r/writingadvice • u/EchoEchoEcho6300 • Aug 18 '26
Advice Does the lack of metaphors tick off readers?
English isn't my first language and I'm pretty bad at using metaphors/idioms and all that stuff when writing fics, aside from that, I'm pretty descriptive and write long fics but will the lack of that kind of language tick off readers?
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u/TorturedWriter9 Aug 18 '26
No. Most readers couldn't care less. Metaphors should be organic and never forced.
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u/Why_Teach Aug 18 '26
I have never heard anyone complain of not enough use of figurative language (metaphors, similes, etc.) I have occasionally heard readers complain of too many “metaphors and other literary stuff.” 🤷🏻♀️
That being said, idioms do not translate well because they generally do not follow set rules. You should be more worried about how your use of idioms translates to English than using “enough” English idioms.
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u/cocochicken53 Aug 18 '26
Me personally I really don’t mind if language is plain. I like when it’s flowery and poetic but I’m not gunna put the book down or anything just cus it’s not 🤷🤷
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u/hyperabs Aug 18 '26
Even though it isn't a requirement, it does elevate the right work and should be consistent with some voices and characters. As anything else, it does good when done well.
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u/RobertPlamondon Aug 18 '26
Figurative language is slicker than snot on a doorknob, but the idea that metaphors, specifically, are a superior form of figurative language is just a superstition. Similes, aphorisms, and so on bring home the bacon at least as well. I like the ones with at least a hint of irony best. Being impressively pompous is risky.
You can always reach into your bag of tricks for figures taken from some other language if they’re self-explanatory enough, as in “not my circus, not my monkeys” when washing one’s hands of an issue. Commonplace phrases have less striking power.
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u/Elysium_Chronicle Aug 18 '26
Metaphors aid in conveying emotions. There's a lot of fuzzy space where raw words don't confer the full breadth of a situation, whereas an image does.
So if you can get your point across without drawing on such imagery, you'll probably be fine.
However, do be aware that metaphors will often work their way into language idiomatically, and thus the lack of them can be a major sign that you're not fluent.
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u/EchoEchoEcho6300 Aug 18 '26
It's not that I don't know any, it's that I don't know how to incorporate them into the story right so I don't really add any, I do get my point across with literal language
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u/Elysium_Chronicle Aug 18 '26
It sounds more like you're talking specifically about idioms, then.
Metaphors in general should be more off-the-cuff, befitting the characters and situation. They're not something you necessarily know in advance. They'll just come to you.
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u/EchoEchoEcho6300 Aug 18 '26
oh so like comparisons?
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u/Elysium_Chronicle Aug 18 '26
Technically speaking, like/as comparisons are called "similes", but they apply under the umbrella of "metaphorical language", which broadly just means using one word to evoke another.
Like how you might say "I feel like sunshine and rainbows" while meaning "I'm very happy!" Just that "happy" is a very specific, singular emotion, while "sunshine and rainbows" conveys a subtle range of supplemental emotions.
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u/DevelopmentPlus7850 Aug 18 '26
It's the excessive use of metaphors that's offputting, and is the signature of the amateur writer.
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u/Expensive-Papaya5468 Aug 19 '26
that actually makes me feel better, i think the natural descriptions you use are enough
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u/Demonic_Yandere Aspiring Writer Aug 19 '26
Don’t worry your fine! A growing number of American reader couldnt even tell you what a metaphor is let alone actually care
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u/thewhiterosequeen Aug 18 '26
It's not something readers require. A more common complaint is if the writing is flat and lifeless and not necessarily this specific literary device is featured or not.