The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

by John Truby

symbols to any or all of these elements: the entire story, the structure, characters, theme, story world, actions, objects, and dialogue. STORY SYMBOLS At the level of the story idea or premise, a symbol expresses the fundamental story twists, the central theme, or the overall story structure and unifies them under one image. Let’s look at some examples of story symbols. THE ODYSSEY The central story symbol in the Odyssey is in the title itself. This is the long journey that must be endured. ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN The central symbol here, by contrast, is not Huck’s journey down the Mississippi; it is the raft. On this fragile, floating island, a white boy and a black slave can live as friends and equals.