Please note this needs some revision. I'm posting it and waiting for feedback to improve it.

    I thought I would start this article with the definition of symbolism from www.dictionary.com. Unfortunately, I understand what symbolism is, but did not understand the definitions provided. Which oddly says something about symbolism. It is a way of adding meaning to a story, or defining something within the story, whether subtly or blatantly, but does not always convey the same idea as the author intended.
    I will start with blatant symbolism.
    The night was dark and cloudy, as gloomy as the locals’ outlook. The airplane landed on the small, dirt landing strip with no illumination but what the plane itself projected. It carried with it the rural community’s only hope. Precious medication and a much needed doctor.
    In the above paragraph, I described a bleak scene. The dark and cloudy night are, in my mind at least, symbolic of the mood. The airplane landing in the gloom, illuminated with its own light, is symbolic of a light in the darkness. A new hope is arriving.
    There are various ways to add to this symbolism, depending on the story type.
    In the moments before the plane would have landed, a missile launched, striking the airplane as it descended. The small craft had no chance. Not against weapons fire nor a direct hit. It burst into flame, littering the airstrip with debris. Within moments the air field darkened, leaving but a memory of former hope.
    With this paragraph, I indicated the destruction of hope. The one light in the darkness was extinguished. A possible motivator for a hero to step forward and combat the destroyer of hope. Again, it depends on the story.
    With story variation comes different symbolism options. It does not need to be blatant. I find subtly interesting.
    I will use my story “A Good Muse Goes A Long Way” as an example.
    Cassandra Drakos is a character concept inspired by Greek mythology. She is a half-human Muse and daughter of Apollo.
    .Her name is ironic, an allusion to Homer, a Greek poet, and a book by Marian Zimmer Bradley called Firebrand. In Marian Zimmer Bradley’s version of the assault on Troy presented in Homer’s Iliad, Cassandra was a virgin of Apollo’s temple who rejected, ironically, Apollo’s sexual advances. She was gifted with Sight and cursed to never be believed. I found it somewhat perversely amusing to name Apollo’s daughter Cassandra in my story.
    Then the story starts off with some subtle hints to who, and what, Cassandra is. She is headed for a Greek restaurant to pay respect to her father on a bright sunny day. The restaurant obviously shows a connection to the Greek. The bright sunny day is an indication of Apollo, her father, often known as a sun god.
    The child being rescued is “Alex.” This is short for the Greek name “Alexandria” which can refer to the center of knowledge that was once the Great Library of Alexandria. Something definitely worth protecting.
    It did not take much to add this type of symbolism to a story. It helped that I was familiar with the material I was working with. I also had www.wikipedia.com open to aid with additional information.
    Symbolism does not need to be this complex to be worthwhile, however. The simple use of a name, and its meaning, can be symbolic. A name’s definition can subtly refer to a character’s strengths and weaknesses, or it can be used to add an aspect of sarcasm or irony.
    Baby names world has a large selection of names for both male, and female, characters of various ethnic origins. A quick meaning search at http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/meaning-search.html with the selected meaning “warrior” provides seven pages of name options.
    For this example, I chose page four. This page about half-way down has the name “Gideon.” The name means “hewer; mighty warrior.” I had to access www.dictionary.com for the definition of hewer. To hew is to strike something with an axe, basically.
    Simple symbolism would be to name a hero Gideon who is a strong warrior, or soldier for contemporary stories. Though, additional information can be added to it. Complexity works.
    The name is Hebrew, and a type of Bible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Bible cites a Biblical passage involving a man named Gideon. It indicates that the name Gideon is presented by a religious organization to promote an image. That image is of a devout Christian from the Bible. It would make for a good Christian religious hero.
    At the same time, that information does not need to be used in that manner. The name Gideon can be used for a character whose parents wanted him to be similar to the Biblical Gideon. Maybe, for whatever reason, that does not work for the character. Being unable to live up to parental expectations is good drama for a story.
    There are many options for symbolism. It can be blatant or subtle. It depends on the story and the author. It can add depth, irony, sarcasm and even humor. I am sure there are books out there indicating right and wrong symbolism usage. I never was good at following other people’s rules.
.....“Do what feels right.”