Using Objects & Metaphors to Show the Internal Emotional Arc of Your Character

Season #2 Episode #25

S2_E25 – Using Objects & Metaphors to Show the Internal Emotional Arc of Your Character

For the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing how to “show, don’t tell” in story by employing a few of my favorite techniques that help writers accomplish this without having to write pages and pages of dialogue. Namely, how to create significant actions for your characters, how to establish a pattern and then break it in order to convey deeper meaning, and how to utilize Rituals and Traditions as a way to reveal character – who the character is at their core. 

Today, we’re going to continue this dialogue by exploring two more tools at your disposal: How to create visual metaphors that reveal the internal emotional arc of your character, and how to use props and objects to help show how a character has changed over the course of the story. Both of these require the same primary tool of establishing a pattern and then breaking it. And yet, this should give writers even more insight into what’s possible for their own stories.  

This list is by no means exhaustive. If you’re interested in taking an online course dedicated to this topic, sign up for The Storyteller’s Digest on the website, where you’ll be notified just as soon as that class is available online.

DOWNLOAD FULL TRANSCRIPTS FOR FREE at www.thestorytellersmission.com. 

WHAT'S NEXT? Join us next Thursday for another exciting episode, whatever that may be! 

NEED HELP? The Storyteller’s Mission online platform is your go-to place for help with all your writing needs. Sign up for one-on-one COACHING, get a SCRIPT CRITIQUE, or register for one of our  ADVANCED CLASSES ON WRITING today!

TOPIC REQUESTS?  If you have a question or a specific writing related topic that you would like Zena to consider addressing in a future podcast, SEND AN EMAIL to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

SPECIAL THANKS to CARLA PATULLO for the original music used in the intro and outro of this podcast. To find out more about this amazing talent, go to  www.carlapatullo.com

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