Ways to Use Figurative Language in Writing

Ways to Use Figurative Language in WritingWays to Use Figurative Language in WritingFigurative language, also called a figure of speech, isa word or phrase that departs from literal language to express comparison, add emphasis or clarity, or make the writing more interesting with the addition of color or freshness. Metaphors and similesare the two most commonly used figures of speech, but hyperbole,synecdoche, and personification are also figures of speech that are in a good writers toolbox. A metaphor compares two things by suggesting that one thing is anotzu sich The United States is a melting pot.A simile compares two things by saying that one thing is like another My love is like a red, red rose.Hyperbole is a gestalt of exaggeration I would die without you.Synecdoche is a literary device that uses the part to refer to the whole The crown has declared war rather than The king (or the government) has declared war.Personification involves giving non-living things the attributes of a living thing The car is feeling cranky today. Figurative language enhances your fiction if its used competently and can be an economical way of getting an image or a point across. But if its used incorrectly, figurative language can be confusing or downright silly a true mark of an amateur writer. Figurative language can also be described as rhetorical figures ormetaphorical language whichever term you use, these are called literary devices. Why Figurative Language Is Important to Good Writing Figurative language can transform ordinary descriptions into evocative events, enhance the emotional significance of passages and turn prose into a form of poetry. It can also help the reader to understand the underlying symbolism of a scene or more fully recognize a literary theme. Figurative language in the hands of a talented writer is one of the tools that turn ordinary writing into literature. How to Use Figurative Language Effectively There is no one right way to use figurati ve language. That said, there are many ways to use figurative language poorly. Bear a few rules in mind when use metaphors, similes, and other literary devices Always know why you are using figurative language. Why say our love is dead rather than I dont love you anymore? Does the expression sound right in your characters mouth? Does it fit your tone and style? If not, dont use it.Choose your figures of speech carefully. Yes, you can write her beauty hit me in the eye like a squirt of juice from a grapefruit, but how would such a simile enhance your fiction or expand upon the meaning of your work? Perhaps you have a character with serious communication issues for whom it would be appropriate otherwise, skip it. Use figurative language sparingly. A paragraph that is loaded with similes and metaphors can be dense and difficult to understand. Select the figures of speech that serve your purpose (enhancing mood, meaning or theme), but dont use figurative language simply because you can. If you are using figurative language as dialogue, be sure it is appropriate for that character. Avoid putting flowery phrases into the mouths of characters who speak plainly. One very good way to explore figurative language is to read it as written by some of the great literary figures. As you pick up a book by Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway or Thomas Wolfe, for instance, use a highlighter to mark how these writers used different forms of figurative language and note how it ?fits with their writing style as a whole. This technique will help you to understand how and why it is used and learn how to better integrate it into your own writing.

