TECH: Nanowrimo Notes #21: Quick, Spin Me A Metaphor!

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Twisting the Metaphors

As I'm sure some of you have noticed, I like playing with metaphors. There's something engaging about taking one from over here, another from over there, and then playing twist and fit to see where they complement or contrast. So, as you pursue your daily nanowrimo quota (how many words was that again? You can do it!) one of the tricks you might want to try is a little metaphor juggling. For example, you could pick a number from 1 to 7 (all right, if your die only has six sides, you can use that.)

So, if you have your number ready? Good, here's what you have chosen (behind door number 1, we have . . . ):

1. Taking a bath
2. Frying potatoes
3. Boiling an egg
4. Sending a letter (you remember, those funny paper things that preceded email?)
5. Untangling a ball of string
6. Learning to swim
7. Starting a car in cold weather

Nothing up my right sleeve -- nothing up my left sleeve -- in fact, I'm not sure I even have sleeves in the digital world, but take your character, perhaps the situation they're in, perhaps the problem they are trying to work through, or perhaps even just the simple dialogue that they're about to have -- and connect it up with that activity. What are all the bits and pieces of boiling an egg? And just how do those connect with your hero trying vainly to get that job that is just out of reach?

Now isn't that fun! Just plain and simple mental magic. You see I knew that you were going to be struggling with that problem, and I actually picked the number that you were going to choose, and carefully planted the exact perfect metaphor for you to connect with your problem.

You may clap now.

Of course, part of this is that wonderful connectivity engine that you have between your right ear and your left ear, slightly back from your eyes, and above all the rest of the meat. The little grey cells as Hercule Poirot was wont to say.

Go ahead - twist a metaphor today. And remember, don't just jump into the deep end, spend a bit of time paddling around in the shallows first.

"Tomas did not realize at the time that metaphors are dangerous. Metaphors are not to be trifled with. A single metaphor can give birth to love." Milan Kundera

tink
(about 400 words, if we stretch a couple of them :-)
When a verb meets a noun, coming through the metaphor . . .