Description and Simile

Sometimes figuring out how to describe something is like a hound dog looking for a scent that isn't there. Or, wait, better: Like looking for a book on Quaker sports legends. No, no, no... damn it! It's like watching a dog try and poop a peach pit. Argh! No. It's like watching a young woman with honey brown hair, beautiful features, like on a blue ribbon pie, trying to pick the right bachelor on reality TV.

Screw it.

Sometimes, simile and description are really hard because many writers try to do it in the moment, as they write, rather than with a thought out strategy to support them when it gets hard during the drafting or when they are revising and know the word or words they're using just suck, but the brain goes blank and can only come up with cliche and platitude.

Ugh.

There's a way around this. When I read, especially if in Kindle or another device that allows me to mark words and passages, I will mark words, descriptions and similes that I think work well. And, when I am out and hear someone say something interesting I will jot it down or if I come up with an idea after seeing something or someone unique.

Quick note: I'm not a big fan of simile. It rarely works well in dramatic scenes and seems to only be good for comedic effect, mostly unintentional.

Anyway, I mark words and descriptions that I like and then put them in OneNote so they are available no matter what device I'm working on. So I have a tab labeled Physical Traits There are Pages that begin with General Advice for when I get good advice and then alphabetically there are pages that start with Arms, Breast/Chest, children, drinking, on to lips, mouths, etc. Every category I can think of. 

Each of these has the few words or word I found so that when I am writing and get stuck I can use these ideas as inspiration.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I DO NOT STEAL. Use other people's writing, creativity and unique idiosyncrasies as inspiration and a platform to leap from, but do not use other people's writing. TROUBLE THIS WAY COMES.