Metaphysical Elements In Writing – Intro

Hello,

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SE’ers! It’s the beginning of a new year and the start of a new series. I hope your year has started off strong with abundant inspiration!

I have long been a student of all things metaphysical and love putting bits and pieces of what I’ve learned and experienced over the years into stories.

For this new series, I’m going to combine my passion for storytelling and metaphysical elements by discussing in detail how to effectively and tastefully add them to fiction writing.

Image by Amy Art-Dreams from Pixabay

Metaphysical or supernatural elements in writing are not to be confused or aligned with any one religion or spiritual belief. They are Universal. I view the various metaphysical elements available to us as tools we can utilize to dive deeper into our human experience while adding a bit of magic or mysticism.

So, how does that meld with fiction writing?

First, let me share the definition of the word from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics. Of or relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses. Supernatural. Highly abstract or abstruse. Archaic. Imaginary or fanciful A work that deals with such metaphysical questions as the very nature of knowledge.

Suffice it to say, the Fantasy genre and poetry are the easiest in which to interject metaphysical elements that are accepted and believable. But in this new age of awareness, any genre can contain or incorporate one or many metaphysical aspects. Metaphysical fiction can be defined as stories that include some aspect of the inner, supernatural, spiritual, archetypal, or transcendent aspects of human experience. The term ‘metaphysical fiction’ is a description of an emphasis in a book rather than a specific story style. Metaphysical fiction can be romances, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary fiction, even thrillers, and practically anything else.

The story and characters are the most important in all fiction. Therefore, when adding metaphysical elements, they should not detract from the storyline but instead add to it in subtle ways that deepen the plot. When using any aspect of the metaphysical world in a story, you never want to come across as preachy or trying to convince someone of its validity.

Throughout this year, I will focus on a different element each month and show examples of how it can be incorporated into fiction to create more imaginative and creative writing.