Symbolism in Your Writing: Why You Need It and How To Use It
Are you stuck trying to “show not tell” another idea or emotion?
Do you seek a creative way to blend art within your story?
No need to worry!
There is a way to tackle all of this — through symbolism.
Symbolism is the use of an object, color, character or abstract idea to portray meaning.
This concept is littered throughout literature, film and basically any art form that exists today.
The music you listened to on your way into the office is filled with symbols.
The jewelry you are wearing holds a symbol or is symbolic to you in some form.
Even the color of your nail polish is a symbol, or at the very least the silly name of its color uses symbolism. “Rudolph Nose Red” and “Atlantis Blue”…gotta appreciate that OPI wit!
Humans love to create meaning and connection within everything in life, and reading is no different. Give your readers the symbolism they seek and allow it to open your writing to new creative lengths.
You need it.
How Symbolism Helps
1. It helps readers connect.
Symbols can be used to assist and connect ideas or concepts.
Let’s face it, sometimes you don’t want to directly state a concept, that can get pretty boring for you as the writer and create trite content for the reader.
Have some fun and help your readers visualize complex concepts and follow central themes in a more imaginative way.
For example, perhaps your character just went through a breakup fight late one night and wakes up ready for a fresh start.
You can plainly say, “Sarah woke up ready for a fresh start.”
Or, you can create a fresh start through the use of symbols like a sunrise, clean sheets on a bed and a blank piece of paper to be written in.
“Sarah woke uncharacteristically with the sun that morning. The smell of coffee had yet to fill the room. One layer at a time she stripped her sheets and remade the bed. Nestled above the fresh white linen she opened her journal to…
