To All the Similes I've Used Before

Welcome back!

I hope this post brightens your Monday a little because, to me, Mondays are like mosquitos on a warm, summer night; nobody likes them, but they come anyway. Repeatedly.

See what I did there?

If you haven’t noticed from the title, this post is going to be about similes.

I will also talk about metaphors, because you can’t talk about similes without mentioning metaphors.

Now, you probably know what these are, but whether you do or not, I’m going to explain them.

What is a simile?

A simile is what I used when I said, “Mondays are like mosquitos on a warm, summer night”. It’s describing something by comparison—saying it’s like something else.

Like is a key word here.

For example:

Like a pixie she flitted about, a magical twinkle dancing in her eyes.

“Like a pixie” is the simile.

It’s a comparison used for description.

You can also use "as" for a simile: As red as a tomato.

I know that’s a really basic one, but you get the point.

Basically, similes are describing something by comparing it to something else with “like” or “as”.

Metaphors are very similar.

But they don’t use the word “like” or “as”.

For example:

Her hair was a golden waterfall tumbling in waves down her slender back.

"Her hair was a golden waterfall” is the metaphor.

It’s virtually the same thing as a simile, just missing the like.

For a metaphor, you are describing an object, person, place, etc. by saying it is something.

One thing that could be confusing about a metaphor is you are not saying her hair is literally a waterfall. You are saying that it looks like a waterfall or moves like a waterfall or however you are using the metaphor to describe it.

Similes and metaphors are probably one of the simplest ways to describe things for your readers.

Like my 6th grade writing teacher used to say, similes and metaphors help paint a picture in your readers’ minds.

They are so important in writing.

Why?

Well, let me show you.

Which of these sounds better:

She had a long, slender neck.

Or:

She had a long, slender neck, its graceful arch like that of a swan.

Which one gives you a better picture of this woman’s neck?

And similes and metaphors aren’t just used to give you a clear picture. They can be used to keep your reader invested in what’s going on, to make what they’re reading interesting.

I’ll give you another example.

Which of these is more fun to read:

Everyone in Graceville knew about old Minerva Wilson.

She lived in a tiny house atop a hill, her 10 cats inhabiting the place.

Her nose was arched and there was hardly a time where you would see her without her two knitting needles.

Or:

Everyone in Graceville knew about old Minerva Wilson.

She lived in a tiny house that looked as though it’d been plopped on the top of a hill, her army of cats inhabiting the place.

She had a parrot beak nose on which rested her beaded spectacles. And there was hardly a time you would see her without her two knitting needles which she wielded like nunchucks.

Did you spot the similes and metaphors I used?

Don’t they make the writing more captivating?

Sure, both versions are an okay read. But doesn’t the second one sound…..better? It makes you want to read it whereas the first one is not as interesting.

Does it also add some humor to it?

Think cat army and knitting needle nunchucks. Does that make it a bit more fun and comical?

Let's review.

What’s a simile?

It’s comparing one object to another for description using like or as.

The room was as rank as my brother's gym clothes after the Friday night game.

Or:

Her eyes were like sapphires sparkling in the light.

What’s a metaphor?

It's the same thing as a simile except you don’t use like or as.

She ducked her head, her hair a curtain around her face.

Or:

He grinned maliciously, his bushy brows two caterpillars resting on his face.

Both similes and metaphors are very useful in describing and painting a picture for your reader. They can help draw your reader in and keep them hooked on what they’re reading.

They can also give the sentence a certain emotion.

For example, in my sentence above about the man’s caterpillar brows, that metaphor added to the sort of creepy nature to the sentence.

And in comparison to the statement, “The room was rank”, “The room was as rank as my brother's gym clothes after the Friday night game” gives you more of a feel of how it smells. Doesn’t it make you want to wrinkle your nose in disgust in real life?

Similes and metaphors are so useful for descriptions and giving your scenes and sentences certain feelings.

I hope this blog post taught you a little about similes and metaphors!

If you have any questions or just want to talk, message me in the contact box below!

Happy writing!

-Jocelyn