Before we get into this month’s bites—we have two of them—from Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time, we pause to thank everyone who commented on last month’s vlogs. Your stories and responses were wonderful to read, and each month the list of people who have commented grows longer, which makes me so happy.
But today, we look at bites #34 and #36, which focus on writing fresh similes. Similes compare two unlike items using like or as, and they make our stories vivid and rich.
Rick Bragg is one of the best writers of similes I’ve ever read. His memoir, Ava’s Man, is filled with fresh and powerful examples, and we can learn much from him.
At the end of the video, I ask you to write some similes of your own and then share them with us, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
But if your similes are as fresh as garden-picked tomatoes or dull as dishwater, always remember, the only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!
The boy was as bad as a capuchin monkey grinning with delight after it’s just thrown It’s own poop at you!
A smile, even when it comes from a stranger, can bring an exhale of energy and a knowing that you are essential. The unspoken thumbs up, aaayye okay, you got this one, =>
The little boy was as bad as the bowl of fudge on the counter that he dipped his fingers first, then his hands into, and it showed on his face. (That the mommy started to lick off his fingers and face to teach him a smiling, happy lesson.)
Good one, Holly!
I have developed a simile method and use a spreadsheet, sometimes, to help with my brainstorming. I’ve spent some time looking into this important writing tool. First, some rules. 1. A simile is visual and must bring up an immediate visual to the reader. 2. It must be concise; the reader must see the picture right away and not think about it. 3. The visual or reference must be known, not obscure. 4. The visual must do its job, must add to the story, and clarify. 5. The simile must not be cliche, which is a simile that is a… Read more »
The spreadsheet. Forgot to add it.
David, thank you so much for sharing your worksheet. It will be a terrific help to the writers in the group! I especially like the “Vikings on shore leave” – the picture of that is as clear as a cellophane wrapper!
The little was was as bad as a puppy about starting to walk on leash. From my writing: Antisemitism followed me like a second shadow everywhere I went.
The little boy was as bad as a galloping horse you’re riding through the woods.
Simile writing is about as easy as getting off a London tube escalator with a suitcase, a backpack, and a container of tea.
Writing similes is as easy as listening to Charles Schwab automated maket action on the phone for five minutes while on hold.
That’s C. Schwab MARKET action
The little boy was bad as a newborn calf in a herd of buffalo.
As pleased as Punch
As happy as a king
As cool as a cucumber
As changeable as a weathercock
As cunning as a fox
Mireille