#general symbolism

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Everything Creative Writers Should Know About Symbolism

Literary devices make stories more enjoyable. They take a simple concept and make it compelling. Symbolism is one of those devices, but sometimes new writers don’t know how to use it purposefully. It’s easy to take credit when readers assume something had more meaning when we didn’t really write it that way for any specific reason.

This is everything you should know about symbolism so you can plan your literary devices with confidence.

What Is Symbolism?

Symbolism is the act of using one thing to represent another thing. It often sets or reaffirms the tone of a scene. Symbols can also act as foreshadowing.

Most often, writers use symbolism to thread their theme through a plot. It makes it easier to tell how a theme is influencing or being shown in a scene.

Types of Symbolism

Colors

Writers use colors to apply meaning to scenes or characters because they’re easy to associate with emotions. It’s also a historical real-world use of symbolism. If you see a white flag, that symbolizes surrender. A movie featuring a woman in a red dress often symbolizes her sexuality.

Examples: yellow means caution, brown means grounded earthiness, and black means mourning.

Objects

Sometimes object symbolism is blunt or obvious. Other times, it’s subtle because the writer reveals the meaning of it later in the story.

In the Divergent series, Tris can’t look in a mirror because it’s of cultural significance in her faction. As a storytelling tool, it symbolizes her inability to recognize her own identity because she hasn’t had her coming-of-age experiences yet.

Examples: water means rebirth or creating life, an apple represents sin or someone up to no good, and a clock can mean change is coming (which is also foreshadowing).

Tips for Writing Symbolism 

1. Understand Your Plot

You need to know where your story is going and what theme you’re writing about to effectively create symbols. If your protagonist sees a dove in the first chapter, it’s just a bird unless obtaining peace is a key component of your protagonist’s character arc later on.

2. Pick One Symbol

Stories filled with symbolism can come across as pretentious or too dense. It’s better to start with one symbol that connects at least two parts of your story or relates to your theme. Readers will get that intriguing chill down their spine if they recognize a hidden symbol rather than get reminded about it over and over again.

3. Remember to Use Foreshadowing

Symbols often foreshadow future plot events. These are also called omens. Your protagonist might break a mirror in the first chapter, which people often relate to the start of bad luck. Maybe a crow sits by them on a park bench because you want to symbolize a future death in your plot.

Foreshadowing can give your symbols meaning if you’re unsure how to connect them with your theme. It’s an easy way to practice creating symbols so you’re more comfortable with them in long-form stories and other uses.

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You don’t need some mystical storytelling skill to effectively write symbolism. Practice these tips and you’ll layer just enough symbolism into your stories to impress your readers.

[kyrup]

all of the glitched name cards from this week’s game changer for your convenience.

(transcripts and timestamps in the alt text)

[kiilttis-art]

Only for your entertainment..

[aroaceleovaldez]

reminder that the only reason the "ADHD is actually demigod BATTLE STRATEGIES" and "dyslexia is DEMIGOD BRAINS HARDWIRED FOR ANCIENT GREEK" things exist in the PJO universe is because it's a very direct reference to early 2000s teaching/parenting techniques for neurodiverse and disabled children, which aimed to frame childrens' disabilities and hardships as a "superpower" or strength so that the children would feel more positively about their disabilities or situations. This technique has fallen out of favor since then for the most part since more often than not it just results in kids feeling as though their struggles are not being seen or taken seriously.

Yes, demigods are adhd/dyslexic (and sometimes autistic-coded) in the series. This is extremely important and trying to remove it or not acknowledge it makes the entire series fall apart because it is such a core concept. Yes, canon claims that their adhd/dyslexia is tied to some innate abilities, which is based on an outdated methodology. It's important to acknowledge that and understand where it comes from! But please stop trying to apply it to other pantheons in the series like "oh, the romans have dyscalculia because of roman numerals!" or "the norse demigods have dysgraphia for reasons!" - it's distasteful at best.

