Similes and metaphors

[Haggis]

Why can't I manage to come up with them when I need them? Anything I try sucks like a greedy newborn baby.

Okay. Forget that last line.

It is a serious issue with my writing and I don't know how to get better. I welcome any ideas or suggestions y'all may have.

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

Avoid them like the plagu--

Never mind.

[Haggis]

Avoid them like the plagu--

Never mind.

Big freakin' help. I knew I could count on you.:rolleyes:

[Danger Jane]

Because then you're on the spot, just like when your friends go, "Say something funny about your Italian Ice!"

:|

[Dawno]

Why do you think you need them? I'm serious - is a simile or metaphor really needed? Not saying they aren't needed, I'm honestly curious.

[Danger Jane]

Sometimes I talk about things that are pretty much indescribable in terms of themselves. That's when I have to use a metaphor. For really abstract stuff. It's way more concise, assuming my metaphor is a good one.

[Anya Smith]

I'm trying to reduce both similes and metaphors in my writing.

[SpookyWriter]

I believe they give the reader an opportunity to form a mental image in their head. Like a light bulb. As if they can relate to the shining object overhead and take the picture to the next scene.

Used sparingly (adverb alert) they can be useful tools that help the reader make a connection that otherwise they may have difficulties with given the scene.

[Haggis]

Why do you think you need them? I'm serious - is a simile or metaphor really needed? Not saying they aren't needed, I'm honestly curious.

Pretty much every short story or novel I read has an abundance of them. They are highly effective in helping the reader visualize what the writer is trying to get across. An overabundance of them can be a problem, but it's gotta be good to get some in there. Can a story be written without them? Sure. I do it all the time. :D But I often find myself searching for a better descriptor than I have been able to put down on paper. The right simile or metaphor would do the trick, if only I could come up with it.

Does that help at all?

eta: What Spooky said. Forget what I wrote.

[Haggis]

I'm trying to reduce both similes and metaphors in my writing.

I think King overdoes them. But who am I to argue with his success? I'd just like to get one or two in there occasionally.

[Haggis]

I'm trying to reduce both similes and metaphors in my writing.

One more thought.

Perhaps you'd share your leftovers with me. :)

[SpookyWriter]

Pretty much every short story or novel I read has an abundance of them. They are highly effective in helping the reader visualize what the writer is trying to get across. An overabundance of them can be a problem, but it's gotta be good to get some in there. Can a story be written without them? Sure. I do it all the time. :D But I often find myself searching for a better descriptor than I have been able to put down on paper. The right simile or metaphor would do the trick, if only I could come up with it.

Does that help at all?

eta: What Spooky said. Forget what I wrote.We's on the same page again. I agree with what you said. Spooky, yes?

[SpookyWriter]

P.S. Since I read and like your work, I can understand how I'd feel the same way as you. It's as if we shared a common father.

[justpat]

If one pops into my head while I'm writing, then I use it. But whenever I try to force one, it just doesn't come or its really bad.

[SilverVistani]

Why can't I manage to come up with them when I need them?


Okay... So here's my question...

Do you come up with them when you don't need them? When you're just sitting around? Because saying you can't when you need them makes me think that might be the case.

If so, all you have to do is carry around a little notebook in your back pocket or book bag or whatever else and wipe that sucker out when something pops to mind.

Otherwise... I dunno. I've found that similies and metaphors can end up sounding too forced. Yes, good ones can be very useful, beautiful tools in writing. But when it comes down to not being sure about them or trying to force them out... Eh, I'd kinda rather just not have them.


So... sorry if that's not helpful at all. ^_^()

((So far as the notebook thing goes, I recently started working as a chasier and have started carrying a little notebook in the purse I stole from my little sister so I can transport it easily and pull it out during my breaks. It really is a nice little thing to have. Totally imagine yourself as having The Handy Dandy Notebook!!))

[Dawno]

Thanks, folks. I don't have any good advice, just lots of curiosity about how writers think. :)

[JoNightshade]

My advice: If you want to use them well, read classic poets. Milton, Robert Frost, Donne, Shakespeare (sonnets), etc. It's a great way to understand how images can be used to convey a point or other information without being... cliche.

