Writing advice is like horoscopes. If something grabs your notice, you better pay attention. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

This week, I’ve found a lot of great writing advice. So, I’m going to step back today and let the masters tell you how it’s done.

First up, we have Shirley Jackson tell us all about motif and symbolism in this New Yorker article. Shirley Jackson wrote the horrifying short story, “The Lottery,” but “Garlic in Fiction” is a lot easier to digest.

She says, “Before entering upon a role, the actor, having of course familiarized himself with the character he is to portray, constructs for himself a set of images, or mental pictures, of small, unimportant things he feels belong around the character.” This is garlic, meant to be used sparingly and in just the right places to give a story a flavor that lingers in the reader’s mind. She follows up with examples. Continue reading →