Symbolism

(Ooh, yay. The default font is Times New Roman. Did I mention how much I love my Times? ^___^ It's one of my main OCD tendencies to automatically change my text to 12 pt Times before I start writing.)

So it's Friday, and I don't have any schoolwork to do, and I had an idea for a blog entry all about symbolism in story writing for a while now. I've only recently learned of its importance, but it is really crucial yet rather misunderstood in the writing world. So today, you are going to learn my take on symbolism.

When you first think of symbolism, you think of something big and unique--say, an amulet in a fantasy story that stands for some power source or summat (I'm not sure if that's what you automatically think of, it's just what popped into my head). But the majority of symbolism done by successful authors is rather small and weaves itself into the story, almost to the point where the reader doesn't notice it but is still aware that it's...there. Know what I'm saying?

Keep in mind, though, that this isn't true in all cases. Symbolism always finds its way into the bigger picture, the main plot, whether you know it or not. It is always fairly obvious, and if you don't think your plot has any, it does. Heck, the story in itself symbolizes something.

Alas, that is not the main point I am trying to get across here today. Smaller symbolization is harder, but it's one of the many ways to get your story or novel read. And usually, unless you're using it for foreshadowing (which is also a good idea, hint hint), it doesn't have to really even matter. *insert collective gasp from the crowd here*. It could just be that girl that your character passes every morning on their way to third period (maybe they make eye contact for a split second every day, maybe she mysteriously disappears one Friday the 13th, maybe she turns around and becomes a huge, plot-twisting murderer, or maybe your male character just has a small crush on her and is working to get the guts to raise his voice). It could be the Hungarian spoon collection your character's great aunt Gertrude has in her attic, or maybe you are writing a fantasy story and it does turn out to be a mysterious amulet a character wears around his/her neck. Maybe it could be an inside joke between friends or a secret handshake--no one said it had to be physical.

Like many other writing-related topics, I could drone on and on about the importance of such a simple thing. I urge you, though, to delve deeper into your favorite books to see what you can find. Take apart the pieces to the brilliance of that author's writing and apply it to your own. Think of this as a small step towards your goal to be that brilliant writer who weaves things so expertly in between words it's invisible to the average human eye. Because hey, who said that writers are average?