[akiwiguy]

I keep getting this book out of the library again and again, and must buy it...

http://www.allenandunwin.com/Bookseller/product.aspx?isbn=9781741140156

The best book I've ever seen on innovative writing strategies. With a specific section on how to create similes and metaphors (the whole book is written with the premise that such things are not mystical, but can be learned). Seriously, check it out. Probably aimed at university level writing courses. A very different book! PS, this is not sales spam or something... I just think it is a damned good book LOL!

[Southern_girl29]

I am not good at similes or metaphors. I used to be better, but writing for a newspaper seems to have knocked the ability out of me. I don't know if I have even one in my book. I wish I did have the talent to write great ones, though.

[lfraser]

I try not to use them, because if I do they're either really lame, or cliche. It's my belief that good, original similies and metaphors come unlooked for; they just happen -- that this is one part of writing where talent and inspiration take precedence over the perspiration part of writing.

[SpookyWriter]

I try not to use them, because if I do they're either really lame, or cliche. It's my belief that good, original similies and metaphors come unlooked for; they just happen -- that this is one part of writing where talent and inspiration take precedence over the perspiration part of writing.

They passed another thick strand of trees that stood along the side of the road like a homeless family waiting to greet weary travelers.

[lfraser]

They passed another thick strand of trees that stood along the side of the road like a homeless family waiting to greet weary travelers.

See? Like I said...

[licity-lieu]

Well...you really should look no further than this http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61247&highlight=metaphors for all the S&M inspiration you'll ever need :D

[SpookyWriter]

See? Like I said...
Either lame, uninspired, or original. :Shrug: If those are my options then which was it?

[akiwiguy]

Well...you really should look no further than this http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61247&highlight=metaphors for all the S&M inspiration you'll ever need :D

OMG they are hilarious!

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

Life is a simile.

Life is like a metaphor.

[Thomas White]

I absolutely never use them in my narrative voice, but I slip the odd one in through character dialogue. I believe that to form a simile or metaphor, you need to make a comparison, which is based on reason and opinion. Since I attempt to write from a purely external, unbiased point of view, I can't throwing my own judgements into the mix.

[Bufty]

Off topic, I know, but what's a 'chasier'?



((So far as the notebook thing goes, I recently started working as a chasier and have started carrying a little notebook in the purse I stole from my little sister so I can transport it easily and pull it out during my breaks. It really is a nice little thing to have. Totally imagine yourself as having The Handy Dandy Notebook!!))

[Novelist in Paradise]

Avoid the PAW* syndrome.

Just tell the story.

*(Poet At Work)

[SilverVistani]

Off topic, I know, but what's a 'chasier'?


feh. It's a typo, that's what it is. It was late in the night and it had been a long day. Cashier.

[Rolling Thunder]

Similes are like flies; some get caught in the web, others stray too close to the little blue light that zaps them. Many come right off the steaming pile and spread diseases, like writer's block.

Or...um...something like that. :D

[deathwizard]

They're all over my first draft, and then I start getting rid of them after that. But I don't necessarily believe that every simile or metaphor has to be the most brilliant one ever conceived. Depends on the genre, style, etc.

[Rolling Thunder]

They're all over my first draft, and then I start getting rid of them after that.

See? They are like flies.

[deathwizard]

See? They are like flies.

I prefer to think of them as bumblebees. (ha!)

[eliflauta]

Similes and metaphors can add flavor to the story, but only if they're done well. If you have trouble making a good simile, I'd advise leaving it out. However, it's a fairly simple trick to come up with an original simile, which is often all it needs (originality) to be good. For instance, instead of saying "it was as tall as a skyscraper", be more specific. Use a name of a building in the setting; "it was as tall as the building on the corner of Pine and Maple". You could also take a cue from the style of Lemony Snicket. He might say something a little like this: "it was as tall as an 80 story building that had collapsed in last Tuesday's windstorm and then lifted by twenty-five cranes". It's original!

[Dancre]

Why can't I manage to come up with them when I need them? Anything I try sucks like a greedy newborn baby.

Okay. Forget that last line.

It is a serious issue with my writing and I don't know how to get better. I welcome any ideas or suggestions y'all may have.

This is what I do and it helps me when I need a metaphore or a simile.

He was as skinny as a _________. Then I write down everything I can think of that is skinny:

Scarecrow
Pencil
Beanpole
stick
table knife

Then I take those things that would reveal more of my character. I.e. If the character lived in the time of the Romans, he might not know what a beanpole is, so I mark that one off. I keep going until I have something skinny that my character would think of, and use it. But make sure it isn't cliched. EEK!! Not good. The best metaphore that I've come across is in The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. "By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp."

