Unlocking Hidden Power: How Tiny Details in Form and Structure Transform Your Writing’s Impact
You can also use found forms, like museum placards, nutrition information or horoscopes as a way to structure your piece by inserting your own story inside the pre-existing guidelines of the genre. Sometimes these are referred to as “hermit crab” essays, as writers often will fit tender or vulnerable stories inside larger protective shells. I also think of these as picture frames or photo filters I can use to enhance an experience. In another essay from my collection, I examine toxic masculinity in gaming culture by describing an encounter where I learned to play Dungeons & Dragons. By structuring my piece around the found form of a quest, readers experience the game through reading, while also sharing my encounter with sexist players. Utilizing a found form can be a wonderful way to enhance the larger meaning of a work, calling attention directly to theme through formal and structural experimentation.
