Weekend Wallpaper
November 29, 2008
Rosemary for Writing: The Extended Metaphor
November 28, 2008
I wrote a post about spicing up your writing with creative verb use about 4 months ago. I intended, and still intend, for that to be the first in a series. Here, finally is the second entry.
The Extended Metaphor
Metaphors can add a lot of flavor to your writing, but only if you create them from scratch. If you use cliché metaphors such as, “running around like a chicken with its head cut off”, or overused sports metaphors like, “step up to the plate” your writing may end up tasting like a frozen TV dinner.
For an even more savory dish, you can try an extended metaphor. An extended metaphor can spice up a dull subject and help create a sense of unity throughout a work. It is a favorite ingredient in my writing cookbook. Some of you have probably noticed that I’m even using it as I’m advocating for it.
To create an extended metaphor you start with a normal metaphor, and continue to make references to it throughout the piece. Take this sentence from one of my previous blog posts:
“I believe this puts me somewhere in the Jedi master level of geekness.”
In that particular post I left the metaphor to stand alone. If I wanted to extend it, I might follow up with a phrase like, “attacking math problems with my Lightsaber of intellect”, or maybe, “with the social life of a reclusive green Muppet on the Dagobah system.”
Instead of saying, “I’m good at math problems”, I’m creating an action packed image that might get me sued by George Lucas. Instead of saying, “I have no social life”, I’m painting a picture of a lonely swamp planet.
Of course, if the reader hadn’t seen The Empire Strikes Back, I would just be cooking a pot of confusion stew. The cost of using metaphors is the risk of losing clarity. You can reduce that risk by knowing your audience. If you were writing something for a Sci-Fi convention, the Star Wars metaphors would probably go over well. If you were writing for a parenting magazine, you might want to think of something more universal. (Maybe some kind of cooking metaphor…)
No mater what you’re writing, the extended metaphor is a useful tool. They can also be a lot of fun, so why not give them a try?
Weekend Wallpaper
November 23, 2008
Since I was a deadbeat and missed last week, I’m putting up double this week. Enjoy.
Independent artists and designers may use these images in any way they wish. Corporation or companies employing more than 2 people should contact me for any use beyond desktop wallpaper.
Weekend Wallpaper
November 10, 2008
Ok, so technically the weekend ended 30 minutes ago, but since I’m already up past my bedtime, I figured I’d hand out the freebies anyway. (The first of which happens to be a bee.)
Independent artists and designers may use these images in any way they wish. Corporation or companies employing more than 2 people should contact me for any use beyond desktop wallpaper.
Legend of the Seeker
November 8, 2008
Reading a book and then seeing the story altered on the screen can be jarring. A negative reaction is natural. Thus a segment of devoted fans will always be around to protest any alteration of a beloved novel.
What these people don’t understand is that what works in a book doesn’t always work on screen. I remember the laundry list of complaints about Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings adaptation and thinking to myself, “If they filmed EVERYTHING that took place in the books, they would have needed 6 movies instead of 3, and the end result would have put everyone to sleep.”
Changes are going to happen, no matter how many people complain on the IMDB message boards. The important question with any adaptation is, “does it retain the spirit of the source material?”
The new Legend of the Seeker TV series has yet to answer that question. The first 2 episodes, which aired last Sunday, set up the premise for the series and laid down a dangerous layer of cliché and hokum. I cringed a bit at a “my family is dead, teach me to use the force Obi-Wan” moment, and even more so at a He-Man “by the power of Greyskull” moment.
The spirit of Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth novels was there, but it was like playing Where’s Waldo to see it. If the show doesn’t find its voice in the next episode, I fear it may not last more than one season.
© 2009 E.R. Ellsworth