Apply for The Verge
Captivate your readers with indelible images and deep emotional connections by mastering the use of symbolism.
Participants will learn:
- The different types of symbolism (object, setting, motif, color, recurring imagery, and more)
- How symbolism differs from theme — and how the two work together
- Ways to organically generate symbols rooted in character, conflict, and setting
- Techniques for weaving symbolism into a manuscript without feeling heavy-handed
- How to layer meaning through repetition and variation
- Revision strategies for strengthening (or simplifying) symbolic elements
- Guided exercises to help you develop and apply symbolism in your own work
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore different types of symbolism and practice techniques for generating and incorporating symbolism into your writing in order to make your stories shine.
About Writing Barn Craft Webinars:
Industry professionals: authors, agents, editors, etc. facilitate these events. Price points are low and attendance is high, anywhere from 50-200+ attendees. Writing craft and industry engagement are explored. *REPLAYS are made available for all registrants 2 business days after the event and are available for a limited time.*
Jessica Vitalis is an award-winning, Columbia MBA-wielding middle grade author with Greenwillow/HarperCollins. Her books have been translated into three languages, received multiple starred reviews, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, and a 2025 NCTE Notable Verse Novel designation. In addition to appearing on “Best Book” lists for Kirkus and CCBC, Jessica also won the Reading the West Book Award, the WWW 2024 WILLA Literary Award, and the High Plains International Book Award. She is also a 2026 Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee. An American-Canadian, Jessica currently lives and writes in Ontario but speaks at schools, conferences, and festivals all over North America. She also works as a developmental editor helping middle grade and young adult authors find the stories they are truly meant to tell.
About Jessica Vitalis