I think metaphores and similes are important to the story. Imo, they can reveal things about the character and bring the reader in. Just avoid cliches. Just b/c you've read it in one book doesn't mean you get to use it. Just think about your metaphore from the MC's pov. What would your MC equate skinny to or whatever?

kim

[job]

It's hard for a writer to hold onto his voice.
Everything you learn, every step you take onward in writing, urges you to abandon your voice and write generically.

If metaphor, simile and figurative language don't come to you naturally,
don't use them.
Build your voice without 'em.


Now if this is not a 'voice' thingum
and you yearn -- being true to your voice -- to use figurative language
but when you do you find yourself kneedeep in metaphorical claptrap ...
you may be fighting the dread clutch of cliche.

If cliche is the problem, it's likely to be a general problem
with fingers inserted all through the writing.

One way to break loose from cliche is to visualize your story more carefully.

[licity-lieu]

Have you ever done that old creative writing exercise where you must write without any adjectives or adverbs? It's a good exercise and the aim is to encourage the use of strong verbs. Try it. Notice how the use of the simile and metaphor become another tool to replace the adj & adv.

[Rolling Thunder]

Is that more for literary work though? I don't really see the average reader noticing the difference anymore.

[licity-lieu]

Is that more for literary work though? I don't really see the average reader noticing the difference anymore.

Who are you questioning? Me? Ok well...it's really just an exercise to make a point about the various ways in which words can be used to create powerful images. Personally, I love a good S or M if it fits. Imagery makes me swoon and I'd take it anyday over a tired bunch of adv and ads. Then again I really do enjoy a literary feast.

Anyway...me go now...

[CatSlave]

Well...you really should look no further than this http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61247&highlight=metaphors for all the S&M inspiration you'll ever need :D
Those must be entries in the Bulwer-Lytton contest for poor writing (It was a dark and stormy night).

Her eyes glistened like two pools of urine in the moonlight.

[licity-lieu]

Those must be entries in the Bulwer-Lytton contest for poor writing (It was a dark and stormy night).

Her eyes glistened like bowls of urine in the moonlight.

:ROFL:

My personal fav is the one about the ballerina lifting her leg like a dog..or something like that.

[CatSlave]

Those must be entries in the Bulwer-Lytton contest for poor writing (It was a dark and stormy night).

Her eyes glistened like bowls of urine in the moonlight.
http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/lyttony.htm

[licity-lieu]

http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/lyttony.htm

:ROFL: X 2

[Danger Jane]

Why do we keep referring to them as "S&M"???

...or maybe only I noticed that...

I think the average reader notices more than we give them credit for. Maybe not as much as a writer, but still more than you'd expect.

[SpookyWriter]

Why do we keep referring to them as "S&M"???

...or maybe only I noticed that...

I think the average reader notices more than we give them credit for. Maybe not as much as a writer, but still more than you'd expect.I suspect because people get the same pleasure or pain from reading them?

[Danger Jane]

So like,

"His heart was beating like the heart of a wimp being chased by a German woman wearing leather and wielding a whip with which she intended to whip him using the whip."

??? pleasure or pain?!

[CatSlave]

So like,

"His heart was beating like the heart of a wimp being chased by a German woman wearing leather and wielding a whip with which she intended to whip him using the whip."

??? pleasure or pain?!

Said the masochist to the sadist: Oh please, please hurt me! Hurt me bad.
Said the sadist to the masochist: No.

Pleasure or pain?

[SpookyWriter]

So like,

"His heart was beating like the heart of a wimp being chased by a German woman wearing leather and wielding a whip with which she intended to whip him using the whip."

??? pleasure or pain?!Depends on whether you're dyslexic or not.

[Dancre]

Could it be b/c of this precious one?:


The bone-chilling scream split the warm summer night in two, the first half being before the scream when it was fairly balmy and calm and pleasant for those who hadn't heard the scream at all, but not calm or balmy or even very nice for those who did hear the scream, discounting the little period of time during the actual scream itself when your ears might have been hearing it but your brain wasn't reacting yet to let you know. :Jaw:

[Danger Jane]

Dancre: wow

Spooky: are you making fun of dyslexics? This is such a racist thread, I'm calling Lyndon B. Johnson, and don't you think I'm bluffing!