How to Publish a Novel: Metaphor

If you are attempting to publish a novel, it is important to consider the use and implementation of metaphor in your story. At its most basic definition, metaphor is the understanding of one thing through the interpretation of another. "Is" and "is like" are commonly used to connect two unrelated subjects, which forms the metaphor.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnDBea9xkA

Metaphors are used to create poetic imagery in the mind of the reader. This way, a reader can attain a deeper meaning from what is being described. Metaphors can be applied to various story elements, such as characters, plot, themes and settings. The comparison between the two subjects that aren't typically related can improve your reader's experience with your novel.http://howtowriteshop.loridevoti.com/2011/01/writing-metaphor-simile/

How to Publish a Novel: Metaphor Video

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How to Publish a Novel: Metaphor

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In this Mahalo video, author and publishing consultant Donna Sozio discusses how to utilize metaphor in a novel you intend to publish. She talks about how metaphors should be literal instead of lyrical, saying that "is" is better than "is like." Sozio also shows how to formulate effective metaphors.

Step 1: Creating Metaphor

Remember that a metaphor is taking two unrelated things and relating them through literal interpretation. You can take a character, setting, theme or plot element and relate it to something that they aren't normally associated with.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnDBea9xkA For example, if you had a detective with a long brown coat, you could say, "He was wrapped in a creased brown trench coat - a crumpled lunch bag across his frame." Detective's coats aren't typically associated with lunch bags and thus a metaphor is formed.

Step 2: Making Sense with Metaphor

When writing metaphors in your story, it is important to stay within a logical framework. Not just anything will serve as a satisfying metaphor for characters and situations. Even though metaphors are used to connect two unrelated elements, each aspect has to say something meaningful about the other.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnDBea9xkA

Step 3: Differentiate Between Dead Metaphors and Metaphors

As language has evolved, everyday metaphors - used in normal conversation, speech, etc - have emerged. These are "dead metaphors." Things such as "table legs" and "car hoods" are used in common vernacular. It is fine to use these in your novel, however, make sure you mark the difference between dead metaphors and ones that you create. Using your own metaphors with unexpected pairings can augment the impact of your writing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnDBea9xkA