In this video, we’ll explore how to effectively use symbols in your writing—including where to start and a sure-fire approach to ensuring that your symbols or symbolism will resonate with readers.
I’ll also introduce you to some handy resources that can inspire your symbol choices.
Hello, Jane Cleland here. “I’m interested in using symbols in my book, but where do I start?” Well, that’s a great question, isn’t it? Where do I start? And the answer is by identifying your theme because you want your symbols or symbol to integrate with your theme to support it.
Now let’s back up a minute and understand that a theme is a unifying element or a dominant idea. Once you know what that is, then you can pick a concrete, tangible manifestation of what is probably an intangible or abstract concept. So let’s say, for example, your theme is peace on earth. That’s a big, powerful theme. And think about what expresses peace. Well, the dove. That’s the generally accepted, tangible manifestation of this abstract concept, peace. Love thy neighbor, heart. Right? Or it could be a fence coming down, that we don’t build fences, we take them down. Or a bridge, connecting one universe over here to another universe over there. We’re bridging our differences. It’s good.
Start with a theme. Where do you find ideas? The Noun Project and Visme. V I S M E. The Noun Project and Visme. Good source for symbols. And you’ll find the one that helps you understand how to express your theme in a tangible way people will understand. I know you can do it.
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