Symbolism in Writing

As promised several weeks ago, I'm sharing some notes from the class I taught in Maryland--"Beyond the Basics: Five Ways to Bring Your Writing to the Next Level."

Symbolism is one of my favorite ways to enhance a story. Symbols can convey complex ideas with few words--a great way to "show" instead of "tell."

Symbolism adds another layer, deepens the writer's theme, bypassing the conscious mind of the reader going straight to her emotional core. While some people will not "get" the symbolism, the good thing is that it won't interfere with those particular readers' appreciation of the story. Yet for those who do understand the symbolism, the story is much, much richer.

There are three types of symbols:

• Common symbols, which are those most people understand--think red means anger or a ring fidelity.
• Uncommon symbols, those most people don't understand. The language of flowers comes to mind, popular in Victorian times. If you use symbols like these, you'll have to give the reader hints in order for him to understand.
• Story symbols, which the writer creates in her story. Though not readily apparent, if the writer sets it up correctly, these can be quite powerful. A story symbol that comes to mind is from It's a Wonderful Life when George Bailey is tired from working so hard and he goes to climb the stairs and the top of the banister wobbles loose in his hand. The banister top symbolizes everything about his life that frustrates him.  

So how can the average writer incorporate more symbolism in his writing? Using small details works well, such as the colors your character wears or maybe giving the character an action, like repeatedly washing her hands to show guilt. Or what about the vehicle your character drives? In a recent novel I edited, the main character, in the middle of two investigations and dealing with the death of her husband, heads off to her mountain retreat home to do some soul searching. Her vehicle--a Pathfinder.

So why go to all this trouble? Symbolism often ties the whole work together. It's a great tool for enhancing and clarifying your story theme.

Try it!

Next in the series--Tension. (With a capital T on purpose.)

Thoughts on editing your writing...

I saw this image on Facebook and just had to steal it. It's so accurate. This is me when I'm rereading things I've written: Meh. Bleh. Gah. Wait, I wrote that? That was pretty good. Nope, that sucks. Ugh. This. All. Sucks. What ever made me think I could write???

Yeah, we've all been there. You write something brilliant one night. In the cold light of morning, you hate it. Or maybe, in the cold light of morning, you don't even look at what you wrote last night. Instead, you forge ahead, churning out words as fast as your fingers can reach the keys. Good. Good. Keep going.

Whatever your process, if you've gotten as far as a first draft of anything--be it flash fiction, short story, novel, poem, essay, at some point, you're going to have to edit it. You have to get to the second draft, third, fourth... well, there can be many, depending on what you're working on. Doesn't matter how long you've been writing, whether this is your first first draft or your tenth or your fiftieth, it'll benefit from some revision.

Dr. Seuss said, "So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads."

You--as author--need all those words in the beginning. So....take Colette's advice and "Put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it."

Because, as author Shannon Hale says, "I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles."

But...face it, eventually, you have to "Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings," as Stephen King advises.

If this seems a little daunting, take heart. As I've written this post, I've backspaced out nearly as many words as I've typed. Remember, "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." Thank you, Richard Bach.

Because "Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear," according to Patricia Fuller.

In my experience, the more I write, the more I have to revise, and the more I revise, the better it gets. Up to a point, of course. On the flip side, you can edit a piece to death, stomping all the initial exuberance and life out of it. I know this is true, and Jeanne Voelker agrees: "I edit my own stories to death. They eventually run and hide from me."

You don't want your stories to run and hide from you. You should listen to them, fine tune your ear as you go. It's okay to scrap it, start over, chop off the first chapter, remove a character, whatever.  Because as C.K. Webb points out, "We never end up with the book we began writing. Characters twist it and turn it until they get the life that is perfect for them. A good writer won't waste their time arguing with the characters they create...It is almost always a waste of time and people tend to stare when you do!"

You might as well get used to the stares. After all, you're a writer. 

How do you feel about editing your own work?

Write on!

Candace