site member prompt Creative Prompt 17

[DomLuka]

Metaphors and similes are frequently used in writing fiction for description purposes, and most of the time, I don�t even notice them when I�m reading, so I�m not that surprised that I don�t use them a whole lot when I�m writing. But, today I got to thinking about how sometimes they can really add to your writing when someone sent me this exercise. So far, I�m not very good at it, but it would be interesting to see what others come up with:

 

Finish each phrase with the metaphor or simile that first comes to mind:

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if

 

4. .............. is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with

 

7. If I should wake before I die,

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like,

 

9. An unread obituary is like ............

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if

[C James]

Metaphors and similes are frequently used in writing fiction for description purposes, and most of the time, I don

[Graeme]

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like water in slow motion.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed to swirl in the wind, as if they were looking for a pocket to fall into.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if someone was trying to beat the water to death.

 

4. Writing similes is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it had been sweetened with arsenic.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with a grace reminisciant of ice dancers.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, I'll smile -- waking after I die is something not worth contemplating.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like champagne in a bath.

 

9. An unread obituary is like a life unnoticed.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if it was looking for another victim of its mayhem.

[Myk]

I've never tried one of these writing prompts but I thought I would give this one a go...

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like rain from a soaked leaf.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed to cover everything, as though the pavement was made with paper mache.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if its occupants were marching to their doom.

 

4. The string of a bow is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if quenching a throat long parched by the desert.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with unrelenting rhythm.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, that is but one more day I must wait.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like, water in an ice cube.

 

9. An unread obituary is like an unborn baby.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if in slow motion. but that is a cliche....so it had set its sights on her.

[DomLuka]

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like melting chocolate

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed like an empty wine bottle in a ghost town.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if as if the wind had pulled them from his hands and taken over the tiring task.

 

4. silk sheets over wooden furniture is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if the scorching heat alone could burn away the long stream of bitter words he longed to say to his brother.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with really, really, really big waves.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, I'll hope it happens again.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like a foot in the mud.

 

9. An unread obituary is like an unwritten story

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if her pure desire to live was enough to send it flying past her.

[Graeme]

6. The waves rolled over the sea with really, really, really big waves.

I'm sorry, but I read and all I could think of was that either you were very tired, or you had a very funny image in your head.

[DomLuka]

I'm sorry, but I read and all I could think of was that either you were very tired, or you had a very funny image in your head.

 

How about when I'm tired I get funny images in my head?

 

Have no idea what I was thinking there.

[Graeme]

I'll accept that

[pingyboy]

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like syrup from a waffle halfway to my mouth.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed like a faded memory of a bustling city.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if a thousand arms were dragging it in the opposite direction.

 

4. The parafilm covering the beaker is like muscles stretched taught (taut?) over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it were a gatorade, with large gulps and slobbering.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with a fiery passion, constanting striving to pin it down.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, I shall swallow another container of pills.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like holding all of time in your hands.

 

9. An unread obituary is like the forgotten best friend in elementary school.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if she were a statue.

 

 

Some of those sentences were weird..oh well. I'm hoping these exercises will help me on my English final tomorrow..

Edited January 16, 2007 by pingyboy

[Obex]

OK, had to go for the joke on a few of these, couldn't help myself.

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like children getting ready for school.

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed to dance the dance of the forgotten.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if Neptune himself were at the helm.

 

4. Sex is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it were last nights lover.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with a softness that spoke to him.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, tempt me not! No more pie!

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like, the sand of an hourglass, so are the days of our lives..

 

9. An unread obituary is like a day without laughter.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if it was remindering her to update her insurance.

[Ieshwar]

The hot wax dripped from the table like blood ripped from the open veins

 

The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed like dried leaves in a park, once attached to the branches and now forgotten.

 

The oars on the boat rowed as if a child scratched his dried wound- over and over again.

 

Working round the clock is like muscles stretched taught over bone. At a time, everything needs to relax!

 

Kevin swallowed the coffee as if the black liquid was a bitter medicine.

 

The waves rolled over the sea with a gentle motion, just like a lover caressing his boyfriend.

 

If I should wake before I die, I’ll hug my close ones, for I on’t know when God might change his decision.

 

Sand in a bottle is like, like an individual in a cell, since both are destined for living at large.

 

An unread obituary is like a forgotten existence.

 

She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if the Lord of Death descended to claim her life.

[Razor]

These are fun, but they'd be ever so much more meaningful if used in context of a story... some just don't make sense stuck all the way out by themselves.

 

Gotta say though, Dom, I loved the really, really, really big waves.

[jalaki]

This makes me want to have some fun with these, so here goes

 

 

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like butter that's only partially congealed as it runs down the face of a four hundred pound Samoan man.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed to be masquerading as a black leather briefcase left there by an unwitting traveler, but only the most astute observers knew the truth.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if a bunch of sweaty half-naked men were pushing them in order to move their watercraft at a high rate of speed.

 

4. The horses, straining against the ropes, pulled the man's limbs like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if this simile has been edited for content.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with the fluidity a bowling ball doesn't have.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, I hope it wasn't just after having a wet dream.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like a bunch of tiny rocks in a hollow glass tube.

 

9. An unread obituary is like a sad movie that goes straight to DVD and is never heard from again.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if it was the last staggering zombie in one of those sci-fi movies where one always lives to start the whole thing over again.

 

 

...Damn, #4 sucked, and I don't really like what I came up with there, but hopefully the rest at least drew a chuckle or two

Edited February 22, 2007 by jalaki

[franticity]

These are fun, and a welcome distraction. Numbers four and nine were especially hard.

