By Sandrina de Klerk
Have you ever read a book (Christian or non-Christian) that was right out bad? Maybe the dialogue was unrealistic and wordy. Maybe the plot was predictable and slow. And maybe the characters were bland like chocolate-chip-cookies with no chocolate chips. What was lacking in this story?
GIF from Giphy
A lot of Christian fiction gets criticised for being preachy. It’s created a fear for many writers--terrified of falling into the same pit of despair. How do you write beautiful themes without being preachy? Let’s look to someone who did not fall into that trap. Perhaps he can help us out, please join me in welcoming C.S. Lewis. Over one million copies of Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been adapted to films by both the BBC and Disney. His books are anything but boring and preachy, so what can he teach us about writing books with wonderful themes?
1. Lewis Wrote Good Stories
“We must not of course write anything that will flatter lust, pride or ambition. But we needn’t all write patently moral or theological work. Indeed, work whose Christianity is latent may do quite as much good and may reach some whom the more obvious religious work would scare away. The first business of a story is to be a good story. When Our Lord made a wheel in the carpenter shop, depend upon it: It was first and foremost a good wheel. Don’t try to ‘bring in’ specifically Christian bits: if God wants you to serve him in that way (He may not: there are different vocations) you will find it coming in of its own accord. If not, well—a good story which will give innocent pleasure is a good thing, just like cooking a good nourishing meal. . . . Any honest workmanship (whether making stories, shoes, or rabbit hutches) can be done to the glory of God.” -A letter to Cynthia Donnelly (August 14, 1954).
A friend of mine commented that: “Lewis lived Christianity, that’s why he wrote it.”
Which is true--as Christians, the Truth we know affects everything we write. As well as guiding his themes, it drove Lewis and continues to drive many writers to write excellently.
Lewis wrote with that goal. As a result, his stories are quality. It’s the branded stuff. He has great humor, unique characters, realistic dialogue, exciting plots, and heart-tugging resolutions.
Often, we’re so caught up in wanting to write a stupendous and moving theme, we forget to write a good story. Much of the so-termed “preachy” Christian fiction out there actually has a good theme. But that's lost when it's tacked on as an afterthought, when it's forced onto the reader, or the story is sacrificed for the sake of the theme.
Excellence should be something that we as Christians strive for in every area of life--including writing. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us we should do all to the glory of God. If we are writing stories to the glory of God (as we should), we should strive to write excellently in every area of story. What good is it, to have a great theme, if you have an empty story? A good story will let the theme reveal itself through the characters and plot, which we’ll discuss later.
So, strive for excellence in all areas of writing. Truth for the Christian will illuminate everything we write. I want to be the best storyteller I can be, and write the best stories I can, and through them, point readers to my Savior.
2. Lewis Went Deep
Theme should be deep and complex like all of the best characters. In the same way we create three-dimensional characters, we should create a three-dimensional theme.
The real beauty of the theme is how it affects every aspect of a story. The characters, the plot, the dialogue, the actions, etc.
One of the beautiful things about Lewis’ stories is the depth and the simplicity. Which sounds like an oxymoron, but I assure you it is not.
Think of Aslan’s rich, short lines of dialogue. They are simple, and at the same time, incredibly deep. You get what he is saying--and then you can get what he was saying.
“I have come," said a deep voice behind them.
They turned and saw the Lion himself, so bright and real and strong that everything else began at once to look pale and shadowy compared with him.
-Aslan, The Silver Chair.
“Courage, dear heart.”
-Aslan, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
“Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger".
"That is because you are older, little one" answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
-Aslan, Prince Caspian
Dialogue like this can be a wonderful thing to have, but make sure you don't overuse it. Not every line of dialogue needs to be something profound (some of you were getting worried there, I'm sure!).
Although the theme is woven into everything, not everything has to be theme.
That brings us back to the importance of writing a good and enjoyable story; it’s okay to have funny dialogue! Think of Puddleglum (who has his share of profound statements.)
“And you must always remember there's one good thing about being trapped down here: it'll save funeral expenses.”
