Glossary

We’ve curated a glossary of terms regarding all things writing and publishing related. From commonly-used terms to abbreviations, our glossary will guide writers and people starting out in publishing, to cut through the jargon and gain a better understanding. 

Metanoia
An exaggerated or extreme statement lessened or undermined by a successive statement which suggests a changed mind or a calmed emotion.   A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Metaphor
Where one thing is said to be another to invite comparison or emphasise a similarity.   A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Metonymy
A recognisable or inherent aspect of a thing used to represent the thing itself, for example a businessman being referred to as a ‘suit’, the monarchy as the Crown, or newspapers collectively as the Press. nemesis The embodiment of a punishment often presented as an antagonist or enemy.   A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
 
Mobi files
Digital book format for Kindle devices (owned by Amazon).
Mood
There are three moods associated with English verbs: the indicative (expressing fact), the imperative (expressing command) and the subjunctive (expressing possibility).   A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)  © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021