Simile But Different
Pick an item from each column in the chart to create a simile. Use the following starting phrase for your story, making sure to include the simile(s) you’ve created somewhere in the piece. “I (or she/he) took a sip of …”
This week, I'm relinquishing my all-powerful dominion over writing prompt creation because I recently acquired the revised and expanded edition of The Write-Brain Workbook, thanks to my former colleague Cris Freese, who told me the book was "awesome." I initially shrugged it off as an overstatement, but here I am distracted from work by the darn thing, so I thought I'd share some of the fun.
Below you'll find one of the 400 exercises and prompts that appear in it. (Also, if you so choose, you can download this prompt plus a little bonus "next step" as a printable worksheet by clicking here.)
Writing Prompt: Simile But Different
Pick an item from each column in the chart below to create a simile. The odder the simile, the more fun it is to invent a story around. If you want, generate a few similes and use them all. Examples: crooked like a yo-yo in a debate; wild like a rocking chair in sneakers.
Use the following starting phrase for your story, making sure to include the simile(s) you’ve created somewhere in the piece.
I (or she/he) took a sip of …
Post your response in 500 words or fewer in the comments below.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
