Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches #1: Writing Original Images That Have Power and Presence
Are you unsure about how similes work? Do all the similes you write seem trite? If you want your writing to move people, you need to make sure that you use original imagery that has power and presence. Read 12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them) to find out how it works.
This article uses literary terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches #2: How to Write Similes While Avoiding Cliches
A simile compares the qualities of one thing to another. It does this by using the words like or as.
- To write a simile you simply compare the attributes or qualities of two nouns.
- It helps if the two nouns have something in common, like a color or texture.
- Sometimes similes alliterate, but not always.
A cliche uses phrases or sentences that have been overused and have lost their impact on your readers or listeners.
- Ralph Murphy, at a Boston Songwriter’s Workshop songwriting camp, said you should avoid going with the first thing you write as it will often be filled with overused images.
- Don’t give in to lazy writing. Instead, you need to dig deep to find fresh images.
- Especially now in this age of generative AI, because the AIs tend to spit out cliches.
How do you create original similes? You can use a thesaurus to find alternate word choices that convey the same or similar thing. For example:
- As smooth as silk
- As soft as satin
Notice that I decided to keep the alliteration. However, that’s not essential. The next example uses the word like:
- He ate like a pig.
- He gobbled his food like a monkey.
Here I used Google to find another animal with messy eating habits.
Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches #3: “As” Similes
Applying these strategies, we now have these As simile examples:
- Jacob was as crafty as a crocodile lying in wait. Both fearsome and intelligent, the crocodile lends its attributes to Jacob.
- The bus looked as green as a pickle. This helps you imagine the color of the vehicle.
- Lily felt as happy as an elephant in a peanut factory. This image adds depth to Lily’s joy.
- The surface of the ocean seemed as desolate as interstellar space. You can’t get more desolate than that… no siree Bob.
- The ocean water felt as cold as a glass of soda with ice. Each noun shares the coldness attribute, which allows for the comparison.
- John looked as brave as a mouse. Here you expect the word brave will be followed by a fierce animal. Instead, the word mouse adds a twist.
All these simile examples started as cliches. (I challenge you to figure out where they came from.)
Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches #4: “Like” Similes
Now we’ll apply these strategies to the Like simile examples:
- The house creaked in the wind like a ship in a hurricane. This helps you feel the force of the wind.
- The waves hit the rocks like a million cymbals falling down the stairs. Yep, that’d be really loud.
- The leather glove felt like a newborn’s skin. Actually, a baby’s skin puts leather gloves to shame. It’s that soft.
- The drums pulsed like a heartbeat. Compares a steady drum beat with the beat of a heart.
- The cookies smelled like Grandma’s love. Few things in this world say happiness like baked goods, which helps create a concrete image for the abstract concept of love – the happiest of emotions. Using the word Grandma just helps cement the cookie image.
- The library smelled like wisdom and knowledge. Again, we use the sense of smell to add concreteness to abstract words.
Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches #5: Summary
Here’s some final thoughts on 12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them).
- We call similes figurative images. They use the words as and like to compare nouns.
- Cliches lack power, so you need to work hard to find fresh images.
- You can use a thesaurus and Google to reword cliche similes so that you’ll have compelling images in your lyrics and prose.
Have fun writing!
Related Posts
- How Do I Write Good Songs Using Metaphors and Similes?
- Songwriting – Let Her Scream
- Writing Well Crafted Songs
© 2024 Geoffrey Keith
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