We use the word ‘like’ a lot without even realizing we use it. Like, wow! Like, radical! Hey, it’s like you know, cool!
And this is just the tip of expressing ourselves. Many writers use similes using connecting words ‘like’ and ‘as’ in their stories to express something unfathomable to our senses. Take for instance the singer-songwriter John Denver who used ‘like’ a lot in his song Annie’s Song:
You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again
Similes, unlike metaphors, compare one thing to another and are used to describe something more vividly. Similes can be used either positively as the above Denver song or negatively as in “You’re as cold as ice. You are ready to sacrifice our love” (Foreigner).
As a creative writer, similes are fun to throw into a story or poem. They make writing more interesting and can often intrigue the reader as well.
However, while creating similes cut out common clichés:
- As crazy as a fox.
- As fit as a fiddle.
- As proud as peacocks.
Cliches are phrases that are overused and betray a lack of original thought. Also, when writing similes, stretch your creative imagination and go beyond obvious comparisons.
Similes will deliver results like a river flowing to the sea.
Command Voice Journalism 