In Defense of Theme
Posted by annastan on June 13th, 2012. Filed under: Craft, My Epic Fairy Tale Fail, Revision, Theme, Writing the Sequel.I know the word “theme” probably brings many of us back to analyzing books in English class and trying to figure out their Great Meaning, what they’re Saying About Society. But the longer I write, the more I realize that theme is actually extremely useful in creating a story. Not in the Great Meaning sort of way, but in Making Sure My Story Holds Together.
Obligatory cat picture:
Why am I thinking of theme? Well, as I’ve been plugging away at revising Book 2 (which I guess I should start calling by its proper name, MY EPIC FAIRY TALE FAIL) I’ve realized that one of my editor’s comments basically boils down to theme. When I look at the major themes in Book 1, for me they’re about accepting your identity and about overcoming fear.
But when I tried to come up with a nice, succinct theme for Book 2, I realized I didn’t have one. Uh oh. That was not a good sign. So I started brainstorming, and I realized that my character didn’t have enough of an emotional shift in the story. Once I knew she needed a bigger emotional arc, the theme came in all by itself: Never give up.
So there you have it. My argument in defense of theme. For me, theme isn’t about what the story Means; it’s about what you want your reader to take away from it. Once you have that, the theme can help keep you on track from beginning to end.
Anyone else out there use theme when creating a story?
June 13th, 2012 at 9:18 am
Absolutely right, Anna. And I don’t think theme needs to be complicated–it’s really about the emotional arc of your MC. And totally helps keep you on track.
June 13th, 2012 at 9:31 am
What you want your reader to take away from the story is the perfect definition of theme, Anna!
June 13th, 2012 at 9:46 am
Hi Anna!
It’s entirely possible that I’ve been brainwashed by my English teachers, but I always use theme when I write. Like you say, it gives me a direction. It also gives my stories purpose and my characters motivation. A favorite theme of mine is identity: know who you are and like it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s the theme (or one of them) for one of my stories, and it’s worked as a compass for me–every time I felt I was getting lost in the tangled forest of the plot, or if I felt I was losing my main character’s, well, character, I’d just remember the main theme and get back on track. Perhaps themes are more important to writers than to readers. While trying to find the main theme of a story may be limiting to the reader, it can work like a road map for the writer.
=0)
June 13th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Absolutely! If I can’t articulate to myself what the themes are for my project, then I know it’s not refined enough to pursue yet. When I can articulate what I want to resonate with the reader, then I know I can proceed. The themes are inextricably related to the character’s story and development.
June 13th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Absolutely! If I can’t articulate to myself what the themes are for my project, then I know it’s not refined enough to pursue yet. When I can articulate what I want to resonate with the reader, then I know I can proceed. The themes are inextricably related to the character’s story and development. It also seems that when I’m able to state the themes, the story events reveal themselves and the plot starts to form.
June 13th, 2012 at 11:42 am
I like how you echoed your character’s quest with your own search for her and the second book. Never give up, and look- it’s a book!
June 13th, 2012 at 11:54 am
this topic is highly relevant today – i just blogged about a similar question i was asked over the weekend!
an agent i was chatting with asked me what the heart of my story was. the heart?! not the pitch, the query, the synopsis, the elevator pitch, the genre, etc?
i was thrown for a loop, then fully inspired. the heart is what makes the story, and should be considered throughout the entire process
June 13th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Ha–I just blogged about this last week! http://taradairman.com/2012/06/08/finding-themo/
June 14th, 2012 at 6:40 am
Congrats! My theme is always based around the character arc. That’s good you caught that. Sounded like it was there just needed to be highlighted!
June 14th, 2012 at 7:20 am
I really like the question, what do you want your reader to take away from this story– nice definition of theme.
And I love your obligatory cat picture.
June 14th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
I think it’s smart to think of theme that way when developing your book. I have a theme for my WIP. Happy revising!