Theme motifs

I always found the idea of applying motifs in a story fascinating. I first came across motifs in classical music and felt they can be used in writing as well. It took time to be able to visualize the idea in my stories. Recent research gave me the idea of using a motif. The way to do this, as those who use must already know, is to introduce the motif early. The exactness of the use is immaterial. A lot of word play comes into play as a writer repeats the motif across the narrative.
Finally it culminates into a powerful punch towards the climax of the story and the audience finds it quite satisfying.

Do you use motifs in your stories? What are some of them? Do you use only one? Two? A bunch of them? Is there an upper limit? How literal or how obscure do you make them? Any other thoughts around the idea of using motifs in stories?

 

Oh yeah, I'm guilty of that, sometimes to an excess. I catch myself of overuse now and then, and then I've to cut it out of a scene even though it makes perfect sense then and there, just because I know that I'll be using this motif later on to even better effect.

As with everything, scarcity is key. Overuse at your peril. Give it once in a way that will make an impression on the reader, and then only use it the moment it's meant for.

 

Is it really important to go by the definition or how important is it to go by the definition? I understand what you are trying to do, to get to understand what the idea means. But in contrast with science, in art one has to discover every idea afresh. My idea is that one cannot be told what a motif is. You see it yourself in a work that you enjoy. It is simple. Motif is what keeps you connected with the story from the beginning to the end. It can be a word, a feeling, image, symbol. . . anything really. The important thing is that when you see the narrative as a whole, as one thing, the motifs shine throughout the singular piece. The idea of how great a work is is immaterial. One can equally apply motifs in badly written stories as well.

I am beginning to understand that using motifs in a story frees the writer from the constant preoccupation of what is the meaning of my work. Motif are kernels of meaning sprinkled across a narrative and once I have those I need not worry about the unity of my plot. The distribution of motifs would free me from that concern. I can use this freedom to innovate dialogue, characters, characterization etc.

 

That is interesting. I would love to hear an example of you doing that. From what I have been observing, good use of motifs work with greater density in the beginning of the screenplay (what I have been studying). In the middle of the narrative they grow sparse and finally they hit a few times in Act 3, at just the right place. What is sweetest about motifs is while clever audience can judge and guess the plot, they always enchanted by the motifs and that brings considerable power in the hands of the writer.

 

Okay this empty coffee mug is a motif. And so is the nicotine gum lodged between my gums and lip, that's a motif as well. The talk of motifs in our conversation also is a motif for motifs..

A motif has a definition. It cant just be anything, I'm sorry to say.

You have got to be joking. Motifs are a literary device they aren't the Holy Grail. You still need good plot and characters. You cant weasel your way out of effective and thoughtful writing by sprinkling the magic motif kernels everywhere. Have a novel that reads like an alchemical experiment written by Paracelsus. I.e. nothing but symbolism and allegory.

This over emphasis on a singular aspect is going to have a grave impact on the quality of your writing. I highly suggest you abandon the obsession boat and climb aboard the reasonable raft.

 

@Aceldama

I do not want to try too hard to convince you. Everyone has their own process. But you brought up an example. A coffee mug. Let us see. A coffee mug that was a gift. A gift from the first girl he loved. He was struggling with paranoia and he needed her. She gave her the cup instead. Now she is gone and after her a 100 women are gone. Even the idea of love is gone. All that remains is this cup. Across the years he has wondered if he should give away the cup to someone but he decided against it every time.

Starting with this premise I can write a crime story in which the cup comes up over and over. A group of three terrorists invade his house and plan to blow up something important in the town. They tie him up and make themselves at home. They disagree over the manner of destruction they wish to carry out. One of them wishes to kill people, men, women and children and destroy infrastructure. Another is conscientious and wants to destroy only building. The third wishes to hurt only men and infrastructure. Investigative agencies get the hint of their activities and they take out the two more destructive men and leaves the conscientious one alone. Chagrined at the loss of his partners, he plans to destroy more places in the city. The abducted man talks to him about what's in his heart through the analogy of what's in the cup. The last terrorist bitterly expresses his hate towards civilization and shatters the cup on the floor. He leaves without destroying anything.

The next morning our protagonist sees a woman out in her front yard holding a cup of coffee with both her hands.

Your coffee mug as a motif. For a story, a motif IS the holy grail. Conversely, Holy grail is the motif for that biblical story about the grail. Give something that much importance in your narrative. Nobody says do not work on character and plot. But keep your motif in mind as you do it. Or not. I am easy. That's my motto on the internet. Plenty of space to disagree over here.

 

Well the argument can be made that characters are what makes a story a story so then dialogue is the Holy Grail. Double meanings are nice sure but not always there to that extent. Sometimes there is no motif. Just an imaginative story. Motifs are one aspect of a certain style of writing. Some put more emphasis on their importance than others, obviously.

I still think that a motif cannot stand on its own. Even if you enjoy them they still need to be supported by other aspects of a good story so I still believe you are drastically overstating their value and importance.