Stop Looking for a Job

Stop Looking for a JobStop Looking for a JobThe best way to get a job is to connect with people outside of your need for a job.The best way to get a job is to not look for one. Does that idea sound crazy? Its true, and Ive shared it with my clients for years.That doesnt mean sit on your backside eating bonbons watching reality shows. It simply means its critical to find reasons to meet with people outside of your need for a job.Take a case in point. A client of mine welches a high-level, VP-marketing type. We had completed his preliminary career inventory work so he understood his unique value and patterns of success we even branded him in an authentic yet catchy way. He proceeded to knock on back doors the way he had been taught - to research and relationship-build. Yet he still allowed survival-mode desperation to seep into his conversations. His hints werent overt, but a tone of fear-based neediness limited his results.One day he said, Darrell, through all the introspective work weve done, something has become clear I have entrepreneurism in my blood. My father was an entrepreneur. His father was an entrepreneur. My brothers and sisters are all entrepreneurial. So Ive come to this conclusion To heck with these corporate jobs - Im going to start my own business. He went on to purchase a couple of franchises and was happier than ever.Once he stopped needing a job, interesting events started to occur.Without even pushing, he began receiving calls from folks he had met during his campaign. He also fielded unexpected calls on the resume he had placed in cyberland. With no attachment to landing an interview, he discussed frankly the opportunities people presented to him. In one instance, he told a hiring manager over the phone, In all honesty, the role and compensation youre describing is simply far below anything Id consider, so I dont want to waste your time by getting together. The hiring manager responded that he would be more than willing to come up signifi cantly if he could find someone of such high caliber and basically pleaded with him to come in and meet.He went in and opened some further doors for himself, but thats not the point. What matters is that when he de-desperatized himself - removed all neediness from his conversations and demeanor - the world responded immediately. His internal sense-of-value shift caused an external awareness-of-value shift. He called me to say he finally understood what I had been trying to impart for so many months. Withoutneed glaring through everything he did, and by simply focusing on building authentic relationships, the world was practically begging him to come out and play.A quote from Franz Kafka sums up this principle nicelyYou do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.However, althoug h I believe that whatever we seek is seeking us at the same time, we have to get out and connect with it. No sitting at your table here.The way to stay completely outside the crowd of job seekers is never to enter it - even if you really need a job.Rather than write cover letters saying, in effect, I need a job, or schauplatz up meetings to discuss your need for a job, turn your outreaches into something less me-oriented.How about setting up meetings to explore and get answers on areas of your passionate interest? What about becoming a thought leader in a specific field?Guess what? The folks in jobs right now have to focus on those jobs. So they wont be as up on everything going on in the industry as you could be, with all of your time to research and gather information. What if you became so knowledgeable and informed that people wanted to meet with you to get the skinny on things they are too busy to keep up with themselves? What if you went into meetings bearing gifts (knowledge or information) rather than only because you want something from them (a job)? Do you think it might create a different feel for your meetings?Understand that if you are branded well and fly a flag of who you are when you meet people, you never need to ask for a job. If they see value in you and are attracted to the flag youre flying, they will find whatever they can for you automatically. Simply find reasons to connect and ask for a few minutes. Meet people in a memorable way ( personal brand ) and maintain those relationships to stay top of mind. Youll have so many members of your career net attuned to you that nothing will slip through without your hearing about it.

25 buzzwords that make smart people sound stupid

25 buzzwords that make smart people sound stupid25 buzzwords that make smart people sound stupidAt first, euphemisms surfaced in the workplace to help people deal with touchy subjects that were difficult to talk about. Before long, they morphed into corporate buzzwords that expanded and took over our vocabulary until our everyday conversations started sounding like theyre taking place on another planetListen Ray, I dont have the bandwidth for it with everything thats on my plate, but ping me anyway because at the end of the day its on my radar and I dont want to be thrown under the bus because I didnt circle back around on this no-brainer.I understand the temptation. These phrases are spicy and they make you feel clever (low hanging fruit is a crutch of mine), but they also annoy the heck out of people.If you think that you can use these phrases without consequence, youre kidding yourself. Just pay close attention to how other people react to your using them, and youll see that these phrases dont cast you in a favorable light.After all, TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence of more than a million people and one of the biggest need areas for most people is social awareness. Most of us are so focused on what were saying and what were going to say next that we lose sight of how our words affect other people.So give these words a read, think of how often you use some of them, and see if you can catch yourself before you use them again.Have some fun with it, because at the end of the day if you dont hit the ground running you can always go back to the drawing hauptplatine and get the ball rolling Think outside the boxThrown under the busReinvent the wheelGet the ball rollingNo brainerElephant in the roomApples to applesWin-winBack to the drawing boardHit the ground runningOn my plateAt the end of the dayLow hanging fruitLets touch baseGet my managers blessingIts on my radarPing meI dont have the bandwidthPar for the courseBang for your buckSynergyMove th e goal postCircle back aroundAll hands on deckTake this offlineWhich phrases are your pet peeves? Please share them.Itll also be fun to read the ridiculous sentences you can come up with using the words above.Because, after all, I learn just as much from you as you do from me.Travis Bradberry is the co-author ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the co-founder ofTalentSmart.This column first appeared on LinkedIn.