Hello, everyone, it's lovely to see you here today.

For this lesson, Emulating Chandler's use of similes in "Trouble is My Business." So Chandler is very well known as a crime writer, but he's also known for creating evocative and unexpected similes.

So today we're going to think about how we construct how Chandler uses similes and then emulate that on our own work.

Now, emulate doesn't mean copy, it means using the tools that we've been given by looking at someone else's work and then applying it to our own work.

That's exactly what we're going to be doing today.

So if you're ready, grab your pen or laptop, whatever you using for this lesson and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to emulate Chandler's use of similes.

So we have five words today that we're going to be using as our keywords.

They've been chosen not only help you unlock the learning, but also to give you some vocabulary to use your discussions in written work.

They've identified in bold throughout the learning material.

And I'll try to point 'em out to as well succeed in being used in context.

Now, first key word is cliche, and that means a phrase or opinion that's overused and betrays the lack of original thought.

We're going to be talking about why we want to avoid cliches and how using Chandler's similes as our starting point might help us avoid them.

Our second keyword is evocative, and that means bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.

We're gonna be discussing how we can use Chandler's examples to create our own similes that create powerful images and emotions for the reader.

Our third keyword is suet, and that means the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle, sheep and other animals.

Now this might feel like an odd keyword, but it's one of the comparative images that Chandler uses.

So I want to make sure we're clear on what it is so we can understand what Chandler is doing with this particular simile.

Our fourth keyword is nuance, which means a very slight difference in appearance, meaning and sound.

We're going to think about how Chandler creates nuance similes and how we might be able to emulate that in our own writing.

Finally, our fifth keyword is emphatic, which means expressing something forcibly and clearly.

So again, we're going to think about how we can use Chandler's examples to create our own clear similes.

So I'll just give you a moment to write down these keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video, write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So we have three learning cycles in our lesson today for our first learning cycle, we're gonna deconstruct two of Chandler's similes, which have been taken from the opening paragraph of "Trouble is My Business." We're going to think about how they create an emphatic and evocative image of the character Anna Halsey.

And then we're going to think about how we might use those ideas to create our own similes.

For our second learning cycle, I'm gonna talk through what our final creative task will be.

I'm going to use a toolkit we create in the first learning cycle, create a plan for two of our own similes.

For the third learning cycle, we're going to use everything we've done in the lesson to create two evocative and emphatic similes.

Now, before we start looking at Chandler's similes, let's just take a moment to reflect on the use of similes because they're a very common form of figurative language.

They're comparison where two unlike things are compared using like or as, we see them in literature all the time, however, they can be quite difficult to craft well.

What I'd like you to start off by thinking about is why it might be difficult to create your own effective simile.

Now, if you're working through this with someone else, you might talk about ideas together.

If you're going through this by yourself, you might just think about ideas.

So pause the video, consider it might be difficult to create effective similes.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see people thinking back to the last creative writing task they did and how they did find it quite difficult to create that simile.

Now, let's take a look at the ideas of two of Oak peoples.

So Laura said, "I think it's because "you have to construct an image.

"that will be evocative for readers, "but it can't be something too obvious." So we want to create a powerful emotional image for the reader, but we don't want to use something we hit all the time 'cause it loses its effect.

As Izzy says, "It's difficult to try to avoid cliches." Now, cliche is one of our keywords.

It means a phrase or opinion that's overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

So for example, when we're trying to think of something to compare the concept of brave to when might immediately go through the idea of a lion, so brave as a lion, 'cause we've heard it so much, it's hard to get out of our heads to really think of something else.

Now let's just take a moment to reflect on cliches and why we might want to avoid them in our writing.

Now an example of a cliched simile might be as busy as a bee.

Now there's a reason this is used so much because it is effective.

I can immediately see the bees working tirelessly, collecting pollen going in and outta their hive.

So it does clearly create the idea of being busy.

However, it's a very common simile.

So what I'd like you to do is think about why you should try to avoid cliched common similes in your writing.

Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

Now, while common similes might be effective in creating an image for the reader, we ideally want to avoid them because as Oak people, Izzy says, "It doesn't show creativity in our imagination "if you use common similes." We want to think about how we can keep progressing our writing and moving it forward.

