Device Guide

The 13 moves a writer can make. Learn to spot each one — then try the Figure Detective.

Compares two things using the bridge words “like” or “as.”

“Her smile was as bright as the sun.”

Says one thing IS another — no “like” or “as.”

“Time is a thief.”

Gives human qualities to something that isn’t human.

“The wind whispered through the trees.”

A phrase whose real meaning isn’t its literal words.

“It’s raining cats and dogs.”

A deliberate, over-the-top exaggeration for effect.

“I’ve told you a million times.”

A reference to a known story, person, or event.

“He was a real Romeo.”

An extended comparison that explains by parallel.

“A pencil is to a writer as a brush is to a painter.”

A whole story whose surface stands for a deeper meaning.

A fable of ants and grasshoppers about hard work.

An object that stands for a bigger idea.

A dove standing for peace.

Sensory language that paints a picture in your mind.

“The crisp autumn air smelled of cinnamon.”

Saying or meaning the opposite of what happens.

“A fire station burns down.”

A word that imitates the sound it names.

“The bacon sizzled in the pan.”

Repeated beginning consonant sounds in a row.

“Peter Piper picked a peck.”