Turn hackneyed phrases into fresh, exciting metaphors
Academics call clichés dead language.
Writers should avoid clichés in writing as they do with other types of lazy writing.… Read the full article
Ann Wylie’s blog of writing tips
What’s in a buzzword? Nothing.
If you’re writing about vertically integrated digital-media companies, stop typing
Oh, how I miss the late, great Jargonator, the Gable Group’s tool to help PR pros cut buzzwords from their releases.… Read the full article
How to avoid dead metaphors
Don’t let zombies eat your readers’ brains
Like humans, metaphors have life spans. They’re born; they live full, productive lives; they grow old; they die. They’d even stay dead, if we’d let them.… Read the full article
Avoid clichés by using metaphor
Replace dead language with vibrant figures of speech
In 1832, French printers noted the sound metal plates made when they were cast from the original and then used to make copies:
Click.
… Read the full articleTry Ann Wylie’s Metaphor Generator
Take these 4 steps to creating an analogy
Sometimes you’ll find a metaphor in an interview. Other times, it’s up to you to create one yourself.… Read the full article
How to handle metaphor research
Go beyond the interview
My writing team had one of those tough assignments recently that only a geek like me can fully appreciate.
Our job: to transform technical medical text into a fascinating research report that patients, donors and neurointerventionalists alike can understand and enjoy.… Read the full article
How to write an extended metaphor
The gift that keeps on giving
Quick! Which is more effective?
A simple metaphor?
Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three-hundred-ring circus.
— Dean Koontz in Seize the Night
Or an extended metaphor?… Read the full article
How to create metaphors and similes
3 ways to craft clever figures of speech
When a Hollywood pitchman wants to sell a new horror film about a rampaging dog, he doesn’t have time to explain the storyline.… Read the full article
Don’t mix metaphors — and other metaphor ‘don’ts’
Do sync with the subject, don’t write a groaner
Don’t mix metaphors. Fewer are more persuasive. Choose one concept for comparison and stick with it.… Read the full article
New Year’s Writing Resolutions
8 of my favorite tips for 2023
I’m a poor resolver. For many years, my New Year’s Resolution was “I resolve not to resolve,” which made me a bit of a Grinch at New Year’s Day parties.… Read the full article