“Are Zingers Fueling More Division Than Laughter? Unpacking the Hidden Costs of Our Favorite One-Liners”
Writing fiction is like seasoning a stew — just the right amount of spice can elevate the whole dish. When we craft our narratives, we’re not just putting words on a page; we’re stirring up conflict, putting our characters in the proverbial crucible to see how they react under pressure. It’s this very tension that captivates readers, allowing them to vicariously experience the struggles of others while reflecting on their own lives. But what if the fierce repartee we enjoy in our books leans into something a bit more… toxic in real life? Enter the infamous “zinger” — those sharp, snappy remarks that can ignite debates and escalate arguments in the blink of an eye. In our digital playgrounds, it’s not just the characters who find themselves in hot water; we do, too. So, how can we navigate this tricky terrain without losing our heads or our humanity? Join me as we explore the fine line between creative conflict in fiction and the chaos that zingers unleash in our everyday conversations. LEARN MOREWriting fiction is all about creating conflict. Putting your characters in a crucible. Raising the temperature. This shows your reader what your characters are made of. And one reason we read fiction is to learn how to deal with the conflict in our own lives by living out conflict in somebody else’s skin.
