Writing Similes & Metaphors
Similes and metaphors are a great way to spice up your writing and make it fun.
Simile: A statement comparing two subjects or ideas with the words, “like” or “as.”
Metaphor: A statement comparing two subjects or ideas without the words, “like” or “as.”
Using a simile or metaphor can bring wonderful details to life in your writing. They are a great way to make your writing more unique and to your taste and can help the images in your descriptions stand out. For example, you can write, “the sun is yellow.” But what if you wrote the simile, “the sun is yellow as a lemon,” or a metaphor, “the lemon-colored sun burns in the sky?” Can you see the difference? The last two examples are more interesting and complex!
Let’s see how using similes and metaphors can improve your writing and how you can practice writing them. In case you need some extra help, I’ll list some examples of each for inspiration and will explain how to write in these two styles.
How to Write with Similes
Similes are a quick simple way to add some variety to your writing. By comparing two ideas or topics with the words “like” or “as,” you can level-up your description techniques.
Examples of similes:
Her eyes are as dark as coal.
The perfume smells like a fresh spring breeze.
Soft like a marshmallow.
My father is swift as an Olympic track runner.
They laugh loud like a crow.
As you look at similes or metaphors, you are explaining something using another idea. Are these people actually crows? No, but they can be described to sound like them! If you have dark eyes, are your eyes made of coal? No! But they sure can look like it.
Time to practice! I recommend you practice writing similes on your own if you are unfamiliar with this process. Pick up a pencil and a piece of paper (or a computer) and look for an item around you. Write out a simple sentence and then see what other objects or ideas you can compare that item to. Challenge yourself to write three different sentences like this.
How to Write Metaphors
When you begin learning how to write similes and metaphors, metaphors tend to be a little harder because you need to make the comparison without using the easy words, “like” or “as.” Metaphors usually work with or hint at big ideas, themes, and more. To give you a simple example, I’ll turn the similes from my example above into metaphors. Metaphors tend to come off as more powerful to the reader.
Examples of metaphors:
She looks at me with coal-dark eyes.
The perfume is full of fresh rain, blooming flowers, and a taste of apricot.
I touch the marshmallow soft bed.
My father, burning with the energy of an Olympic-level runner, races up the track.
Their laughter echoes loud with crowing caws.
Time to practice! Repeat the steps above. Pick an object around you and compare it to three different things in three different sentences.
Description Clichés
As you start writing similes and metaphors, you might notice or come up with sentences that sound familiar. Clichés are phrases or ideas that have been said over and over again. A cliché is overused so much because it is good which might make these examples tempting to use in your own writing, but I suggest avoiding them and coming up with something new on your own instead.
Example of clichés:
Yellow like the sun.
Eyes blue like the ocean.
White as snow.
Hard as a rock.
Right as rain.
Can you think of any more classic clichés?
Comparisons in Literature
I think examples provide the best learning opportunities. As I read in January, I wrote down a bunch of my favorite descriptions to share with you all. Let’s explore a colorful array of similes and metaphors.
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer:
“Spending the afternoon outdoors in a black wool suit had left me thirstier than a dry road.” p. 58
“My mind was sharp as a switchblade.” p. 62
“Us old fogeys need a little padding. Otherwise our skin begins to hang in folds over our curtain-rod bones.” p. 118
Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer
“I was white as a gravestone in the moonlight.” p. 37
“I asked, my voice full of more gravel than a rock pit.” P. 39
“Barack was crammed into the backseat, his bony knees scrunched up to his chin like a gargoyle. A very uncomfortable gargoyle.” P. 79
“He was unhurried, cool as a cucumber sandwich.” P.79
The Love Con by Seressia Glass
“Relief spread through her like butter on hot grits.” P.20
“…his voice like a well-loved corset, soft with a spine of steel.” P. 21
“Happiness fizzed like soda in her veins.” P.215
“Silence dropped like a hydraulic hammer.” P. 288
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
“As the hours crept by, the afternoon sunlight bleached all the books on the shelves to pale, gilded versions of themselves and warmed the paper and ink inside the covers so that the smell of unread words hung in the air.” P. 8
“Grace’s father had feet the size of a Yeti, so I tramped into the woods with all the grace of a polar bear in a dollhouse.” P. 79
Palaces by Simon Jacobs
“I hold the firecracker like a priceless flute.” P.7
“Hairstyles like wilting plants.” P.28
“The future sprawls like a lawn.” P.193
Conclusion
Writing with creative descriptions like similes and metaphors are a fun way to level-up your writing. You can create more specific images, craft your words and technique to your personality, and more. I hope this short guide helps you understand how to write these descriptions as well as how to improve and find new ways to write!
Happy Writing!
Danni Lynn writeddreams2reality