Motifs
When I was first learning how to build a website, I read a book on graphic design that said repeating certain motifs would make the site look sharper. The same advice also applies to business cards, newsletters, tri-folds, bookmarks, and other promotional material using graphics.
I started noticing I also used repetitive motifs when getting dressed in the morning–crystal earrings, crystals on my shirt, crystals on my sandals, or mimicking the pattern in my sweater with the shape of my earrings and brooches. This makes me look more pulled together.
While it’s easy for me see motifs in a visual design or a wardrobe, inserting a motif into my writing is a little more difficult. I find myself wanting to explain the symbolism instead of letting it flow into the reader’s subconscious.
In the book I just sold, daybreak plays an important role. I use the colors of sunrise as well as the “starting over” or “new beginning” aspect to further the romance. So now you know what to look for!
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Excellent topic! When I wrote BLOODSTONE, I used darkness as a motif because my hero is the Shadow Man and the dark for him is both comfort and isolation. But for my heroine, going into it means fully entering his world, surrendering eyesight for a different kind of vision.
Thanks, Helen! I think this is a tough "tool" to master and therefore often ignored.