If we keep using the same ideas and the same images, we're not sharing our own individual ideas.

Now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that we should use common sims in our writing? Pause the video, make your selection now.

Now the correct answer is false.

Now I'd like you to tell me why.

So why should we try to avoid common similes in our writing? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

They might have said that "While common similes might be useful "to evoke an image for the reader.

"They don't show creativity or our imagination "and therefore they should be avoided in our writing." So very well done if you've got those right.

Amazing work so far everyone.

One of the first task of the lesson.

Now, as I said, we're going to use two of Chandler's similes from "Trouble is My business" as our examples.

In order to create a toolkit for writing effective similes that avoid being a cliche.

So for this task, I'd like you to use the examples with your accompanying notes about them to create a toolkit for crafting evocative non cliched similes.

So I'll just take a moment to talk you through it.

So our first example is Chandler's comparison of the character Anna Halsey's face to suet.

Now suet is one of our keywords.

It means the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle, sheep and other animals.

So notes on the simile might be it's a play on soft as butter.

So soft as butter is a common cliche and Chandler has put a twist on the common simile by using another saturated fat, but one with a different texture.

Now in terms of how you might translate that for a toolkit, you might say we can use an existing simile as a starting point to create our own simile.

But add in a different synonym or idea in order to make it more evocative.

Now, we also might say the image of suet with its hard crumbly texture also adds a sensory detail.

So how could we use that going forward? Our second similar example was that Chandler compared Anna Halsey's death to Napoleon's tomb.

Now, in terms of what makes that similarly unique, Chandler's added the extra detail with it with the addition of Napoleon and this creates a particularly evocative image.

'Cause Napoleon's tomb is a real monument in France.

So it creates a really clear image to the reader.

So, pause the video, think about how we might turn those notes about the similes into a toolkit that we can use going forward to create effective similes.

Welcome back everyone.

Now let's talk through him might have translated those notes into a toolkit.

Some in terms of Chandler's first simile of suet, you might have said they could use an existing simile as a starting point.

So think of a common cliche, but then use a synonym or twist on the image not to do something unexpected with it.

And then you might consider only the visual aspect of the comparison, but also other sensory details that might aid it.

So don't just think about what your comparative idea looks like, think about what it smells like, feels like and how that might enhance your comparison.

Now in terms of Chandler's second simile, he describes the colour of Anna Halsey's desk as comparative to Napoleon's tomb.

So he might have said that just as Chandler added the extra detail of Napoleon, we could also add in extra details.

So for example, an adjective to add nuance.

Now, nuance is one of our key words.

It means a very slight difference in appearance, meaning or sound.

So how might we add extra detail to create a difference between our simile and a more common simile? We might also consider comparison to a real place or object in order to create a really clear image for the reader.

So now that we've talked about Chandler's similes, we only have our toolkit.

We're going to use that throughout the rest of the lesson to craft our own similes.

You're all doing really well, everyone.

We're outta the second learning cycle where I'm gonna talk you through our creative task and then you are going to create a plan using our toolkit from the first learning cycle.

So now that we have our toolkit, we need to think about how we can use it going forwards.

So the toolkit we created included to use an existing simile as a starting point to consider not only the visual of the comparison but also other sensory details that might aid it.

To add in an extra detail, so for example, adjective and to consider comparison to a real place or object.

So now we're going to practise how we might use that toolkit in order to create effective similes.

Now for quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is complete the missing details from the toolkit.

So number one, you might use an existing simile as? Number two, consider not only the visual of the comparison, but also other that might aid it.

Number three, add in an extra detail.

For example, consider comparison to a or object.

So pause the video and fill in the gaps now.

Welcome back everyone.

Now the missing details are, use an existing simile as a starting point consider not only the visual of the comparison but also other sensory details that might aid it.

Add in an extra detail, for example an adjective.

Consider comparison to a real place or object.

So very well done if you've got those right.

So we're going to start with a common simile and we're going to think about how we can use our toolkit in order to make it more effective and more original.

So we're going to focus on the common simile as hot as a furnace.

What I'd like you to do is discuss the following questions.

So what could you use instead of furnace to craft something unexpected? Can you think of any synonyms of furnace, for example? And what detail could you add to furnace to add nuance? So are there any adjectives you might be able to use to add to the image of a furnace to create small differences in the meaning? So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

Now let's talk through what you might have said.

