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Q&A Is having elaborate metaphors ever a bad thing?

Metaphors must be apt. They must make the reader's experience of the scene they are reading more vivid. The problem with many metaphors, particularly those created by inexperienced writers, and mos...

posted 4y ago by Mark Baker‭

Answer
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Mark Baker‭ · 2020-03-09T23:34:14Z (over 4 years ago)
Metaphors must be apt. They must make the reader's experience of the scene they are reading more vivid. The problem with many metaphors, particularly those created by inexperienced writers, and most particularly by those that think they are obliged to fill a certain quota of metaphors, is that they are simply not apt. They don't actually give the reader an accurate picture of the thing they are describing. They end up creating a bizarre image that completely distracts the reader from the scene. 

The thing is, there is nothing particularly special about metaphors. They are a normal and natural part of speech. You probably use them all the time without thinking about them. The metaphors that work are probably going to be the ones that you never thought about as you were writing them. You were not thinking, oh, here's a chance to jam in a fancy metaphor, you were thinking, what was that like, and writing down the words that aptly evoke the experience without even thinking that you were using a metaphor. 

Focus on creating vivid experiences for your readers and leave the metaphors to take care of themselves.