
In June we asked the members of WEbook to submit an entry that used the style of a vignette, or 'little vine'.

The winner of the June Challenge, LilyFramboise has been kind enough to have a chat with us about her winning vignette in the Little Vines challenge, but before we get to that let's have a look at what a vignette is and a few examples in popular literature.
So, what's a vignette?
vignette
viːˈnjɛt,vɪ-/
noun
- 1.a brief evocative description, account, or episode."a classic vignette of embassy life"
- 2.a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.
verb
- 1.portray (someone) in the style of a vignette.


The great thing about vignettes is that they're very malleable and therefore very useful. When it comes to providing more information about your character, you can utilise vignettes and avoid having to write an extensive background. You can also use vignettes to reveal new aspects to your characters and locations, etc. in dribs and drabs. This can help greatly with the development of your story as often the 'slow reveal' helps to develop and then hold your reader's interest. Definitely a top tool for your literary DIY box.
Here are some examples of vignettes in literature:
Carts were jammed solid on the bridge with camels bobbing along through them. Greek cavalry herded along the procession. Women and kids were in the carts crouched with mattresses, mirrors, sewing machines, bundles. There was a woman having a kid with a young girl holding a blanket over her and crying. Scared sick looking at it. It rained all through the evacuation.

Annie Dillard: An American Childhood
Some boys taught me to play football. This was fine sport. You thought up a new strategy for every play and whispered it to the others. You went out for a pass, fooling everyone. Best, you got to throw yourself mightily at someone’s running legs… In winter, in the snow, there was neither baseball nor football, so the boys and I threw snowballs at passing cars. I got in trouble throwing snowballs, and have seldom been happier since.
You'll notice these examples are pretty different from one another, and, the thing is that you could easily pop them into a paragraph and they wouldn't be a vignette at all. Yet perhaps that's one of the best things about a vignette, it's nothing fancy. It's easy to use, and it's super approachable. Readers won't be all like 'oh look at them with their fancy try-hard writing', because a vignette isn't fancy at all, it's just some focused writing with specific placement and context.
Think about when you get an idea for a story, or a book, or a poem. Usually this is inspired by one moment, a meeting, a smell, a place, or a feeling, right? Well, that's your vignette; it's the polarisation of a moment that inspired you. Your piece of writing is a wider analysis of that feeling, but the moment of inspiration is the (metaphorical) vignette.
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We had a great variety of vignettes - and some very good almost vignettes - in our June challenge. Our winner without a doubt was Liberty Rose by LilyFramboise! Congratulations again to LilyFramboise and read on below for our interview with the winning author.

WB: Your entry was a really beautiful insight in to the first moment between a mother and her newborn. What made you choose this moment for your entry? Was there something in particular that made you decide it was ideal to use as a frame when writing your vignette?

WB: The imagery you use in your submission is really well structured, with an interesting balance of external observations and internal feelings.

Was this an active linguistic decision when you were writing your story? How do you think that the choice of ‘harsh’ and ‘soft’ words can help the reader to feel more connected to a piece of writing?

Contrast this with the softness and innocence of a new baby and the intimacy you feel, where the focus becomes just you and the new person you think you know but also know nothing about, and of course the language has to change.

LF: I think having experienced the situation and writing about what you know reduces the likelihood of that. I lived those emotions and know they are real. We are talking about creating and introducing new life; that's huge. What could be bigger than meeting a child, no more than that, a whole new person. I don't think it can BE overly-dramatic. And too literary? I talk about amniotic fluid, sweat and strings of blood and licking soap and marshmallows, so I don't think the language is elevated to that level. It's very real, although I hope the moments of engaging with the new baby are anything but mundane, contrasted with the sense of the everyday that surrounds them.
WB: What are you reading at the moment?

WB: What is your favourite WEbook project at the moment?
LF: The NaNoWriMo competition; I haven't done anything with the novel I mentioned but was on the verge of self-publishing. So I thought I'd give this a go first.
WB: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us LilyFramboise, and congratulations again on your win. We look forwards to seeing lots more entries from you over the coming months, and best of luck in the NaNoWriMo competition.
WB: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us LilyFramboise, and congratulations again on your win. We look forwards to seeing lots more entries from you over the coming months, and best of luck in the NaNoWriMo competition.
- 04:19
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