Resources on metaphor
Websites, books & tools
Learn more about metaphor. Image by Thought Catalog
Metaphors We Live By
“Human thought processes are largely metaphorical. The human conceptual system is metaphorically structured and defined. … Metaphor is as much a part of our functioning as our sense of touch, and as precious.” So say authors George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in this insightful book. Read it to learn more about how people use metaphors to think.
Make Magic With Metaphor
Charm readers with analogies and comparisons
It’s tempting to call metaphor the magic spell in a writer’s repertoire, the Penn and Teller of the page.
Metaphor has the power to persuade far better than literal language. It lets you say in five words what would otherwise take five paragraphs to explain.
It makes readers’ brains light up, helps them think more broadly about your message — even (ahem!) makes you look more attractive.
At Master the Art of the Storyteller — our two-day hands-on creative-writing master class on July 25-26 in Portland — you’ll want to master a few tricks before you step onto the stage. In this session, you’ll learn how to charm readers with the magic of metaphor:
- Get the zombies out of your message: Don’t let Dead and Dead2 metaphors eat your readers’ brains.
- Craft a compelling metaphor with our fill-in-the-blanks formula.
- Polish your metaphor: Learn which kinds of metaphors to choose, which to avoid and where in your message to place them from 41 academic studies covering 50 years of research.
Learn more about our
Portland master class.
