Spoonful #70: MAGICAL METAPHORS

You may think I'm kidding when I call metaphors magical, but I assure you, I'm quite serious. While they may be difficult to master, they possess the power to turn one thing into something completely different. 

While similes relate one person or object to another with the use of like or as, metaphors equate instead of relate! Here are some examples:

Stanley is a bear when he gets hungry.
(Stanley = bear)

Tom is a walking dictionary about every conceivable baseball fact. 
(Tom = walking dictionary)

This movie is a snore.
(movie = snore)

Maria is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.
(Maria = ray of sunshine)

My first car was a lemon, but I didn't know about the Lemon Laws. (my car = lemon)

Henry is the Energizer bunny, hopping from one activity to another before he powers down.
(Henry = Energizer bunny)

Go ahead and sprinkle some metaphor magic into your stories! As with similes, if you can turn your characters into things that relate to their passions and interests, all the better. I'll return next Sunday with another descriptive language spoonful. 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

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