So in terms of synonyms of furnace, you might use the words incinerator and kiln.

In terms of adding extra detail, you might add details such as an overworked furnace, a feeble, dilapidated furnace.

So, now we've thought about what dishes or changes we can make.

We're going to think about the differences that those changes might make for the meaning of the simile.

So let's think about the possible impact of our new similes.

Let's just think about the exact definitions of incinerator and kiln first, because while they're synonyms of furnace, they've slightly different functions.

So an incinerator is used for burning waste ash and a kiln is generally used for baking or drying things like pottery or glass.

Now what I'd like you to do is think about what the different connotations are of those words.

So how do they create different ideas or feelings? What might be the significance of picking one over the other to replace furnace? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone, some great discussions there.

Now I'm going to share the ideas of one of oak people's Laura.

So Laura said, "I think incinerator "is just something that destroys "while kiln implies something that transforms or creates.

"Therefore one creates the idea of heat "as something destructive "while the other creates the idea of heat "as a positive transformative source." So hopefully you can see here the choice of synonym has actually impacted the image quite drastically.

And this is something you can keep in mind when creating your own similes just as Chandler chose to use suet over butter to create different meaning.

How can you use synonyms to create a slightly different meaning? Now let's consider the impact of our added detail.

So we created the following extended images, an overworked furnace, a feeble dilapidated furnace.

What I'd like you to think about is what are the differences in the level of heat these added details suggest? So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see people noticing that overworked might create a sense of frustration, anger, which also adds more meaning to our simile.

Now I'm gonna share with you the ideas of one of our oak people's Izzy.

So Izzy said, "Overworked implies the furnace "is in constant use and therefore it suggests "an extreme potentially unsafe heat.

"While feeble implies it doesn't have a lot of power "and therefore the heat isn't powerful." So again, hopefully you can see here adding extra detail can add nuance and even change the meaning of your similes.

Now for a quick check for understanding, so which of the following similes creates the impression of fire as a positive transformative power.

Is it A, as hot as a furnace? B as hot as a kiln? Or C, as hot as an incinerator? Pause the video and make your selection now.

The correct answer is B, as hot as a kiln because a kiln is generally used for baking or drying things such as poultry or glass.

So therefore we might see it as creating something new and therefore as a positive transformative power.

So very well done if you got that right.

Now for another quick check for understanding before we move on to our second task of the lesson.

So what I'd like you to tell me, is whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false? An overworked furnace creates the impression of extreme heat.

Pause the video, make a selection now.

The correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you to tell me why.

So why does an overworked furnace create the impression of extreme heat? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

They might have said that, "Overworked implies the furnace is in constant use "and therefore implies to us an extreme "potentially unsafe heat." So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work everyone.

We're now at the second task of the lesson where we are going to plan our two similes.

We're going to use this image of a woman as our inspiration.

Now with Chandler's similes, it can be the compassion of the character to suet and our desk to tune 'cause a cold tough impression of the character.

Here we want to create a warm, welcoming impression.

Now I've chosen this specifically because for me personally, I think positive similes are harder to create than negative similes.

In terms of avoiding cliches and being original.

Now, in order to emulate Chandler's similes, we want to consider what we compare to.

So Chandler compared Anna Halsey's face to suet.

We also want to consider what we compare to an object near her.

So Chandler compared Anna Halsey's desk to a tomb.

What are you gonna choose in this image to compare? So in order to plan our similes, we might ask the following questions, what about her might you zoom in on? What might you compare to her to create the impression of her as warm and welcoming? What object near her might you zoom in on? What can you compare the object to? To create the impression that she's warm and welcoming? So pause the video and answer the questions to create your plan.

Welcome back everyone, some fantastic ideas there.

Now I'm just going to share with you the ideas of one of our Oak people's Izzy, and I'd like you to consider how well they align with your ideas.

So in terms of what about her, you might zoom in on, Izzy's head to eyes.

In terms of what you might compare to her to create the impression of her as warm and welcoming.

Izzy said "Heliot's chariot." What object near her might you zoom in on? Izzy said her gloves.

And what could you compare the object to to create the impression she's warm and welcoming? Izzy said a baked sponge.

