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(I’m not southern, I’m a midlander, but southern speak is far too fun and convenient sometimes.)
So, I am here to do what I do best…start a topic, say my piece, and then disappear into the night to watch/stalk from the distance. I’m kinda an introvert online and more of an extrovert in person, lol. Anyway.
So. Theme. What is the main theme at play in your story—the lesson that the character(s) learns and the feeling of depth the reader comes away with? Also, is there a scene in your story that you love love love because it shows/proves this theme so beautifully? What is your favorite way to show the theme?
The theme for my main series, the Wars of the Roses, is loyalty—and all the questions and problems that come along with that. It’s a series, I have a lot of time to explore each question.
One of my favorite ways to show theme, especially when it’s a hard topic and has nuance, is to have parallel characters. For example, I have two characters who have similar personalities and a similar dilemma, but when faced with the same choice, they each take different paths. It’s not necessarily a good vs bad path because every situation is different, but there are definitely times when wisdom is not applied and there are huge consequences because of that.
This allows me to showcase both/many sides of the issue and the problems/rewards that can go along with each of them.
Of course, this is easier for me to do because a) I have a large cast of characters and b) they all are faced with pretty much the same choice—where do you put your loyalty, and is it ever okay to break that loyalty?
So that’s really just me. What’s it like for all you guys?
~ L
Cool topic! I have a couple projects going right now, but my favorite theme of the two is probably from my futuristic/sci-fi one, Skyracer. It’s got a couple different themes: 1) you are not defined/you don’t find your worth in what you do or accomplish and 2) it kind of touches on racism as well.
I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.comOooooh, glad you made this topic.
I honestly think that a good theme is one of the main things that makes a story memorable.
Loyalty is definitely something that can be explored in a story a lot of different ways. It can get pretty deep and complicated!
I also agree that showing both sides of the theme makes it much more thought provoking, instead of just slamming the reader in the head with a message.
The theme in the story I’m currently writing is trust.
About how trusting others may seem impossible at times, but you can’t live without it.
Throughout the story the main character thinks he can do everything on his own, and fears trusting anyone besides himself.
Exploring things like how do we know who or when to trust? Can we ever trust someone again after we’ve been hurt? And why is trust so important?
Do you come up with the theme before, after, or while you’re writing the first draft?
Oh, me too. A good theme makes the story, because a good theme is so deeply rooted in to the character’s arc that it almost ceases to become a theme and is just part of the character’s struggle. It adds such a depth, doesn’t it?! I love theme so much. Honestly, when I want to just throw up my hands and give up, the story themes is what draws me back every time.
Loyalty IS extremely complex, which is one reason why I love it. Trust is right in there with it though, I got excited at the possibilities with just that little bit you described! What is your genre and general plot again? Sorry if I asked you already, lol.
When do I come up with the theme…well, it’s typically before the drafting begins, but during the outlining stage. It’s normally when I’m brainstorming character arcs that I come up with a theme, because I look for/find connections between characters that might help show a point in something they’re struggling with.
I’m a crazy outliner and planner, btw, it’s my main weakness. 😂 I could outline for eternity, but I’ve forced myself to stop at certain points and just try to write the thing.
Honestly I feel very blessed because finding the themes for my two WIP were one of the biggest things that just seemed to click perfectly into place. They were kinda there under the surface I guess and after I studied theme for a while I just…found them, lol.
Do you have Google Hangouts? I have your email, we could chat about story in more detail without clogging up the form 😂
@jenwriter17 Lol same, I have two WIPs and they never leave me alone so I have to try to write both of them at once 😂
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Oooh, any story that touches on racism has my interest piqued already…my medieval story has some set up of nation vs nation and false things believed on both sides, so thats kind of there as well…and I think it’s a great topic to touch on, ’cause it’s always been there and will probably always be as long as there’s a sinful human being on earth. Keep up the good theme ideas. 👏👏</p>@lrc GREAT TOPIC; a couple themes in my novel are forgiveness, change, loyalty, love, betrayal, sorrow, rising, leadership, and longing. Lots of scenes in my book show these themes, and…I just had a really great idea for a really emotionally-packed scene so THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS.
Well, my favourite way to show theme is to build up certain things until they reach a startling climax where characters meet and things get crazy. (I like when characters interact.)
I like large casts of characters, too; I have a WHOLE lot of characters, but…I’m still working on how I’m going to wrap up the immense number of plot threads into a single, climactical, piece.
How many characters do you have?
@leon-fleming
Oooh I’m glad you had an idea!! Theme is so fun to talk about, lol. 😁 Really gets the mind imaging.
I have about 10 main characters in the first book of my series, as well as a host of side characters. A few of thoses become important later in the series too, lol. Of course, it helps when some are killed off, then you have more room for more. 😜 And of course, having them meet is soooo much fun it can’t even be explained.
One thing I’ve discovered in my writing journey is that sometimes, sometimes, the rules must be broken. I’m talking specifically when it comes to tying storylines all together in one climactic part. Of course, since your story is all fiction/fantasy, it’s easier to do that since you can control all of their character arcs…but for me, working with both historical and fictional characters, it made it almost impossible for me to have one climax happen at the same time/place for every character. You can’t change history, and you can’t force anything on a character if it makes them go out of…well, character.
It was such a huge struggle for me to realize this, but in the end I figured out that it was okay to not have all the characters have their climaxes at the same time. Who are the first book, the one main climax happens for 75% of the characters…the other 25% have theirs a little before or after the main one. As long as I stick to a general structure for everyone’s character arc, I feel good about it.
Hope you are able to get yours all smoothed out! Take it from me, once it starts clicking together is going to feel amazing, and it will motivate you to write all the more. 😁😉
Ah, beautiful topic idea! Love it. And I agree, this topic is so one that brings together the WIP and clenches it in all the awesome ways. XD
I don’t have one particular theme in my current WIP, Out of the Ashes. More like a combination of a bunch of them that all intertwine and get really confusing- which I guess becomes much of the theme in and of itself. When you have so many conflicting interests and taut strings pulling you in so many directions, which one wins out? For some of my characters it’s just what they want, and they have the power to do it. For others it’s their care for people, etc. But in the end, when all else fails, how will they grapple with losing everything, really? Is it the end of the beginning of them and their lives?
I haven’t really based my books off of themes that way, though I’ve had ideas based off themes before. Mostly I end up going with things that are based heavily off my own life, especially in OOTA. 🙂
Prendre garde ~ I bleed ink
@lrc XD Yeah, me too! Yes, it is!
I KNOW! I have somewhere around nine main characters with a whole bunch of really important side characters; XD Yeah! Killing them off gets really fun for the writer, but not for the character! XD I have several really heart-tearing death scenes planned, so I hope people’ll like those. I mean, they won’t like what happens, I’ll bet, but they just might like how things turn out in the end.
YES!! Having them meet is great; especially when one of them doesn’t appreciate another one’s presence: EX: Thor and “Star Lord” (Quill).
That makes a lot of sense, that does. Is that partly why you’re writing a series?
Have you heard the number one most important writing rule? Well, the rule states that (and I quote), “There are no rules.” Don’t ask me, I didn’t write it. (This “rule” may or may not be a reason why I like English more than Math. XD)
Yep; that’s about what happens some times. Hope that works out for you!
Thanks! Me too! (XD) Yes, definitely; I can’t wait to begin writing the first draft. But I have to plot, plan, and finish projects I’m working on right now, so that’ll take some time.
I guess conflicting loyalties would be the best way I can think of to describe it. 😛
Prendre garde ~ I bleed ink
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