I’m writing a novella.

I’ve only written one other novella so I’m mindful this is new territory for me. Must keep the plot short and to the point.

I don’t have a lot of lead time to develop the problems and setting, or the characters!

My hero and heroine are Nathaniel and Susanna from Once Upon A Prince.

At the opening of the novella, their wedding is four weeks away.

So I decide instead of some silly argument or da-da-da-da tension to end the chapter, I had Nathaniel pull a gift out of his pocket.

A single pearl pendant.

It felt so perfect. So romantic.

It made me want to keep writing AND reading.

The I stopped. Wait! Can the pearl bring more to the table than a romantic gesture by my adoring hero?

Absolutely!

A pearl is a precious gem.

It’s created by grains of sand running through an oyster shell.

Ever rub up against sand? It’s gritty and uncomfortable.

The pearl is formed out of tension and conflict.

Which is why it’s such a precious, beautiful gem.

Suddenly the necklace provided a much deeper meaning and layer to the story.

It became a symbol of what lies ahead for Nathaniel and Susanna.

Something beautiful that will come from trial.

But Susanna and Nathaniel will cling to love and in the end, the beautiful priceless pearl will symbolize their relationship.

So how do we find these gems in our writing?

Not always easy.

For me, I see them as I write. I feel them sometimes.

I don’t plan them but often when I see where a scene is going, I look for a symbol or metaphor.

You know how I stumble on them the most?

Trying to ramp up the scene!

“What can I do to pop this over the top?”

“What can I add to make this more exciting?”

While writing Softly and Tenderly, I wanted something to shake Jade, so I realized I needed to crash her downtown shop.

When I did that I realized the truck crashing through the front door of Blue 2 symbolized what was about to happen to her life.

In Princess Ever After, I wrote a line, “A princess is not in who you are but what you do,” and I teared up immediately.

I knew that line was significant. It symbolized Regina’s journey.

It even speaks to me now.

Symbols come at different levels. Different tones. Some are words. Some are objects.

I the opening scene of The Proposal, Margaret is riding a stationary bike in her apartment while watching a forest trail video.

It was her life.

Neat. Control. Indoors. Nothing risky. Everything neat and within her grasp.

Then she ends up in Alaska with Drew riding a real bike down a real path, completely out of control.

Because that’s what was happening to her. Her life was spinning out of control.

So, when you are writing, look for those pings and symbols.

Look for the layers.

Don’t blow through your scene or chapter with your eye so fixed on certain elements or “The End” (Oy! Guilty here!) that  you miss those little winks and breaths of God that say, “This is it!”

Let’s look at basic symbols:

Houses… life, your life, inner life, the soul.

Cars… journey of strength, destiny, reflection of inner life.

Bicycle…journey of labor, natural, soul journey.

Tree… life, Cross, Jesus, love, humanity.

Gems… love, value, precious life, inner life.

Airplane… powerful journey, spiritual journey, reaching new heights.

Boat… water, storms of life, drifting, the Holy Spirit, depth, fear, peace, adventure, inner journey.

Word symbols are a little harder but often I’ll write a line and go, “Whoa, that spoke to me!”

For example, I wrote this sentence in The Wedding Dress:

“The cab clopped and rocked past a chain gang of convict lease workers. The white guards talked and joked while the men of color swung axes and hammers against the hard concrete of the city. Emily lowered her gaze. It must be back-breaking, near impossible, to break up what had been set and hardened with time in this city.”

On the surface, she’s talking about the actual road being broken up with hammer and axes by the black convicts. But one layer down, she’s talking about the traditions and racism of 1912 Birmingham.

The line pinged with her journey because she was trying to raise awareness about the brutality and injustice of convict leasing.

Look for those layers in your writing that speak to other parts of the story, emotions, the words that reach up from below and give life to the surface.

Happy Writing!

***

Best-selling, award-winning author Rachel Hauck loves a great story. She excels in seeing the deeper layers of a story.

With a love for teaching and mentoring, Rachel comes alongside writers to help them craft their novel.

A worship leader, board member of ACFW and popular writing teacher, Rachel is the author of over 17 novels.

She lives in Florida with her husband and  dog. Contact her at: Rachel@mybooktherapy.com. Her latest release is Once Upon A Prince.

Go forth and write!

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