Symbols: Talismans of Endeavors, Memory and Emotion

Posted by Anjuelle Floyd | Filed under Articles and Essays, Musings

Large amounts of exposition leave readers weary and if not carefully positioned breaks the dream spell ideally evoked at the outset of a novel.

Mining your fiction enriches your protagonist’s journey for the reader. They also serve as markers serving as point of identification that allow readers to touch upon the protagonist’s struggle.

Attaching described objects to the internal experience of your protagonist provides an efficient way of reclaiming the internal experience of a character, or a memory. In the area of fiction we call these objects symbols.

Linking a symbol to the protagonist and her or his hopes, wishes and endeavors, not unlike a talisman, allows the writer to not only evoke or remind the reader of this emotion, thought or memory that lives within the character, but to amplify its intensity when certain events take place.

These events form turning points in the narrative of the novel signaling another change or reversal of fortune, and delivering one more opportunity to act and for grow.

The writer can also raise the symbol at the crest of crisis wherein the protagonist must choose what she or he will do when facing her or his greatest obstacle or most fearsome and dreaded antagonist.

And then there is the climax, at which time the central character, having selected between two terrible possibilities, or two equally appealing ideals, must now carry out the final act of slaying and/or embracing that which has for so long hunted or haunted her or him.

What is a highly valued object you possess?

Write for five minutes on why you treasure this object?

Please share.

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www.anjuellefloyd.com will be on hiatus during December 2009 for site maintenance and upgrade.

We will return Monday, January 4, 2010.

Until then visit me at anjuelle floyd–the writing life

Tags: character, dream spell, emotion, endeavors, fiction, hopes and wishes, internal exprience, journey, marker, memory, novel, point of identifcation, protagonist, reader, struggle, symbol, talisman, thought

Permalink | Comments (2) | November 17, 2009

2 Responses to “Symbols: Talismans of Endeavors, Memory and Emotion”

LaTessa Says:
November 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am

I used symbols in my writing as well. I couldn’t quite not put to words exactly why symbols and motiffs really appeal to me, but your post does a brillant job of giving voice to some of the reasons in my mind.

I also think my use of symbols and motiffs are a reflection on (1) my genre preferences and (2) the fact that many of my favorite stories resonate more with me because the author’s use of symbolism really helped me to identify with the characters, their goals, motivations, and conflicts.

Thanks for the article.
LaTessa´s last blog ..Ha, New Discovery
Anjuelle Floyd Says:
November 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

That you have difficulty putting into words why symbols are so important to your writings exemplifies exactly why all our fiction needs symbols.
Symbols point to and describe that which transcends words, but is oh, so real and vital to life and endowing it with meaning.

Thanks for such lively examples of what I’m writing about, and so very much for taking the time to read those posts during NaNoWriMo and to share how much they help you.