The stars sparkled in the night sky like shards of glass dropped into a deep lake...
She grinned like an impish fairy bent on mischief...
His eyebrows shot up as suddenly as a gunshot...
To put it simply, similes are a comparison. Words that help identify similes are 'like' (in my first two examples) and 'as' (in my last example). With comparing something to a striking image, such as shards of glass or a mischievous fairy or a thunderclap, you strengthen the picture your reader will see inside their head.
Used with wisdom, similes are a huge compliment to skillful writing. They add depth and help the reader to see the action, scene, or character more clearly. However, like many things, there are notes of caution. Two notes of caution, to be precise.
1. Many similes are cliched. If you use a worn-and-weary simile such as 'Her love was like a rose' or 'It struck him like a thunderclap', you will be using phrases that have been so used that they no longer have meaning. That defeats the whole purpose of similes.
2. Too many similes clog up writing. Don't go crazy with the similes, please. If you have them in every other sentence the actual story will begin to get buried under descriptions, and your reader will begin to get very confused. An example of a passage with too many similes (and metaphors, which are very similar) is one of the beginning parts in Fahrenheit 451.
Similes are like jewelry. When they cover the entire person they become irritating and distracting, but when they're tasteful and well-placed they're absolutely stunning.
Yours without wax,
Izori
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