A better option is to acknowledge the meta inspiration for why that exists in the series, such as explaining potentially that Chiron was utilizing that same teaching methodology to try and help demigods feel more comfortable with their disabilities and they aren't literal powers. In fact, especially given Frank, there's implication that being adhd/dyslexic isn't a guaranteed demigod trait, which means it's more likely to be normally inherited from their godly parent/divine ancestor as a general trait, not a power, and further supports the whole "ADHD is battle strategy" thing being non-literal. It also implies the entire greco-roman pantheon in their universe is canonically adhd/dyslexic - and that actually fits very well with the themes of the first series. The entire central conflict of the first series fits perfectly as an allegory about neurodiverse/disabled children and their relationships with their undiagnosed neurodiverse/disabled parents and trying to find solutions together with their shared disability/disabilities that the kid inherited instead of becoming distant from each other (and this makes claiming equivalent to getting a diagnosis which is a fascinating allegory! not to mention the symbolism of demigods inheriting legacies and legends and powers from their parents and everything that comes with that being equivalent to inheriting traits, neurodiversity, and disabilities from your parents).

anyways neurodiversity and disability and the contexts in which the series utilizes representation of those experiences particularly during the 2000s symbolically within the narrative is incredibly important to the first series and the understanding of what themes it means to represent. also if i see one more "the romans have dyscalculia instead of dyslexia" post in 2023 i'm gonna walk into the ocean.

[wannaeatramyeon]

DG x Reader: Hair

Spoiler! G/N. Soft. Masterlists

DG bites his tongue and refrains from asking.

It's a stupid question anyway. Racked full of insecurity and especially surprising coming from someone from him.

Yet as your eyes rove over his new style, lingering a moment too long on his dark locks, the question spills forth-

"Don't you like it?"

Delivered on autopilot with a smirk, and his tone implies that of course you do. An age old mask of attitude and arrogance that transcends identities, enough to hide what truly lurks below. The inner workings of James Lee.

You reach up and ruffle his hair, swallowing down the thought that it might take you a while to get used to this, ignore that you're going to miss the shock of baby pink.

It's different, that's all.

Instead you respond by telling him to shut up.

All fondness and zero bite even as you roll your eyes. Your gaze no longer lingers on his hair though your touch does, letting the strands curl around your fingers.

And when his eyes meet yours again, you never bothered to answer his question but nevertheless-

DG feels a weight lifted from his shoulders.

[ignocubo]

my favorite part of the monster high fandom is getting blacklisted by the 'accepting and diverse community' for agreeing ghoulia is not good noverbal rep because it's been confirmed by two different creators that that wasn't the intent for her and because zombese is an ACTUAL LANGUAGE in the monsterverse, meaning that the grunts are not substitutes for words, they are ACTUAL WORDS.

[3cosmicfrogs]

oh 12.65 litres of blood clinging to the outside of my body, we're really in it now

[shimmershy]

Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom....

[somnimagus]

My page for @kairizine. It was such a huge honor to be part of this wonderful book with everyone, I had so much fun!

[id in alt!]

[pmkn2-0]

FOR THE KING

Visual interpretation of Rex’s nanites protecting him made by me

[kokoasci]

finally drew the main doa together :>

[mourningsbane]

Giving Honeyspring a beautiful flower crown… anemone for forsaken, begonia for beware, and chamomile for patience in adversity; purple hyacinth for sorrow, lady slipper for capricious beauty and lemon balm for sympathy; rhododendrons for danger and rosemary for remembrance; willow for sadness and yarrow for everlasting love…and daylily for a mother’s love

Honeyspring accepts your gift and weeps. It is nice to not feel so alone.

[fiyaharts]

the gang's all here

[dapper-lil-arts]

Was makin a muscle study for fun and it wound up being that sunset shimmer anthro design I made because I'm delusional. good times. And of course I got carried away and didn't stop there

Twilight is ready.

[reineydraws]

Hi hi! For the spotify wrapped art game, can I suggest akataka with 56?

oh, i think i was doomed before i began

56 is special girl by dodie. a particular fave, so im glad u chose mishanks for it since they've been on my mind. :')

wrapped 2023 game

[mintypsii]

guys i love them i promise i just have the urge to put them through the grinder sometimes

umm on the bright side here's the alternate good ending version lol!!!!!