New Year Writing Workout #7: Comparison

Okay, last writing workout and then I’ll let you off the hook until next January. Maybe. No promises as I may circle around to check up on you. If you haven’t kept your writing butt in shape, I may be forced to post more exercises.

Moving on…comparison. Similes. Metaphors. Analogies. They all have a place in writing.

To quote Noah Lukeman (my hero) from his book The First Five Pages, “Comparison is one of the few devices that really put a writer’s skill in the spotlight because it offers the most room for a writer to “turn it on”, to indulge the limits of his creative expression.” A picture is worth a thousand words and at times, you want that reader to see exactly what you or the character sees. Paint that picture. Lukeman claims that “the proper use of comparison will enable you to cut a tremendous amount of description (which inevitably slows the book down). It will save you literally pages of work and make for a much tighter read.”

Have I sold you on the idea yet?

Some things to watch out for when you are placing comparisons in your work: too many comparisons or not enough (about one every two to three hundred words or so is probably okay); bad, cliche or overused/common comparisons (although they could have a place depending upon your work); comparisons that are not specific (make distinctions in your comparisons to aid in the picture you are painting–such as what type of tree or what type of bug?); using the wrong word or an imprecise word in your comparison.

Here’s an exercise borrowed from Noah Lukeman. Pick an item from the room you’re in and come up with five similes and five metaphors for that item. Examples: The fig tree looked like a man reaching out to grab the passerby. (Simile) The fig tree was leafless, like a stake in the ground. (Metaphor) If you want more exercises on this, check out his book, it’s great.

To add to the feel and tone of your work, you can ensure that your comparisons echo the theme of your book. For example, if one of the themes is death, your comparisons can echo that. (Just don’t over do it.)

Enjoy!

Torture

I am procrastinating. I am 190 pages into 240. I am trying to put more comparisons in here and there to ‘add to the mystique’ or whatever on my manuscript. (Don’t even think of reminding me that I have three more manuscripts that will need the Lukeman Overhaul once I’m done with this one. Oh god, I think I’m going to throw myself off the roof of my house. Maybe while I’m up there I can replace the shingles that blew off in the night before last’s windstorm. (What the hell is with these shingles anyway? These aren’t the first to blow off.) I think I am starting to feel a little burned out about the comparison thing. Plus, I am starting to hate the book. I want to slice everything. Maybe it is the constant headache from this sinus infection that just won’t die!

So, do I go make myself a mocha? Move on to the style exercises in Lukeman’s book? (I get to do dialogue after that! YAY! That will be fun, I think.) Keep plugging at freaking comparisons? Maybe I should go take a Tylenol and go have a nap. I only have about another hour’s peace before the whirlwind wakes up from her nap, then all bets are off on doing any of the above.

Damn, I wish this cat would get off my arm. He’s just so cute though. Except for the poop problem.

This is just too disgusting to not tell…especially since I am procrastinating. So anyway, this morning I was on the phone and I saw what I thought was a dried leaf from a nearby plant on the floor. Bent over and picked it up before realizing that dead leaves do NOT squish! Ew, ew, ew.

If you are asking: yes, yes it was.

Instead of doing all of the above, I am going to go bleach my fingers–again.

The First Five Pages: Comparison Some More

January 15th, 2008–The First Five Pages: Comparison Some More
Why didn’t anyone ever tell me comparison could be so much fun? I am now comparing new desks to the president’s motorcade and taking tequila shots to, well…here:

She licked the salt off the back of her hand like it was ground up glass, knocked back the shot of tequila as if it were poison and bit and sucked the slice of lemon as if it were a week-old rat carcass.

So…that’s disgusting. I’m not sure what I will do with it, but it was fun. Fun enough to pull me out of bed to write it down when I was trying to fall asleep last night.

Now I wonder why I had that weird dream about drunk rats…?