Make It Meaningful With Metaphor

Clarify complex concepts with analogy

“Ann’s helped us translate technical medical terminology into language everyone can understand. Oftentimes we’re trying to communicate life-saving information, so keeping our writing clear, concise and compelling is critically important.”

— John Francis, director of marketing, Saint Luke’s Health System
Learn what others say about Make It Meaningful With Metaphor

Communicators too often think of metaphor as a poetic doodah that has no place in serious nonfiction writing.

That couldn’t be more wrong. Metaphor is a workhorse of communication.

That’s because people have always learned metaphorically. We add to our knowledge by comparing new concepts to those we already understand.

Now communicators can use the same approach to help their audiences understand new, technical or complicated information by means of something they already know.

In this workshop, you’ll learn to use metaphors — and similes, analogies and other figures of speech — to make your material clearer and more compelling. Specifically, you’ll learn how to:

Take the “numb” out of numbers: Develop analogies that help your readers get your statistics

• Cut the clichés from your copy by replacing them with a creative substitute
• Bring your tired topics to life with comparisons
• Make complicated concepts clearer by turning ideas into things
• Avoid writing groaners — overblown metaphors that make your readers roll their eyes — by syncing with the subject
• Ask one simple question to get an analogy during an interview
• Use a simple, fill-in-the-blanks formula to easily craft a compelling metaphor