So pause the video.

Consider how well Izzy's ideas align with your ideas.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see that some people had completely different ideas to Izzy and that's great 'cause it shows that we're thinking about how we can avoid cliches to create original effective similes.

Amazing work everyone.

We're now into our third learning cycle, but we're going to use our plans to write two similes.

So before we begin our writing, let's just remind ourselves the purpose of a simile.

So a writer might use a similarly to make an ideal concept more emphatic for the reader.

Now emphatic is one of our keywords.

It means expressing something forcibly and clearly.

So how can make an image or concept clearer to the reader through our comparison? We might also use it to create an evocative image.

Now, evocative is another of our keywords.

It means bringing powerful images or emotions to mind.

So how can we use our comparison to create a strong emotional reaction in the reader? Therefore, you should always keep in mind you're trying to tell the reader something through this comparative description.

So now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that the purpose of a simile is to convey an image or a concept? Pause the video, make a selection now.

The correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you to tell me why it's true.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

You might have said that writers might use similes to create an evocative image for the reader or to convey a concept in an emphatic way.

So writers use similes to convey a powerful emotional image or a clear idea of an image or concept to the reader.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work everyone.

We're now at the final task of the lesson.

We're going to use our plan and everything we've talked about in this lesson to write two similes to describe this woman as warm and welcoming.

Now, when you're writing a simile, remember to potentially use an existing simile as your starting point.

So for example, soft as butter and now Chandler changed that to suet.

'Cause they are not only the visual aspects, but also other sensory details.

So how does your comparative idea or object feel or smell for example? How does that add to the idea of the woman as warm and welcoming? You might also consider adding an extra detail or adjective to your simile.

So for example, how Chandler added Napoleon to tomb for extra nuance.

What adjective might you add to create a sense of warmth? Pause the video, create your similes now.

Fantastic work everyone.

Now I shared Izzy's plan with you earlier and I'm gonna share her completed similes now.

So Izzy's completed similes are, her eyes were as warm as Helios' chariot.

Her gloves were as soft and light as a freshly baked sponge.

What I'd like you to do is 'cause the weather you think Izzy's similes are effective.

Why or why not? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see people thinking about how just reading the words freshly baked sponge immediately conjures the memory of the smell of freshly baked goods.

What a pleasant that is.

So, I'm now gonna share with you Izzy's justification for her similes.

Izzy said, "I wanted to evoke the same warmth of sunshine." Through the simile, her eyes were as warm as Helios' chariot.

"So I chose one of the sun gods "to emphasise the power of her warmth.

"Furthermore, I chose his chariot "because of the warmth that would be generated "from its movement across the sky." In terms of her second simile, "I wanted to evoke the idea of something delicate and soft." So she used her gloves, were soft and light as a freshly baked sponge.

"But I also wanted to add in the sensory idea "of something that smells welcoming "and has connotations of hospitality "through the idea of the cake and sponge." Now I'd like you to consider whether Izzy's justification changed her perception of her similes.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see people recognising the nuance behind Izzy's choice of chariot.

Because like the idea of the overweight furnace we talked about earlier, it adds an extra sense of heat and warmth to the image.

So, now I'd like you to read back over your similes and write a justification for why you chose the similes you did.

So pause the video, write your justification now.

Welcome back everyone.

I think it's a really useful exercise to look back over your creative writing and try to think about why you chose that particular image.

'Cause it really helps us to zoom in on what our intentions were and what we were trying to evoke in the reader.

And now hopefully you can use these ideas and the toolkit to help you create similes in any piece of creating writing that you do going forward.

Fantastic work today everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

In order to emulate Chandler's use of similes, we might use an existing simile as a starting point.

So for example, Chandler may have started with as soft as butter.

Then we might use a synonym or antonym of the existing comparative word to create something unexpected.

So Chandler swaped up butter for suet, which is technically still saturated fat, but has different connotations.

As well as the visual, we might think of the connotations of the comparative word to add layers of meaning.

So for example, we had to have incinerator and kiln have different connotations and those create very different ideas of heat.

Moreover, we might consider adding extra detail to our comparative image to add further nuance.

So we looked at how the addition of overworked or feeble again makes a big difference in terms of our perception of the heat from the furnace.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone, and hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.