Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different

by Chuck Palahniuk

In old-fashioned literary terms, anytime you broach a subject yet refuse to explore it, that’s called occupatio (in Greek paralipsis). For example, “The first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club.” But the technique also covers statements such as, “You know I’d never kill you, don’t you?” Or, “He told himself not to slap her.” Anytime you deny a possibility you create it at the same time. Such statements introduce the threat they appear to be denying. For instance: This ship is unsinkable. The canned salmon is supposed to be safe. Please don’t mention Daniel’s murder. We’re not going down that road.