How to Write Metaphors: 50 Tips, Techniques & Examples

Write your subject in the center of a page. List 20 unlike things it could compare to. Example: "Fear = ?" Could be a cage, shadow, storm, hunger, small room, avalanche, etc.

What does your subject feel like? Taste like? Sound like? These sensory associations often reveal great metaphorical connections.

"What if grief were an ocean?" "What if success were a garden?" These questions generate fresh metaphors.

Analyze great metaphors in literature. What makes them work? How can you apply similar techniques?

The best metaphors share deeper truths between unlike things. List 10 qualities of your subject, then find other things that share those qualities.

If your subject is internal/emotional, compare it to external/physical things and vice versa.

Natural imagery (seasons, weather, animals, plants) often creates powerful metaphors because readers have visceral connections to nature.

The best metaphors come from lived experience. What have you felt deeply? What comparisons naturally came to mind?

Keep a running collection of metaphors you notice, metaphor ideas, and promising comparisons. Review regularly for inspiration.

Write your subject, then spend 5 minutes writing every word that comes to mind. Many will reveal metaphorical possibilities.

Don't try to say too much. "Love is both a rose and a battlefield" is muddled. Choose one: "Love is a battlefield."

Weak: "Success is good things happening" Strong: "Success is a bird you've been chasing that finally lands on your hand."

Mixed: "We need to take this company to the next level and nurture it like a seed." Better: Pick one: growth or elevation.

Generic: "Her love was like a light" Specific: "Her love was like a candle flame—warm, flickering, easily extinguished if not carefully tended."

Will your readers understand the comparison? Use metaphors referencing things your specific audience knows and cares about.

Weak: "Her voice was like music" Strong: "Her voice cascaded like a waterfall of music"

Trust your reader. Don't spell out the metaphor. "His words were daggers" is more powerful than "His words cut like daggers, wounding us deeply."

Metaphors shine when explaining intangible ideas: emotions, time, success, truth, freedom. Concrete subjects need them less.

If a metaphor implies certain details, make sure those details fit. If "life is a journey," then death might be "the final destination," not "falling off a cliff."

The best metaphors work on multiple levels. "The heart is a prison" works physically, emotionally, and philosophically.

Put important metaphors where they'll have maximum impact: at the beginning to set tone, in the middle to develop ideas, at the end to leave a lasting impression.

Telling: "She was angry" Showing with metaphor: "She was a volcano moments from eruption"

Don't stuff every sentence with metaphors. Let them breathe. A few strong metaphors are more powerful than many weak ones.

A metaphor can signal a shift: "As we climb this mountain of challenges..." marks a transition to discussing obstacles.

The metaphor shouldn't feel inserted. Make it flow naturally with surrounding sentences.

Characters using lots of metaphors can sound unnatural. Reserved use makes metaphors in dialogue more impactful.

Return to earlier metaphors to create cohesion and reinforce meaning, but don't overdo it.

Let a central metaphor organize your entire piece. Each paragraph develops the metaphor further.

Place key metaphors at the beginning of sentences or paragraphs for emphasis. "Like a storm, grief crashes without warning."

Don't use dark, violent metaphors for cheerful content, or whimsical ones for serious topics.

If your metaphor is common ("red as a rose"), make it fresh ("red as an open wound" or "red as embarrassment").

Does your metaphor suggest meanings you didn't intend? Example: "She spread her ideas like a virus" might carry unintended negative connotations.

If a metaphor doesn't sing, cut it. A few perfect metaphors beat many mediocre ones.

Metaphors should sound right. Read your work aloud to catch jarring comparisons or awkward phrasing.

Does the metaphor make logical sense? If you say "climbing the ladder of success," later references should align with that journey imagery.

The best metaphors reveal unexpected parallels. "Her silence was a language" surprises because silence typically means absence of language.

Test your metaphor on someone unfamiliar with your work. Can they understand the comparison? Is it clear enough?

Add sensory elements to your metaphor. "Her laugh was a silver bell" is stronger than "Her laugh was music" because it's more specific.

Some metaphors may not translate across cultures. If writing for diverse audiences, choose universal comparisons.

If a metaphor feels right, it probably is. If it feels forced, it probably isn't. Revise or cut it.

In poetry, metaphors can be the entire point. Build poems around central comparisons.

What metaphors does your character use? This reveals personality, background, and voice.

"Our sales funnel" or "thinking outside the box" make business concepts accessible to all employees.

Apple: "Think different" (individual voyager). Nike: "Just do it" (athlete warrior). Let metaphors embody your brand.

"We choose to go to the moon"—Kennedy's moon metaphor for ambition still resonates.

Metaphors can help you (and readers) understand yourself better. Explore metaphors to reveal insights.

Academic writing typically limits metaphors, but strategic ones can clarify complex concepts without losing credibility.

Use comparisons to animals, nature, and familiar objects children know and love.

Some characters naturally speak in metaphors; others don't. Let this reflect their personality.

Study master writers. Notice how they craft metaphors. Steal techniques (but not metaphors!).