Physical Description
Similes are manna from heaven for writers when it comes to conveying a specific and precise visual image of a character. And when it comes to precision, this description voiced in dialogue by a character in the story “Coney Island” is about as specific as it gets:
“Charlotte’s elbows were pointy, like a hard lemon.”
Idiosyncrasies
Similes are also quite handy for the point of comparison and contrast. A precise comparison to create a specific contrast can is especially effective for lending a character a very distinct and idiosyncratic taste:
“A teenage girl with short hair and triangle-shaped earrings walked by, averting her eyes as if she knew he’d stare after her. He didn’t; only the earrings that caught the light like mirrors interested him.”
The Weird
The comparative simile is also a great place for the writer who just wants to test the limits of the imagination of comparison offered by metaphorical imagery. This can be a subtly efficient way of conveying the character of a first-person narrator, but in the absence of that perspective, it perhaps gives a little insight into the daily life experiences of the author:
“It was a crazy, humiliating moment—as unexpected as a rude guest picking through your laundry hamper to see what kind of underwear you wore.”
Hey, Rhode Islanders, No Offense
A pithy comparison can transform a simple declarative situation of setting into something immediately more memorable. Or even, on occasion, offensive, perhaps, to some, depending upon the place they call home:
“Where she lived—their part of Providence, Rhode Island—was as grim and dark as an underground labyrinth.”
Referential Metaphors
Metaphorical imagery that depends upon a pop culture reference is tricky. If the reader isn’t familiar with the subject being references, the entire structure of the comparison falls apart. On the other hand, if the subject is understood by the reader, the power of the metaphor is intensified:
“A glass swan he had bought in Atlantic City was glued to the dashboard. It was a prism, and in the day light shot through it and threw colors all over the interior. Sitting in the front seat was like reclining in a Jackson Pollock painting.”
