Tattoos. Yes or no? And if so, what do they mean?

Questions I had to answer while crafting character, Zane Taylor, in ~ Finding Center ~

When I met Zane for the first time I could tell he was going to be a ton of fun, but there was something deep to his character as well. Zane gave me the opportunity to add elements of symbolism to the story while shaping his persona. Another notable attribute of Zane’s ink is how it helped to title the story.

When the name ~ Finding Center ~ finally came to be, the book was all but written. I was still working on an ending and deep in the middle of a developmental edit, but the title page read:

Book Needs A Damn Title

A Novel by

Jennifer Bishop

Needless to say, I was beginning to panic, but my editor insisted that it would come to me, and all would eventually be fine. She was of course, correct. As I finished my story, read, edited, reread, edited, then read some more, I started to see a trend or a theme or some literary term I have yet to fully understand, but nevertheless, it was there and the title to my new book emerged onto my whiteboard one day from a burst of brainstorming. The board was covered in colorful phrases and symbols and words I had plucked from the depths of different chapters in desperation of trying to name my book. I mean I wrote the damn thing – the least of all that should be naming it.

Vegvisir

One of the symbols on the board was Vegvisir: A symbol from Norse Mythology indicating guidance and protection – it was also Zane’s first tattoo. Translated it means, one will never lose one’s way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known. I think it actually helped to guide me in the direction I needed to go searching for a title.

As I crafted Zane’s life with careful precision, I discovered that all of his body art and jewelry have meaning. One example is on his left hand where he wears a sterling silver ring depicting a man in front of a maze – on his back, the same pictograph is large and has pride of placement.

“The Symbol of Life, or the Man in the Maze symbol shows a human figure at the entrance of a maze with only one path of life and all that it entails such as happiness, sadness, or success and other qualities of that nature. The Man in the Maze design symbolizes experiences and choices we make in our journey through life. The center of the life symbol is your goal in life. They say there is a dream at the center and you reach the dream when you get to the middle of the maze. Upon reaching the center of the maze you have one final opportunity to look back at your choices and path, before the Sun God greets you, blesses you and passes you into the next world. The “Man in the maze,” is an emblem of the Tohono O’odham Nation of Southern Arizona who were formerly known as the Papago Indians,” (Zane Taylor, Finding Center).

It was not only these two symbols aiding in the naming of my novel; the sunflower played a part too as well as others I’ll discuss in the future. But I have learned that adding symbols, throughout the story helped to guide me to the end – or the Center – if you will, and aided in the robust personalities of my characters.

I wish you All the Best in Finding Your Center,

Jennifer

I appreciate your time, and I value your feedback. Please take a moment to rate or share this article below. Your comments are also welcome. All the best to you! Until next time ~ Jennifer