How to sound awesome without using Wolfspeak

[FoxiePlushie]

Hello everyone!  As creative people and lovers of writing, we have the urge to create beautiful and unique posts. However, sometimes we lack the tools and the knowledge to do so. Thus, so many of us take to overdone cliches, terrible examples, and wolfspeak. But never fear! For today I am here to give you a whole arsenal of affective tools that are guaranteed to make you not only a better writer, but a beautiful one.

*Disclaimer* I hope you guys realize that I am not trying to bash wolfspeak here. You can roleplay however you want. This is just a tutorial for people who want to write without using wolfspeak because they may feel that it is overdone and/or cliche. Even if you do use wolfspeak, I encourage you to look at this. You may just get some good ideas while furthering your knowledge of the English language.

This tutorial aims to provide a unique perspective on roleplaying and writing in general. Though some of the topics covered here can seem a bit advanced, I've hopefully reduced them down enough to where even newbies can understand. If you correctly apply any one of these suggestions to your writing, I can guarantee that you will see a difference. Though it maybe slow and hard at first, with practice, these methods will become almost second-hand to you.

This tutorial will consist of three things to enrich your writing and three things to avoid in your writing. As similes and metaphors are similar, they will be explained together. I will most likely do the same with cliches and repetitiveness.

On today's menu:

Similes
Metaphors
Variation

Things to avoid:

Cliches
Repetitiveness
To-be Verbs

Please note: If you think that grammar and proper spelling are the only things needed to be a good writer, then you are terribly wrong and need to go and read some Mark Twain. If you have read him and still think that grammar and spelling are the only things needed, then I want you to leave and never write again. Thank you.

Feel free to post and questions or comments below.  Ok, here we go.

[FoxiePlushie]

Similes and Metaphors

First off, what is a simile and what is a metaphor? If you have been in school long enough, you should have an idea what they are, but just as a refresher...

A simile is a comparison between two things by using the words "like" or "as"
ex. Leon was as tall as a mountain. The words being compared? Leon and mountain.
ex. Like a frothing maelstrom, Kita's rage boiled over. The words being  compared? Rage and maelstrom.

A metaphor is a comparison between two things without using the words "like" or "as"
or a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract. (also without "like" or "as")
ex. The sea of grass waved to and fro. The words being compared? Sea and grass.
ex. As the wolf quivered in fear, the black sky roared in anger before beating the earth with a barrage of heavy rain. Here, there is nothing being directly compared, but the sky has been given human qualities and can be imagined as a great, angry man.

As can be seen by their definitions, these two figures of speech are very similar, but have important and distinct differences in regards towards your use of them.

A simile is often a simple and easy way to describe something in a unique and vivid perspective. It is the quickest to make up and use. They are flexible and can easily be added on to with extra adjectives and adverbs. However, they can quickly become cliche, repetitive, and over-used.

A metaphor is a more abstract comparison that is not always obvious. In other forms of literature, it is often developed as a theme over a long period of time. Since it is implied and hidden, it is hard to use in our fast-paced roleplay. However, once mastered, you can use it to create some astonishing imagery that is not always available with similes. Please note that these can also fall into cliches.

As with all things, these two figures of speech will take time and practice in order to fully master them. My advice to you is to read more and practice as much as you can. Be creative in your comparisons as you write! If you want to give the impression that your character is tall and graceful, then compare them to a willow tree. Is your character's coat earth toned? Compare it to mud or sand! There are endless possibilities when coming up with ways to describe your character or the things going on around you. There is no direct way to teach you all of them, so trial and error is a must. However I do have some quick tips and links for you:

Sometimes simplicity is best. If you notice that you are getting too wordy, start toning it back. If you are running out of ideas or are looking cliche, stop. A good rule of thumb is that if you can state it better with a simple adjective or adverb, then do so.

Keep the comparisons relative to your character. If you character is small and timid, don't compare it to an earthquake. This should be common sense.

If you are the humorous type, (I know I am) you can use similes to get some great laughs. I find the most effective way is to describe something that is often undesirable in a pompous and overdone matter to emphasis just how ridiculous it is.

When roleplaying a wild animal, it is best to keep comparisons relative to your character's knowledge. For example, it would be ridiculous to compare someone to a ballerina because animals don't know what a ballerina is! A good rule of thumb is to stick to elements of nature. Things like wind, thunderstorms, and earthquakes are always good for comparison, especially in the case of animals.

Don't be afraid to be creative. It's wonderful if there is a particular image that you want to emphasis, but don't be afraid to think outside the box! Even if your comparison seems ridiculous or silly, use it to bring humor into the rp and lighten up your posts!

For a more in depth look at similes and metaphors, click on these links:
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/what-is-the-difference-between-metaphor-and-simile/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/687/05/
http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/similemetaphor1.htm

[FoxiePlushie]

Coming soon to a theater near you: Using sentence and word variation

[FoxiePlushie]

Next up: Cliches and Repetitiveness, why they kill.

[FoxiePlushie]

And finally: To-be verbs. What they are and why they don't work.