18 Modern Wisdoms Learned From Rewriting Myths

Myths speak to us. They explain mankind’s struggles, fears, culture, and the natural world–be it the rhythm of the waves or Earth’s rumblings or the phases of the moon. Myths comfort, guide, and inspire. They also advise and caution. So it was with this...

Hot & Cold

Maximize the power of temperature to craft a more powerful story. Turn the temperature up for fiery anger or sizzling passion. Turn it down for icy moods, frosty dialog, or chilling foreshadowing. Temperature can: reveal mood reveal a character’s emotion be a...

Color symbolism

You’ve all seen the meme that slams English teachers and literary analysis. Student: The green drapes symbolize….blah blah blah. Writer: I just wanted green drapes. Not every descriptor an author uses is symbolic. Often color only provides imagery—giving color...

Symbolic Architecture

The roof overhead. The window your main character gazes through. The threshold walked across. The door opened. Or slammed shut. Structural features may be used symbolically to (1) foreshadow, (2) reveal character, (3) provide conflict, (4) a amplify conflict, and ( 5)...