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like blood from a small gash.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed like reminders of fortunes lost.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if guided by some unseen force, pushing them further into the darkness.

 

4. Pulled down tightly to below his ears, the hat felt like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if he already knew how soon the events would unfold.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with all the grace of a crippled old man jogging.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, I'll be satisfied, knowing that it is finally over.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like trying to capture the essence of a hotel in the bottles of shampoo that you steal.

 

9. An unread obituary is like an unopened letter: you'll never know just what it said.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if it were a tiger, toying with it's prey.

Edited April 3, 2007 by franticity

[The Reaper]

Id figure id try this out out since its right up my ally.

 

hehe.........up my ally.

 

 

 

The hot was dripped from the table like the first droplet of water falling off the end of an icicle in the dead of spring.

 

The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed to look like the depleting luck of an old merchant searching for a cause.

 

The oars of the boat rowed as if the ghost of old Tom Joad road them to the ends of the tracks.

 

The brothers old, patched up, hand-me-down jacket fit like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

Kevin swallowed the coffee as if..........i cant answer this one lmao.

 

The waves rolled over the sea, barreling down upon the kissing boys ever so gently, as if Triton didnt want to disturb them.

 

If i should wake before i die, i only will plead god to see in his heart to give me yet another chance with you.

 

Sand in a bottle is just another day passing me by as i lie here to die in the hot summers wind.

 

An unread obituary is the most dreadful of all the heart piercing spears of life.

 

She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if if was being sucked towards her imminent demise.

 

 

 

and yes i do know that i took the word \"like\" out of number 8. I didnt like it there LMAO.

[JayScott]

Metaphors and similes are frequently used in writing fiction for description purposes, and most of the time, I don

[Kanaye]

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like molassas, thick and slow.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed lonesome, as if they were waiting paitently to be claimed.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if a dragon from hell chased after them.

 

4. The fluidity of his movements with a deadly blade is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it were soda, burning the roof of his mouth.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with her, her body lighty floating through the water.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, save a glass of our favorite wine to celebrate these past 46 years together.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like, tiny grains of time, just waiting to be released.

 

9. An unread obituary is like a dream you couldn't complete before waking up.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if she had forseen this very event many times before.

 

I found number 4 to be tough... but I got it.

[Adonelos]

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like the slow anticipation on a date, each slow, silky drop wandering down the hard, tapered length leaving a trail of clear li(ku)uid before gathering as a soft, white puddle.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed tattered, worn showing the harsh hand of life in each frayed edge and ragged rips that fairly shout the disappointment, sadness, and just plain greed as they lay abandoned, unwanted, fluttering in a whirlwind of forgotten hopes and dreams at each desolate, howling wail accompanied by the ear piercing shriek that puts a banshee to shame.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if apart from each other, flashing with loud smacks and splashes, turning from the gentle, elegant fish they could be into a drunkard tossed out onto his arse and flailing about in the muck of the cobblestones while cursing at the ones who had booted him.

 

4. The hook lay just under the jagged fender as the line grew taunt rolling around the pipe and causing the car to lift just a bit... and realizing it is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it was the last, savoring it, the play of his neck and the gentle bob of his adam's apple along with the expression of pure bliss and heavy lidded joy.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with a crashing crescendo, someone's six year old child having gotten at the cymbals.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, this hope, this dream I have, that those I deem dear be safe and that my passing be uick and painless as hope draws nigh.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like, having the beach where ever you decide to go.

 

9. An unread obituary is like a wallflower waiting for a dance, card empty and lonely, trailed by the damp coils of society and the stiffening rigors of expectations before falling and weeping in some forgotten grotto.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if in disbelief with a grim smile, a final defiant sigh, a small soldier spearing the air with white plums soaring against the thunderous crash of silver that ended in the creaks and groans of the morbid painted in color that turned black in the benign light of the slivered moon.

 

 

I think I really sucked at this one....

[Graeme]

I think I really sucked at this one....

Not at all. One of the points with these writing prompts is to practise skills. You show a great sense of description. If there's a fault, it's that they are too verbose, but that's a personal taste thing. One great SF write, Stephen Donaldson, is extremely verbose with his description, but he's still very popular.

6. The waves rolled over the sea with a crashing crescendo, someone's six year old child having gotten at the cymbals.

Apart from the typo ("as if someone's..."), this is excellent imagery. Everyone knows what a young child is like with cymbals

[S.L. Lewis]

Okay I'm going to try this.

 

1. The hot wax dripped from the table like honey that had been heated in the sun.

 

2. The old lottery tickets on the empty train station seemed as lonely a piece of paper with no words upon it.

 

3. The oars on the boat rowed as if they were waves that were being pulled by the moon.

 

4. The skin on a drum is like muscles stretched taught over bone.

 

5. Kevin swallowed the coffee as if it was going to grow legs and run away from him.

 

6. The waves rolled over the sea with the grace of a ballerina doing her big solo.

 

7. If I should wake before I die, hold me close and sooth my fears of life.

 

8. Sand in a bottle is like, thoughts in a mind; always shifting and moving, captured until you open it and let them pour forth

 

9. An unread obituary is like a thought that was thought but never noticed.

 

10. She watched the car rolling towards her from the wreckage as if it was a creature meant to devor her soul and heart.

 

And apparently I get creative when I don't have any sleep for nearly 24 hours due to a cold....