A simile also compares two things, people, or places, but adds the word "like" or "as." For example, "My brother is like a pig." "My brother is as lazy as a pig." In other words, if you say, "Your lips are roses," you are using a metaphor. If you say, "Your lips are like roses," then you are using a simile.

To generate metaphors and similes, it helps to think of your five senses.

1. 1. Sight
      

   2. Smell
      

   3. Touch
      

   4. Sound
      

   5. Taste
      

2. 
   

Here is an example of a description that includes all five senses. Notice which sentences talk about what the fish looked like, smelled like, felt like, sounded like, and tasted like:

"When I was at the beach, I found a dead fish. It was about a foot long. Its mouth was open, an eternal yawn, and it had lots of little teeth, like my grandfather's saw. The fish smelled like our garbage can or the dead mouse my dad kept forgetting to throw away. I touched the scales. They were not slimy at all, more cold and slick like my new bracelet. The beach was noisy that day because waves hit the sand about every 10 seconds. My mom didn't want me to, but I licked the fish. It tasted like a drop of sweat."

Avoid Cliches

A cliche is an overused metaphor or simile. For example, "cold as a witch's tit"; "as cold as ice"; "chills went down my spine"; "I'm here 24/7," and so on.

Avoid cliches because they essentially tell your reader that you're not very original and that you can't think for yourself. They have also lost their power to describe.