Writers Helping Writers^®

Symbolism

How to Use Weather to Create Mood, Not Clichés

September 23, 2025

How to Use Weather to Create Mood, Not Clichés

September 23, 2025

Are you afraid of using the weather in your writing? If so, you’re not alone. After all, if not careful, weather description can be a minefield of clichés. The sunny,…

How to Find Symbols in Your Settings

July 10, 2025

How to Find Symbols in Your Settings

July 10, 2025

We all want our writing to be layered. Like a gourmet meal, we want there to be more to them than just what’s seen on the surface. In stories, this…

How to Use Show, Don’t Tell to Strengthen Your Story

March 25, 2025

How to Use Show, Don’t Tell to Strengthen Your Story

March 25, 2025

Writers hear it all the time: Show, don’t tell. This advice is so iconic that I wouldn’t be surprised if a few tattoos are kicking around the community. After all,…

How a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset Helps You Write Stronger Stories

May 25, 2023

How a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset Helps You Write Stronger Stories

May 25, 2023

Show-Don’t-Tell is something we hear a lot about as writers, and yet many struggle to apply it. Why? Because while most understand the basics of show-don’t-tell, not every writer can…

Themes and Symbols Go Together Like Peas and Carrots

October 6, 2022

Themes and Symbols Go Together Like Peas and Carrots

October 6, 2022

So…symbolism. We’re pretty familiar with this storytelling element, and I’m guessing most of us have experimented with the use of symbols in our writing. In a nutshell, you take an…

Setting Description Mistakes that Weaken a Story

March 29, 2022

Setting Description Mistakes that Weaken a Story

March 29, 2022

When you think about the key elements of storytelling, characters and plot immediately come to mind, but what about the setting? Do you view it as 1) a vital story…

How Symbolism Adds Depth to a Story

December 7, 2021

How Symbolism Adds Depth to a Story

December 7, 2021

I think we all agree, stories need to be more than a character, goal, and a series of scenarios that keep the two apart. Reading isn’t a mechanical action after…

5 Important Ways to Use Symbolism in Your Story

July 28, 2014

5 Important Ways to Use Symbolism in Your Story

July 28, 2014

Symbolism can sometimes be a tough concept for authors to get their heads around. How do we come up with the right symbols in the first place? What should they…

Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus

October 11, 2010

Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus

October 11, 2010

Below are samples of our popular Theme and Symbolism (formerly, Symbolism and Motif) Thesaurus. For the completely developed and enhanced thesaurus, please visit One Stop For Writers, where it has…