WRITING TIPS FOR CHILDREN – Similes and Metaphors.
If I had one top writing tip for children it would be to read more! By reading, you will learn from other writers and how they tell their stories, using many different styles of writing. When you are reading, write down similes and metaphors that you come across and like. You can then use them to give you inspiration in your writing. But be sure to make your writing unique and use words of your own.
A great read is Sonya Hartnet’s The Midnight Zoo. It full of exciting and original use of language. I would probably only recommend this book to children of 12 and over and as it is very upsetting in parts. If you are slightly younger, maybe ask an adult to read it first and then read it to you.
It is a harrowing story of two young Romany Gypsy brothers who are carrying a precious bundle and fleeing across a war-ravaged country from Nazi soldiers in WWII. During their flight they stumble across a zoo, which is the only thing that has not been razed to the ground, in the town. The animals, still in their cages, are in need of hope as are the brothers who find them. It’s a haunting story of loss, grief and family. It’s uplifting and heartbreaking all at once.
The reason I have chosen to draw your attention to this book is because I love looking at different writing styles and for inspiration for my students. The instant I opened this book I knew I had found a sparkling jewel. It is brimming with stunning similes and metaphors. Angela Hartnett’s writing style is beautiful and her skillful use of similes and metaphors create vivid pictures in her readers’ minds bringing her writing and the story alive.
Here are some examples:
“Moonlight was tinting the maple leaves white, and draped the grass like a frayed sheet of linen.”
“Darkness was thrown over the village like a sorcerer’s cloak.”
“The scream … flew out the door like a kestrel, soaring up into the rafters.”
Keep a notebook alongside your reading book and look out for creative use of language and write down some sentences and phrases that you like. Could you use adapt them to your own writing style and make them your own?
If you would like to buy a copy of The Midnight Zoo – click here
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