An image paints a picture for readers, giving them a sensory experience. Some images are just meant to be descriptive. But a central image can amplify your story’s meaning.
A central image is loaded with more emotional weight. It’s woven into the fabric of your story in a pattern, and reminds your reader what your story’s about.
In this episode, we’ll talk about how to locate a central image and create a pattern with it throughout your story, allowing it to gather meaning and emotional weight with each repetition.
This can amplify your story’s theme and meaning. And even help you organize and shape your material.
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Episode at a glance:
[02:33] How does an image create an experience for the reader? What’s the difference between images that create mere description, and those that have metaphorical reach?
[03:39] Image patterns are images or words that repeat throughout the story, gathering meaning with each repetition.
Sometimes writers will have an image they give attention to in the beginning, and then they’ll drop it from the story. Or they’ll repeat it, but it won’t gather meaning. An image that repeats without deepening disclosure is mere redundancy.
[07:10] Repetition and variation. Learn how to use repetition balanced with variation to amplify your story’s meaning, and gather emotional weight.
[16:53] A central image repeated with variation impacts the reader’s experience, and can help you organize and shape your material.
[09:29] Hear image pattern examples from Margaret Atwood’s story, Cat’s Eye, and Amy Hempel’s short story, In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried. You’ll see how the central image is loaded and orchestrated.
[18:41] To help you master image patterns, I’m sharing a reading and writing exercise.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 141: Four Guidelines For Writing Dazzling Description
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
The Kiss: A Memoir by Kathryn Harrison
Shiloh and Other Stories by Bobbie Ann Mason
Reasons To Live: stories by Amy Hempel
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