It depends on your style, I think, whether you can fit in metaphors or not, too - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There are places where I'd love to put metaphors but can't, because it doesn't fit the prose. But I've deliberately developed a fairly lyrical style so that I can use them, because I love them. A really good metaphor is so much fun for me.

Poor Erik - I really have put him into the emotional blender XD