Thoughts and Opinions With Cookies and Milk

Symbolism

Authors use many different tricks to show us the inner thinking of the characters along with their feelings and deepest wishes and fears. Such as symbolism, repetition, changing points of view, characters tone and many more neat little 'writing hacks'. Though I also believe that the most popular authors don't just use classic author's craft but also asks themself three simple questions that aspiring authors should ask themselves more often when writing:

1. Who is your character?

2. What do they want the most?

3. What can you do to keep it from them?

But for now let's focus on symbolism, the author's craft that you could find in every single book you may pick up or easily pass by in the store; some before you even finish the book. Now symbolism can vary from something having a simple explanation such as a lightning bolt, for Michael's and the rest the the electric childrens' ability to control electricity (from the series Michael Vey 'Cell 25'), to something as complex as a key that a character could wear around their neck everyday, symbolising their trust issues and fear of letting anyone in and/ or loving someone; because only they have the key to their heart and they're being careful with it so no one else could hurt them again after what could have been a toxic relationship with a past lover, or abusive parents who neglected their poor little kid, or maybe even from after someone who they held dear died or mysteriously disappeared. Closing their heart from love and friendship after the shedding of many unknown tears, simply by wearing a key around their neck every day.

Symbolism could also be somewhere in between simple and complex, but yet still beautiful in the eyes of the readers, such as giving each character in a book of soulmates a special necklace that would have a unique shape that only one other person out of millions would hold. Now this special necklace could symbolise how every person is unique and that if you pretend to be another person, that's always what it will be, pretend. And it could also show the reader that no matter what happens, there will always be someone out there that will love you specifically for every aspect of you and only you, and that no one will perfectly balance you out or make you feel complete like how that one person does. Like how their necklace completes yours.

Another symbolism that is quite popular is the mocking jay in 'The Hunger Games' (ONE OF THE BEST SERIES OF ALL TIMES JKSDNFJOAB). The main character/ protagonist Katniss Everdeen is quickly known for her disregard for the rules put in place and for her undying love for her family and friends. Now we all know that every bird will not follow any rules you may put down before them, especially wild birds, like perhaps a certain mocking jay? Though the symbolism obviously goes much deeper than just that, I believe that the author has chosen that particular bird for many reasons, one of them being their ability to mock the sound of the other birds around them or a small tune you might whistle. Katniss has that same exact ability demonstrated throughout the entire series, acting like a law abiding citizen when there's police force around or someone who could get her into trouble if they saw what she would normally be up to, but not bothering to keep up the act when there's no one else around. She was forced to pretend that she was a love-struck teenager and that she adored Peta with her entire heart when the Capital was watching, and she once had to pretend that she was pregnant with Peta's child while she was dragged back into the 75th annual hunger games when there was even a remote chance someone was watching her. She has defiantly done her fair share of acting in this entire series into who she heard she was supposed to be, just like how a mocking jay will mimic any sound they as much as hear.

A/N: Ahhhh, I'm sorry I had to dump this on somewhere people can actually read it. I was half-asleep the entire time I typed this confusing stuff up >~< ! I hope anyone who reads this can use it to help them with symbolism in their next writing, or at least understand what I'm talking about at all XD

G'night my babies!