Although you may be surprised by the quality of symbolism that your story seems to have drawn on subconsciously, usually you’ll add most of the metaphors and symbolism after you’ve begun your book, or even after several drafts. One reason for waiting is that the ending will give you a wealth of material that you’ll want to weave back into the earlier chapters, whether those changes are plot pointers or added imagery.

Thinking about the symbolism you want to include

Some writers find it difficult to think in terms of symbolism, but it can be easier if you start with comparisons and look for the symbolism in the similes and metaphors that you’re using.

Read your book, or go through your plot outline, concentrating on what your character goes through. Note whether the developments are mainly external or internal, or a mixture of both.

One of the first, and easiest, ways to create symbolism is to link internal and external occurrences. For example your character might be going through a period of mourning the death of another character. This might be mainly portrayed internally in terms of sorrow and other psychological responses. In order to link the internal and external portrayal, consider adding an external symbol of the internal pain the character is going through. The character experiences physiological pain each time the death of the other character is referenced in your book – a simple and easy symbol.

Common ways to introduce symbolism

Although it is important to avoid clichés, you can approach symbolism slightly differently as the concept is based on your reader recognising certain universal truths that you are using to draw a comparison in your book.

Colours are a very common symbol for good reason. Think of what certain colours evoke for you, not necessarily what they are traditionally used for, but ensure that you make your interpretation clear. Red might be symbolic of love, passion, or anger. Black might signify mystique, seduction, or grief and death. Where you first use certain colours will determined what they become symbols of in your book, so ensure that you don’t switch meanings halfway through your story.

Other symbols that are easy to introduce are concepts like light and dark, hard and soft, hot and cold, rough and smooth – look for your first introductions of such descriptions and reuse them throughout the story to reiterate the same ideas.

As you read and make notes of possible symbols, you’ll soon find yourself linking comparative imagery more easily and giving your work a great deal of depth.

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If you find you need some reference books on symbolism, try The Herder Dictionary of Symbols : Symbols from Art, Archaeology, Mythology, Literature, and Religion, by Boris Matthews, or Dictionary of Symbolism : Cultural Icons and the Meanings Behind Them by Hans Biedermann