📝 Weekly Prompt: Verb-Driven Metaphors
A new writing prompt inviting you to use metaphors to bring a scene to life.
Use this prompt as an entry point into our May contest theme: Verb Your Enthusiasm.
📝 WEEKLY PROMPT
Write a scene (any genre, up to 1,000 words) where the world feels alive through verb-driven metaphors. Include at least three verb-driven metaphors in your piece.
This weekly companion prompt is free and open to everyone. No submission required.
Keep reading for an editorial note and guidance from our guest judge, Sarah L. Kaufman.
Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
A Note from Sarah L. Kaufman
“Metaphors do more than illustrate. With a strong subject and verb they can turn abstract concepts into fleshy, vigorous things we see and feel.” –Verb Your Enthusiasm
The metaphorical actions of the natural world can foreshadow events and heighten your story’s theme. Lively verbs can help you intensify the spirit of a scene; you might think of setting specific elements in motion, and imbuing them with drama. If a garden party is about to turn tragic, for example, hellebores that shiver or willows that whip in the wind can hint at danger and build suspense.
The more specific the verbs and other details are, the more your readers can see, smell and feel your setting. We have such a rich treasury of verbs in the English language, which gives us endless ways to convey subtle shades of mood and manner in even the smallest actions. A wet evening takes on richness and character when verbs describe the play of moonlight and mist. Choose positive or negative verbs depending on the tone you wish to strike and what your imagination calls forth.
This month’s contest and accompanying prompts are inspired by Sarah’s latest book, Verb Your Enthusiasm.
✍️ Write with us daily at Writers’ Hour
Work on this week’s prompt at Writers’ Hour—our daily silent writing sprints. It’s the perfect environment to focus, share space with other writers, and make progress on your writing. Craving craft insights and a creative community? Explore Membership.
🔒 Enter the May Contest:
Paid subscribers and LWS members: Ready to submit your contest entry? Read more below.
If you’d like to enter this month, upgrade now—you’ll unlock the submission link instantly.
How to Enter the May Contest:
Read more about this month’s contest, or submit your entry now: