WattyWarriors Fan Magazine 6.0

Writing Tips | Symbolism Pt. 1 Colors

Hey, guys! Thunder here, and I felt like I should try to revive this segment, starting with ~symbolism~

It's something you may have learned about in school, or perhaps you've heard of it and aren't too familiar with it. This little segment will serve as a crash course so you can start to incorporate it into your writing.

What Is Symbolism?

Symbolism is the use of symbols, colors, or events to represent something besides its literal meaning. Often times, something's meaning can vary greatly, so pay attention to how it's used. Here we will be discussing commonly used representations.

Why Use Symbolism?

By using even just a little symbolism, you can add depth to your story and convey bigger ideas with fewer words. For readers, it can be intriguing to look at your favorite books or movies and find the hidden meaning.

:: COLORS ::

Often times, authors, poets, and film-makers will use colors to represent a characteristic or quality. Note that colors tend to represent different things around the world, so here we will be addressing colors as interpreted in the West.

RED :: the color of blood, fire, and many countries' flags. Evokes energy and a strong emotional response. Proven to grab attention, as well as raise heart rate.

Commonly Represents :: courage, strength, determination, power, passion, and love

YELLOW :: the color of sunflowers, sunshine, and many caution signs. An extremely effective attention grabber. Considered to be an unstable color.

Commonly Represents :: happiness, honor, and loyalty. Negatively represents cowardice, caution, madness, and sickness

ORANGE :: the color of sunsets, oranges, and fire. Combines the happiness of yellow with the energy of red. It's another attention-grabbing color.

Commonly Represents :: endurance, adventure, excitement, and enthusiasm

GREEN :: the color of nature. Regarded as a soothing color.

Commonly Represents :: growth, safety, stability, greed, jealousy

BLUE :: the color of the sky and seas. The world's most popular color. It contradicts red by being associated with wet, cold and low-energy. 

Commonly Represents :: trust, intelligence, wisdom, stability,  sadness, depression

PURPLE :: uncommonly found in nature, it has been regarded as high-status or supernatural over the centuries. Combines the stability of blue with energy of red.

Commonly Represents :: nobility, luxury, ambition, wisdom

WHITE Commonly Represents :: innocence, purity, cleanliness

BLACK Commonly Represents :: power, elegance, grief, death, fear

PINK Commonly Represents :: romance, love, and friendship