No Time to Write?

As a writer-mama short on time to write, I look for mini-writing exercises that I can do in my head if that is all I have time for. One such activity is symbol association. It's fun and an easy one to do with a child.

Symbols are all around us.

They are woven in literature like a metaphorical backbone in a piece of writing that helps the reader learn the deeper quality of prose written in between the lines.

They are strong points in our daily lives, giving us reassurance, a foundation, the space and time to breathe.

Symbols, or objects, help us connect with small moments in our day-to-day lives as well as accompany us through bigger, emotional moments in our lifetime. During the month of April, "Earth Month" on my blog, I tried to utilize various symbols in my blog posts (e.g., umbilical cord, fire, circle, boats, bees, flowers, cycles, seeds, and footprints). By starting out with a symbol or object, I tried to think how it relates to me as a writer-mama.

Symbol Association

1. Take any object in front of you. Just grab it and hold it.


2. Right now my object is an apple core. Yesterday it was a toy telephone while I was playing with my daughter.


3. Ask yourself the following questions (don't worry, they may seem silly but it really helps to stir up creativity in a short amount of time):

• How do I interact with this object?


• What is one word that can describe my emotional attachment to it?


• If I could ask this object one question, what would it be?


• Consider the structure of it. What is at its core or its main frame that you can relate to?


• How might this object be used in a piece of writing? Have you read a book or article recently that used it?


• What does your object represent in your life?

4. Tag the object in your mind with a set of words that you can recall later when you have more time to write.

5. Create a list of symbols/objects in a notebook where you can write the objects name and its tag words.

6. Use your list when working on your pieces of writing. If you don't want to use the symbols or objects from your list, then your list will at least help you to remember the value of using symbols in literature.

Ready for this exercise? I'd love to hear what symbols or objects make their way into your daily lives. What value do they hold for you as a writer-mama?