Great metaphors can set an author’s writing style apart.
But metaphorical writing—in which one thing is compared to another—doesn’t come naturally to everyone! That’s why I thought I would share one of my favorite tricks with you today. It’s also in my book Master Lists for Writers.
Here are a few examples of metaphorical (or figurative) writing.
“I was as hollow and empty as the spaces between stars.” – Raymond Chandler
“Love set you going like a fat gold watch” (about a baby) – Sylvia Plath
“He would keep the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be. Its lid rusted shut. He would not pry it loose now in front of this sweet sturdy woman, for if she got a whiff of the contents it would shame him.” – Toni Morrison
By the way, I’m not making a distinction in this post between metaphors and similes (which use “like” or “as”), because it’s all the same thing. Some people argue that similes are a subset of metaphors. I don’t care either way.
Okay, here’s the trick that anyone can use to come up with metaphors!
1. write down some nouns
They can be nouns from a scene you’re writing…or, if you’re just doing this as a creative exercise, they can be random nouns, like blue jay or geode. I think this works best if you do several at a time.
2. write down a few adjectives to describe each noun
You can also use phrases. For instance:
blue jay – vivid, argumentative
geode – sparkly on the inside
3. now write down other things those adjectives describe
For instance:
argumentative – cranky children
sparkly on the inside – a brain full of daydreams
From here, you can create some sentences with metaphorical language, such as “The blue jays outside my window argued like cranky children,” or “The geode sparkled, a brain full of daydreams.”
Some of them are going to work better than others…and some won’t work at all! But it’s a great way to get at more creative and memorable description.
If you’re feeling uninspired, this is also a fun exercise to get your creative juices flowing, and it’s so easy!
Writing is always a matter of balance, and unless you’re writing a poem, you don’t want to pile up too many metaphors in a row. A few great metaphors here or there can take your prose writing style to the next level. No matter what you’re writing, if you have a lot of metaphors, then in revision, you’ll want to cut out the ones that are more clichéd or expected, or that don’t strike quite the right tone.
Do metaphors come naturally to you?
Do you have a metaphor in one of your projects that you’re proud of, or have you ever read one that’s always stuck with you? Let us know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!
So I know it’s cliche and overused, but I will always love the eyes wide as the moon one. Not sure why I like it so much but I think it works better if it’s actually nighttime in the story. That way it is referring to the actual moon above the characters.
I don’t think I’ve heard that one, actually! So I’m not sure it’s clichéd. 🙂
Thank you. Metaphors often come easily, but I do get stuck sometimes bringing a line to life. I plan to put your formula to work today.
I hope it works for you, Keith! Thanks for commenting!
A helpful post. Thank you.
Thank you, Cynthia! Thanks for reading!
… her blouse the color of a rose so dusty my mouth got dry.
I love “so dusty my mouth got dry”!
I’ve always struggled with metaphors. Definitely going to try this exercise. Thank you.
Awesome! I hope it works for you, Jill!
Thanks for the tip Bryn. So simple. I love it!
You’re welcome, Naomi! Hope you’re having a good week!
Your posts refresh like a bite of lemon pie.
Ha! Great metaphor, and you are too kind! Thanks, Gerald!
The words fell from her mouth, sharp and pointed like shards of a broken window–I appreciate you sharing your method for getting metaphors/similes to work. I actually used that metaphor in my WIP
Oooh, I like that, Barbara…because broken glass can really hurt!
Thank You Bryn! Great advice! I like it. They danced like two feathers caught in a light breeze. I love that one. ❤️
Ohh, that’s lovely! Thank you for reading!
love this post.
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Aww thank you!
It was “as dry as a log burners boots”. Uncle Charlie came is “as wet as a shag on a rock”. The wind is so strong, “it would blow the dog off the chain”. It is so cold, “it would freeze the balls off a billiard table”. My language is full of them.
These are so fun! I love them!
Hi Bryn, I’m so happy to connect with you. I believe my comment doesn’t make sense for your post, even though I think it’s completely incredible. I actually want your opinion. I’m Brazilian, I’ve been following your blog for many years, even with your useful and beneficial tips, I’ve been trying to complete a project since 2014 and I haven’t been successful yet. I have a lot of ideas, but I can’t continue with the work. What should I do? Any guidance?
Thank you for teaching us something Aristotle said could not be taught. I believe in Ezra Pound’s point that good metaphors build to images, and the best metaphors compare two movements. I’m observing editors trying to reduce the number of metaphors in people’s writing, which seems like dumbing it down. Use sparingly? Sorry, but you can never have enough gems. Metaphor in speech is power – charisma. The motive behind reducing metaphor might be to disarm political rhetoric. In recent politics, a big debate resulted in the decline of one party’s popularity, but they offered to do it again. Like the Titanic reversing back after its collision with the iceberg, wanting to hit it again. Ok…some quips go down like a baby hamster on crystal meth.