METAPHORS
There is a very swanky book out there called The Princeton Book of Literature, or something like that. There is a glossary of writerly terminology and jargon. If you chose to look up the word "Metaphor," you would be presented with five two-column pages of the definitions, philosophies, and purposes of metaphors and similes and analogies. I'm not going to talk about what metaphors are, but how to easily spew thousands of things to connect to other things. I have spent hours racking my brains for a good analogy or metaphor, but there is an exercise that can generate metaphors easily.
First, write down two lists on two sheets of paper, then write (or make someone else write) a huge list of random nouns, fill up the pages! Now, close your eyes and drive both of your index fingers on a noun on each list. Now on a third sheet of paper write the two nouns down and think of another noun that relates to them. For instance, if you have "meat" and "locket," you could write "chalupa" next to them. You can be as serious or silly as you like. It's no elaborate assistant but it can help spark ideas and get the rusted and cobweb-ridden cogs in your mind churning.
More Examples:
"Cloud" "Boat" Wind
"Blood" "Knot" Body
"Whale" "Road" Ocean
"Swan" "Road" Lake
First, write down two lists on two sheets of paper, then write (or make someone else write) a huge list of random nouns, fill up the pages! Now, close your eyes and drive both of your index fingers on a noun on each list. Now on a third sheet of paper write the two nouns down and think of another noun that relates to them. For instance, if you have "meat" and "locket," you could write "chalupa" next to them. You can be as serious or silly as you like. It's no elaborate assistant but it can help spark ideas and get the rusted and cobweb-ridden cogs in your mind churning.
More Examples:
"Cloud" "Boat" Wind
"Blood" "Knot" Body
"Whale" "Road" Ocean
"Swan" "Road" Lake
2 comments:
Neat trick! I'll have to try this one. Thanks for the tip. Look forward to more writing tips from you.
I like big metaphors a lot more than little metaphors.
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