Background
Dahl’s four rules of writing:
1. Make your readers … laugh
Use weird and wonderful names: Some of the beasts in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are called Whangdoodles and Snozzwangers, and in The BFG we hear of Bloodbottlers, humans beans and Snozzcumbers!
Play with words: Dahl’s pleasure in the sounds and rhythms of language is reflected in his humorous use of spoonerisms, malapropisms, puns and nonsense words as we see with the BFG who muddles words and phrases, for example, ‘skin and groans’, and ‘catasterous disastrophe’, and who often punctuates what he says with ‘Am I right or left?’
Create absurd situations: Reality is made topsy-turvy with extraordinary events presented as though they were commonplace, such as James being inside the giant peach or the Twits when they think they are on the ceiling.
Break adult rules: Most of Dahl’s child characters do things they’re not meant to!
2. Make your readers … squirm
There is no shortage of revolting, gut-churning descriptions in any of Dahl’s books, from eyeballs in soup to cheese growing in Mr Twit’s beard. Horrible foods, recipes and disgusting behaviour heighten the reader’s reaction to the story.
3. Make your readers … enthralled
Dahl likes to take ordinary settings and do something quite extraordinary in them; the more fantastical and magical the better.
4. Make your readers … tense and excited
Build up the atmosphere and keep the reader on a knife edge!
Dahl felt it was the writer’s job to constantly outguess the reader with the twists and turns of the plot, ending where possible with a complete surprise!
© 2000 Channel Four Television Corporation
