must make sure that I use correct names for places and battles and the right dates, as well as ensuring that i am giving characters the appropriate title for their rank within the army. Also, knowledge of weapons etc is important. I must use context-bound language to authenticate my writing. This is particularly important because my target audience is people who will have experienced war situations or lived in a time that was effected by war (particularly the older generations).