- Wilde would whisper flowery sweet nothings in your ear during foreplay but then have his very dirty way with you
- Fitzgerald would spend like an hour bragging about how good he was and then come much too soon
- Shakespeare would make up positions on the spot but they’d be…
Any metaphor you employ should be original while offering the reader a new perspective on the object you are describing. Ditto similes—it should be apparent to the reader exactly what you are describing, and should make her see it in a new way.
Cliches are not allowed, except in the dialogue of an unsympathetic character, or a character who is stupid or portraying stupidity. One possible exception to this rule is a novel or unexpected remixing of a cliche in a way that, like the metaphor and simile, should expose the reader to a new view.
(Source: sharkyteeth)
Our storyteller gathered her small charges around the fire. The wind howled outside, always prying and trying to squirm inside to steal what little warmth emanated from the forlorn cast-iron stove. The children huddled under blankets to keep out the cold, and to still the shivers that come from a scary tale. Tonight promised both.
She waited for the children to settle in and stop their fussing. The older ones held their younger siblings close – on laps, in the crooks of small arms, inside their shirts to let the babies sleep. The storyteller looked down on a pool of wide eyes while the stove murmured to itself and cast its meager glow on the upturned, hopeful faces.
I have posted 3 new stories to the Stories section of my website. Check them out:
Dungeons, Dragons, and Death - Murderous fun with roleplaying games and the geeks that love them.
Schrödinger’s Pumpkin - Who is left to tell the tale?
Make Thee an Ark - A not-very-clever flash piece done as part of a writing challenge. What the hell, I like the title.