Metaphors
In one of the Indiana Jones movies, Indy has to cross an invisible bridge. I remember being so excited as a kid when I watched him step out into thin air with nothing but his faith to support him.
When writers use metaphors, they take a leap of faith and step out over the chasm that is the space between their soul and the reader’s. They’re saying here, look, this is how I see and feel the world and I bet it’s the same for you. The connection made is a lifeline thrown from one to another. Now there are two – a little team against the big scary ocean of solitude and endless night surrounding us all.
A metaphor is a hand reaching out of the page, ready and willing to grasp yours and run! There are plenty of exciting sights, sounds, ideas and colours in this mythical, magical world. Metaphors are the sprinkles on top of your ice cream – totally unnecessary but nonetheless awesome.
Or perhaps metaphors are necessary for humans to survive like gunpowder or Phillips-head screwdrivers. Why are metaphors necessary for human survival? They’re weapons against suicide, cruelty and unnecessary war. If it weren’t for metaphors, who’s to say we wouldn’t all be in a ditch somewhere covered in petrol and burned to a crisp?
