✒️ Writers’ Wisdom ~ Are You Using Motifs in Your Stories?

What is a Motif?

Motifs are recurring elements in a novel. Motifs can be physical objects, images, actions, sounds, symbols, or abstract ideas. The most important thing to note about motifs is that they repeat themselves throughout the story. The elements may not appear in the same form, but they will share the same message.

For example, an author may wish to use ticking clocks, wristwatches, and hourglasses as a series of symbols to represent one motif (i.e. the passage of time). That motif will then tie into the story’s main theme (i.e. the transience of life).

Source