The fourth wall is a term that comes from the acting world, referring to the fourth “wall” that actors pretend separates them from the audience. When an actor directly addresses the audience, it’s called “breaking the fourth wall.”
But this isn’t limited to visual formats.
In writing, you can also break the fourth wall by speaking directly to your readers. Sometimes these are called “asides” or “authorial interjections." It often means the writer pauses one thought to hop in with his or her internal monologue, directed at the reader.
Here’s an example: “I love living in New York. (Well...only the East Village. I wouldn't be caught dead signing a lease in Midtown). The culture and excitement here can’t be beat.”
See how the original thought is broken up by a peek at the writer’s thoughts and feelings? It’s essentially a cheat coat for more conversational, natural-sounding writing.
Of course, you can’t use this tactic just anywhere. There are pros and cons to deploying it (as there are with most things!)
Pros of Asides in Writing
They help stress important ideas/provide a deeper understanding around the complexities of events or concepts
They help illuminate the writer’s thoughts, feelings, or opinions
They allow the writer to reveal something they want the readers to know
They make the reader feel personally addressed
They allow the writer to advise and act as a guide for readers
Cons of Asides in Writing
If done too subtly, they can go unnoticed or be interpreted as sloppy, unfocused writing
They can sometimes disrupt the pacing of your writing, thus hurting overall readability
They can seem clumsy or awkward if correct punctuation isn’t used
So...how do you do it right? There are a few easy ways:
First person
In the first person format, the writer is already relaying the story to the reader. This means addressing the reader in a slightly more direct way can happen naturally.
Example: I'm always running late for work. In reality, it's because I oversleep, but I tell my boss it's because of terrible traffic. Added downside: I'm always left with the final grainy dregs in the break room coffee pot.
Using asides while writing in first person helps the writer create a feeling like putting a hand on the reader’s arm to say: “Here’s what I really think about this”, or, “Here’s what this really means.”
Em dashes, parenthesis, and footnotes
Interjecting a sentence with a thought inside em dashes or parentheses makes it easy for you to briefly re-direct the reader’s attention to a point you want to make or a piece of information you think he/she should know.
Example: Micheal roamed down the street, his shoes tripping along the rough stones. His ambling, slow pace was unusual to the people watching from balconies in his neighborhood—they were used to seeing him zip along at a fast clip, head down, arms swinging—but tonight, limbs heavy with wine, he moved without any sense of hurry, as if underwater.
This approach works well in highly conversational writing, but keep in mind that it can break up the flow of your writing. Try to keep the interjections short and then get back to what you were saying.
Or, if you’d rather keep things moving and use a less invasive approach, you could instead use footnotes to relay these comments to the reader at the bottom of a page. Writer's call.