Mid-Willamette Fiction Writers

Current Project: Faith's Book
Status: pg. 80, sigh

A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the word "like" or "as". Even though similes and metaphors are both forms of comparison, similes allow the two ideas to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas metaphors seek to equate two ideas despite their differences.

A couple of nights ago, I watched a George C. Scott remake of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. During one scene, Scrooge visits the home of his nephew where he witnesses his nephew and his wife and their guests playing a game called "Simile". In this game, the host throws out an unfinished simile, challenging his guests to complete it. If they cannot, they must stand behind their chair. In the end, the last woman/man sitting is the winner.

So you get the gist. He says, "Pretty as a _______" and the guest must respond, "Picture." "As curious as a ___________" and the guest should say "Cat." One of the similes was something along the lines of "Quick as a _______" to which a guest (that puckish imp) replied "Night wind." It worked for me, but the nephew was aghast and everyone started counting down from five until they all chimed in, "As a wink!" The poor thing had to go stand behind her chair.

What struck me was how difficult this game would be for a writer. We try our best to make colorful, unique similes and avoid the obvious. All of us would have been standing behind our chairs.

So, here are some unfinished similes.

Choose one, fill in the "right" word and then rework it to fit your WIP or your last book or whatever you want. You can provide a little background to deepen the impact if you like (sometimes the h/h occupation or preoccupation makes a simile all the more intriguing) but you don't have to.

Here they are:

1. As easy as ____________.
2. As mad as a ________________.
3. As stubborn as a _______________.
4. As blind as a ______________________.
5. As smart as a __________________.
6. As quiet as a ______________.
7. As clear as ___________.
8. Or make up your own using as or like, whichever you prefer.

This needn't be time consuming or difficult or terribly clever, just have fun. There's always the pressure with something like this to come up with something perfect. THIS IS NOT A TEST. NO GRADES WILL BE ASSIGNED. I'll start. The hero, former FBI agent, now reluctant rancher says of an intruder: He was as subtle as a terrorist at a beach party.

If that doesn't relax your self expectations, I don't know what will!