So I want to write a character who randomly 'blinks out' and spouts something seemingly nonsensical, but it also has meaning. I've found that one of the best ways to do this is with Rhymes, but not just ANY rhyme will do. Here's an example of the kind of Rhyme I'm after. "A Man is made by their deeds, a Lilly that festers smells far worse than weeds." I might cheat and look up similar Rhymes online. (assuming I can figure out what those types of Rhymes are called) But I want to come up with some of my own too. Anyone know the 'trick' to these kinds of Rhymes? There's one about sailors and the ocean and not fearing it but I forget the actual words. And I think I'm gonna need a lot more than two.
aphorisms don't have to rhyme, but I think that's the word you're looking for. Epigrams are similar, but their chief characteristic is wit. be clever? I'm not sure there is a trick.
I guess the trick would be to figure out what meaning you want to convey with the aphorism. It's probably not rocket science though, maybe I'll have to look into a few of them and see if I notice a pattern.
The old trick folks like Nietzsche used for aphorisms is to write and edit a lot. You find a witty sharp thought and then keep going over it until the word selection is perfect. Ockham’s razor it- do not multiply entities beyond necessity (in this case, add no more words than you need, but don’t remove so many that you lose the charm in what you are saying). See Emile Cioran, Heraclitus and Nietzsche for good examples. See Facebook feelgood memes and slogans on bits of driftwood for kitchens for bad examples.
