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Metaphors and Similes in Business Writing
How To Use Metaphors and Similes
Metaphors and similes can make your business writing interesting to read, more memorable, more efficient, and more convincing. If you're brave enough to use one and you're sure it's appropriate, the advantages are notable."Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space."
(American author Orson Scott Card)
Let's remind ourselves what metaphors and similes are.
(American author Orson Scott Card)
Metaphors
A metaphor associates two concepts by stating that one of them is the other. For example:- Her eyes were darting searchlights, scanning the room for her rival.
- "Conscience is a man's compass." (Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, 1853–1890)
- "All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree." (Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, 1879–1955)
Similes
A simile compares two things by saying one is like the other, or one is as the other.- Her eyes were like darting searchlights, scanning the room for her rival.
- "A room without books is like a body without a soul." (Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 BC–43 BC)
- "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." (Often attributed to English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello)
- "There are two quick ways to determine whether new waters are shark-infested: swim around to have a look or ask the locals."
Why Are Metaphors and Similes Effective?
If you read the section on biases (especially anchoring), you will quickly notice that people do not like to make decisions in a vacuum. They like to make comparisons, and they like supporting evidence. As well as making your writing more interesting to read, metaphors and similes can provide both of those things. Imagine you wrote this simile:- "Plan A would be like throwing the pilot out of a stricken aircraft to make it lighter."
This is good stuff, so let's really get to the bottom of it. The idea of throwing the pilot out is madness. It's undeniable madness, and everyone agrees. If the simile is a good enough fit, lots of that agreement about the undeniable madness will bleed across onto Plan A. You are now not talking about Plan A directly, but about something far easier to explain. A good simile will "hijack" an idea. They are powerful things.
Bear in mind though that your readers will quite unimpressed if you use what they perceive as an old metaphor or simile. Look at these similes:
"A printer without ink is as much use as:
(1) a chocolate teapot
(2) a handbrake on a submarine
(3) an ashtray on a motorbike."
Take your pick. Actually, don't. These similes are old. You will only be showcasing your intellectual limitations if you use clichés like these. At some point (probably back in the 1980s), these similes were considered novel, but they're now overused. They're tired. Doubtless some people will think "A chocolate teapot? That's quite funny. I've never heard that before." Here's the point: If you didn't make it up yourself, ask around to test the freshness of your simile or metaphor.
"The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."
(Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali, 1904-1989)
Before we think about how to write a new simile or a metaphor. It's worth reiterating that you don't have to use any creative-writing techniques in your business writing. They could be more damaging than beneficial, and metaphors and similes carry a high risk of damaging a document. But there are benefits to be had – especially if the technique suits your business environment. You'll instinctively know your boundaries.
(Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali, 1904-1989)
Creating Metaphors and Similes
So, how do you create a simile or a metaphor? Well, sometimes they leap out at you. Other times, you have to really work at it. When inspiration doesn't strike, have a plan. Much like structuring a piece of business writing by writing paragraph titles, you can quickly consider your subject from a number of different angles using a simple thinking template. I use a Trivial Pursuit question card.The various question categories on a Trivial Pursuit question card can assist with thinking. For example, let's imagine you're trying to sell a powder that kills wasps. Let's call it "Wasp Killer." But now you want a slogan. Okay, get your Trivial Pursuit card out.
- Geography: "Wasp Killer. Sends wasps to waspital." (What's that got to do with Geography? I don't know. It just jumped into my head! It also suggests the powder is just going to injure the wasps. The card is just an aid to thinking. At this stage, all ideas are good. Jot them down. They might inform something else later.)
- Entertainment: "Wasp Killer. Makes wasps leave your house quicker than your 14-year-old son during a love scene on TV." (Too long, I know. Probably not that original either. Still, jot it down.)
- History: "Wasp Killer. Hiroshima for wasps is just one squirt away." (Not acceptable, I know. But, jot it down.)
- Arts & Literature: "Wasp Killer. For wasps, it's like three no's in X Factor." (Nah, rubbish. Not sure how I got there under Art and Literature. Still, jot it down.)
- Science and Nature: "Wasp Killer. A tsunami for wasps." (Mmm? Nah)
- Sports and Leisure: "Wasp Killer. Strike 3 for Wasps." (Mmm? Maybe)
I can't teach you how to be creative. You're almost certainly already more creative than me. But, by being systematic, I've managed to come up with "Wasp Killer: Strike 3 for Wasps." It's a bit US-centric, but I quite like it.
Be aware that, quite often, metaphors and similes aren't received as enthusiastically as they're delivered. Once you've written a metaphor or simile, test it.
"A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people."
(German novelist Thomas Mann, 1875–1955)
I've just tested "Wasp Killer: Strike 3 for Wasps" with the rest of the office. Apparently, it's not "a bit US-centric." It's too US-centric and not even that good. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board. Remember that proofreaders rarely do you a disservice. If a proofreader says your metaphor or simile is poor or inappropriate, believe them. (German novelist Thomas Mann, 1875–1955)
Bottom line: Using a metaphor or a simile is an efficient way to explain an idea or to make it memorable. So, if it's appropriate, use one. But don't use two.
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See Also
What is brainstorming?
What is business writing?