Writing a book - tips from an author #10

Symbolism and your novel Every work of fiction contains symbolism, at least at some level. You may think you are writing a bluff, no-nonsense gritty factual history, and yet there will be readers who can analyze what you wrote and extract a symbolism that may astound you. You may even end up wondering 'how did I write that?'! Your characters, the things they do, the places and situations you set them in are all powerful opportunities for symbolism, whether you want it or not, and you should at the very least be aware of this phenomenon. The most successful novels inspire human urges and drives by that very symbolism - an example would be the bizarre fact that private school numbers in the UK have risen since the publication of the 'Harry Potter' novels! This is not to say that UK parents are so weird they think they are sending their kids to a 'school for magic', it is the SYMBOLISM that attracts them - the idea of adventure amongst a group of friends, in an environment that is at the same time stimulating, yet controlled. The reason for the presence of symbolism in everything we write is, of course, fairly obvious. We draw on our own experiences and imagination when writing, and we are all part of the culture in which we live. Cultures, by definition, have strong symbolic themes running through them, and these themes have a tendency to resurface regularly in order to reinforce the culture. In many ways, you can't help applying your culture-specific experiences to the actions and drives of your characters - after all, YOU are writing it, and the internal voice that tells you what to write down is part and parcel of all that makes you YOU. If you try and go against your own internal promptings, you may find that your writing becomes stale, or unconvincing. Your internal symbols may very well be the most powerful writing tool you possess! There is a theory that every story can be reduced down to this:- There is a problem, the problem gets solved. At www.GetPlotted.com we believe you can go a step further - the solving of a problem is in all cases actually a search for identity on the part of the characters doing the solving. The identities of your characters start off as a reflection of their position in society (or lack thereof!). Comedy typically involves a character moving from an isolated position (poverty, misunderstanding, social inability) to a position of acceptance - the so called 'happy ending'. A tragedy, on the other hand, tends to show a character moving from social acceptance to a state of isolation. Likewise, the meta-symbolism of a story may involve the restoration or saving of an entire society, in which case the protagonists have a heroic role, a concept stretching all the way back to the Greeks. The dangers faced by the hero are symbols of the dangers everyone must face in everyday life. This is not to say that we all must fight monsters or evil cattle barons on a daily basis, but that the hero's actions are a symbol for our own daily struggles, 'writ large'. Avoiding going too 'over the top' is one of the most important lessons that you can learn at www.GetPlotted.com, because there is no faster way to alienate an audience than to mis-manipulate their comfortable symbols. Most people, if they understand this at all, only do so on an unconscious level, which is, of course, why story telling has such a powerful role in our society. The symbolism of surprise is also a strong undercurrent in most cultures. People generally know what it is like to be surprised, and this is why the 'twist in the tale' story is such a powerful genre. By experiencing second-hand these surprises, and the way the protagonists deal with them, people subconsciously get a warm feeling, perhaps even an intimation that they could also now deal with a surprise of that kind, should it arise. We'll look a little more closely at symbolism in the next article.