We’ve all read pieces of writing where we have a feeling of deja vu and wonder where we’ve read something similar before. It can be frustrating as a reader to keep reading the same old lines in a book and it’s why writers are always seeking new ways of saying something that has probably been said many times before. They want to avoid clichés and are keen to polish their words until they sparkle. Hasn’t it all been said before, though?
Yes – but each writer is unique with different life experiences, which means they will say something in a way no-one has before. Description is key and this is where similes come in – and if you conjure up the right one, it will bring your writing alive. Hash it up and it will irritate the reader.