The Secret to Writer’s Block: Travel Post Two
101 Poppies:
Using a Symbol to Break Through Writer’s Block When Trying to Write Character Background
Symbols in literature can be imaginative, powerful, or fun. They can help to convey an idea or emotion. Symbols can be found in a variety of images, items, or characters. They can also be used to leave an impression. The two that immediately come to mind for me are the conch in Lord of the Flies and the letter A in The Scarlet Letter. Think about some of the most memorable symbols that have stuck with you from your favorite books.
Symbols can also be inspirational for authors when they encounter writer’s block. They can put you in a certain mindset or inspire a specific location. Here’s an example of when I used a symbol to help me break through writer’s block: In “Arriving Through Time”, one of the scenes I had the hardest time writing involved a scene during World War II. My husband and I both grew up in military families. Needless to say, I have the utmost respect for anyone that serves and their loved ones at home. So, when I was writing that scene I wanted to make sure that I did it justice. But more importantly, I wanted to make sure that I portrayed the main character of that scene with attentiveness and esteem.
In 2014, my husband and I traveled to London. As it happened, we visited when the city was in the middle of ceremonies of remembrance for those killed during World War I. One of the ways that the city demonstrated respect was with the utilization of a flower as a symbol - the poppy. Anyone that has lived in or visited London in the winter knows about the greyness. The weather is grey and a lot of the old buildings are grey too. So, the poppy - a beautiful and vibrant red flower - stood out on that grey palette in the best way possible.
Everywhere we went that year, there were poppies. The community wore remembrance pins, art pieces were designed around the poppy, Wembley Stadium even changed the seat color arrangement into giant poppies. But by far, the most amazing and beautiful sight was at the Tower of London. The city filled the moat with 888,246 ceramic poppies! Every poppy represented each soldier that died while fighting for the British Empire during WWI. While we were visiting there, we had the privelege to see a group of veterans visiting the memorial. Seeing the emotion that those men had and the respect that those around them displayed…it was one of the most moving tributes that I have ever seen. I think it’s one of the reasons why my husband and I love to visit that city whenever we get the chance.
So, when I wrote Scarlett, I wanted to use what I saw in London to convey that emotion and respect that I thought was so essential to her character. But more importantly, I wanted to represent well for those who had served.
As I was writing the interactions between Scarlett and those around her, I had a hard time coming up with what she would say. I would write and then delete over and over again. I decided that I needed a little extra inspiration and pulled up the pictures from that trip to London. The pictures of the poppies reminded me of the pride and respect the city showed for their veterans and it was in those pictures that I found the inspiration that I needed to do Scarlett justice.
There are countless sources of symbols that you can pull from to help inspire writing your characters and their backgrounds. Here are a few examples of some things that you might want to try:
Flags: these are probably the most obvious symbols, but they can be very helpful in writing backgrounds, establishing color schemes, or even leading you to other symbols that you may want to incorporate in your own story. Think about how many stories incorporate some aspect of the American flag- stars, stripes, red, white, and blue.
Cultural symbols: Along the same lines of the flag, cultural symbols can help to inspire background information, fashion, even food choices. These could also include religious symbols, political symbols, or even brands (think of how iconic those golden arches are).
Emojis: Those little texting symbols can help express every emotion that exists. Sometimes they can have multiple meanings and sometimes they can mean something entirely different than what they actually depict. Just like other more traditional symbols, each one evokes a different emotion or activity.
Traditional: Symbols that are common enough that they cross language and age barriers. I also like to call these “the tattoo symbols” because, well, they are found on countless tattoos. (Examples: peace sign, heart, yin-yang)
Symbols can provide the much needed inspiration to assist you in continued writing. They can also provide inspiration within your story or your genre. The type of and meaning behind a symbol is completely up to you. So, the next time that you feel like writer’s block is keeping you from writing your character or their background, try some symbol inspiration instead.
I hope that these ideas help you to break through!
Found a great source of inspiration that worked for you? Let me know!
Still getting writer’s block? Tell me how I can help!
