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How to Write Metaphors Like a Professional Writer

12/10/2014

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PictureWrite until your heart is content.
A metaphor is a figure of speech. We speak metaphorically when we say something that represents something else.

A metaphor is a comparison of two things that are completely different, yet when we use them in correlation with each other, we see some sort of resemblance or sameness, providing a clear picture of what we mean.

There Are Two Types of Metaphors.
Metaphors can be simple or can be structured as what is known as a simile. Let’s explore each type of metaphor.

The Simple Metaphor: Generally, a metaphor associates an object or concept that is real with an object or concept that is not real.

Examples:
My heart is broken.
In this example, the heart is real, but it is not actually broken.

Tom is a pig.
In this example, Tom is not really a pig. But, because pigs are sloppy, when we say Tom is a pig, it creates the vision of Tom eating sloppily.

It’s raining cats and dogs.
In this example, it is raining, but cats and dogs are not falling from the sky. We use such a phrase to say it is raining very hard.

The Simile: Similes is a type of metaphor that uses words such as “like” or “as” to make a comparison between two things that are not alike. A simile is used when the writer wants to say that one thing is like another thing.

Examples:
He ran like the wind.
In this example, comparing his running speed to the wind gives the reader the idea that he ran very fast.

She sings like an angel.
In this example, we are saying she sings beautifully.

It is as cold as ice.
In this example, we are saying it is very cold.

Use Metaphors Effectively
Metaphors help the writer paint a vivid picture for their readers. A cleverly written metaphor can liven up your content. I admit that it took me a long time to get a handle on how to use metaphors effectively. But, once I got a little bit of an idea of how to use metaphors, I tried my hand at using them with a publication that I wrote titled, “Write Like a Musician for Content That Flows.” 

For Further Reading
I have a writer friend who is a former school teacher. His name is William Holland. He is a published author who explains metaphors in a way that may help you gain a tighter grasp of the concept. Read his publication titled, “Writing 101: The Under-Appreciated metaphor.”  

Until next time, "Happy Writing!"

Copyright Marlene C. Bertrand.    All rights reserved.


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New Author Logo

10/23/2014

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Yeah, I might have had better things to do with my time than to spend a couple of hours updating my author logo. But, such is how it is when you are your own boss. There is no one to crack the whip and say, "Hey, get back to work!"

I'm still living in a dream world from a recent assignment to narrate and produce a very sensitive and informative book.

I like being creative and updating my logo is something that needed to be done. There was no better time than today to create a logo that delivered a more definitive image of me and my current interests.
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Updating My Author Websites

10/21/2014

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Sometimes, our days are carved out for us.

I'm spending all day updating my author websites so that my author profile matches Amazon, Kindle, and Goodreads.

What a task!

I discovered that there are a lot of Marlene Bertrands on the Internet. A few of them are writers. So, in order to distinguish myself from the other Marlene Bertrands out there, I started adding my middle initial "C" to my author name. While it did the job of distinguishing me from all those other Marlene Bertrands, adding the middle initial to my name created a whole new set of issues. Identifying my author name as Marlene C. Bertrand started a significant turn of events that suddenly disconnected my author identity with the books I have recently published.

That one little initial, "C." (with the period) made a huge difference. Suddenly, Marlene Bertrand, Marlene C Bertrand, and Marlene C. Bertrand are three different people and there is no way to automate the process of merging these names into one identity.

I could ignore this, but if I do not stop and take time to update my author profile pages on Amazon, Kindle, and Goodreads, my books will be out of sync with each other in relation to these valuable online outlets. It is a good thing I discovered this little dilemma early in the game.

My goal for today is to update all of my online author pages, setting the profile name to Marlene C. Bertrand.

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My First Blog Post as a Published Short Story Author

10/20/2014

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Writing Desk
For the longest time, I have wanted to claim the title of, "Published Author." While I have written a lot through my years, the publications I have written have either been co-authored, as in the Kindercize book I wrote way back in 1988 or have been written for other people. I have written press releases and sales copy for many industries. I have written and still do write blogs for real estate agents. But, these type of publications are duly written for someone else, thus my name is nowhere to be found on just about every publication that I write. I have written screenplays which do have my name on them, nevertheless, I longed to be known as a writer of books. 

Retirement from the workforce allowed me to spend time reading and writing. Needing something to read from time to time, I picked up a few short stories one day and found that I enjoyed the nature of short stories a lot. I started writing short stories and found them to be a bit of a challenge, but once I got the hang of it, writing became quite enjoyable. The experience directed me to select short stories as my genre of preference. When my first short story book, "The Mountain of Love" became available on Amazon, I was thrilled to no end. If you get a chance to read it, please tell me what you think. You can also get a copy of the book at Kindle. In fact, it is much less expensive through Kindle at only $1.99 right now.

It is through the magic of digital technology that I am now a published author. I thought about trying to get my books published by regular book publishers, but then the idea of independent publishing, or indie publishing as it is sometimes called, caught my attention. With step-by-step instructions I found the independent publishing process quite enjoyable.

Of course, if a publisher from one of the big publishing houses were to offer to publish one or all of my books, I would consider the offer. But, that hasn't happened yet, so I will sit happily enjoying the book sales as they come in.

Now that the books have been published, the next step in this independent publishing journey is to polish up on my marketing skills so that I can open up a few sales channels and then get to work on writing another book.

If you know someone who enjoys reading short stories with a dynamic love twist at the end, please direct them to Amazon or Kindle to purchase my book. Thank you bunches for spreading the word.


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    Marlene C. Bertrand declared "Independent Writer" status in 2013. This blog shares her journey as a writer. Visit Marlene's  My Books page for recently published books.

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    Disclosure: This website contains affiliate links.
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    Recommended Recources

    When I need answers to my writing questions, I refer to resources that have served me well as a technical writer in the past and as a freelance writer now. The following books sit on my bookshelf ready for use at my demand. When working with clients, you will need to adhere to the client’s style guide for how they want their documents to be formatted. As a freelance writer, you have the liberty of setting up your own style guide. The following resources offer excellent information on grammar and punctuation styles that are most common to writing for United States publishing standards.

    Any one or all of the following books are valuable books to have on your bookshelf at all times:

    Strunk and White's Elements of Style

    The Chicago Manual of Style

    Associated Press Stylebook


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