-Puddleglum, The Silver Chair.
Lewis doesn’t just do this in dialogue. Actions can speak as loud and louder than words, and simplicity can be as powerful in actions as it can in dialogue. For instance, Aslan does a simple thing and forgives a traitor--Edmund. It’s simple, but it’s complex. The price for sin still has to be paid--and it’s a great price, indeed.
So go deep; don’t shy away from complexity,and never underestimate the power of simplicity. You don’t have to be wordy, and you don’t have to force anything. When you write, consider how the theme can pull everything together. It’s the core of your story, so let it affect the whole of your story.
3. Lewis Let the Story Speak
Not everyone will get it...and that’s okay.
You know the person that doesn’t get the joke till five minutes later? Or needs it explained about five times before they laugh?
I’m sure most of us have either been that person, or been in the company of that person. Or both. It takes away from the joke, doesn’t it? The moment’s gone, and it’s no longer funny.
I know, as a writer, how much we want people to get our theme, right? You’ve poured your heart and soul into this story, and hearing that some might not get it--well, that kind of hurts. But I have great news for you. Whether they can name your theme or not, the theme has shaped them unknowingly, the same way the theme has moulded the story.
Some people get it, and some people don’t. But those who get it--well, they’ll get it.
My friend, as a non-Christian, didn’t think much of Narnia, but after she became a Christian, she revisited the books she saw and loved the thematic beauty in them. Her sister loved the books as a child and adult, but sees none of the things my friend does. They both love the books, but one sees the things Lewis was showing in a different way than the other.
Lewis once said this:
“I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralysed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or the sufferings of Christ? I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. The whole subject was associated with lowered voices; almost as if it were something medical. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday School associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could.”
An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. It comes back to the classic rule of “show don’t tell”. Don’t tell your readers what to think or feel. Show them the theme through the characters. Through who they become, what changes and what doesn't change about them over the course of the story, will reveal your theme in a much more realistic way. Your job, as the writer, is not to tell them a moral, but to tell them a story. A beautiful story. A good story.
The theme itself is not what moves people; rather, it’s what the story shows about the theme. Theme is like the butter in a sandwich, you don’t always see it, but you taste it, and it holds everything together. What holds Lewis' books together is not only his exciting plots and memorable characters, but also the deep themes that run through them and spill through his characters.
GIF from Giphy
So how do we do the same? Show, don't tell. Humans are stubborn. When we get told “don’t do this” we have the sudden urge to do that very thing. As Lewis said, an obligation to feel can freeze feelings. When we're told to believe something, we are compelled to believe the opposite.
Let’s take a quick look at one of my favorite books from The Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy. I believe the theme of this story is providence.
Shasta struggles through the story, faced with painful events, fears and trials.
The following scene comes after he’s accomplished his mission, and delivered the message to the king of Archenland. But after the victory, which feels like anything but, he’s lost, tired and alone in the fog. Until a stranger he can’t see begins to talk to him.
“Tell me your sorrows,” he says. And Shasta does. He tells him the story of his life. About all the pain, all the sorrow, and the ridiculous amount of lions he’s met.
“I do not call you unfortunate,” said the Large Voice.
“Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?” said Shasta.
“There was only one lion.” said the Voice.
“What on earth do you mean? I’ve just told you there were at least two lions the first night, and -”
“There was only one, but he was swift of foot.”
“How do you know?”
“I was the lion.”
And as Shasta gasped with an open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you as you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”
“Then it was you who wounded Aravis?”
“It was I.”
“But what for?”
“Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”
-C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy
This scene fills me with awe. The words are not big, it’s not confusing. It’s simple, and so, so deep. Beautiful and moving. The whole story now makes sense. Everything has led up to this moment.
The theme: providence. The question Shasta’s asking, “Why?” and the answer given, “Everything had a reason, and everything always will.”
Not everyone will get all the deeper meanings that Lewis has interwoven to his stories, but some will. Stories this beautiful and deep are the stories that will stick with you, even when you’re too young to understand why. (Anyone know why that sounds familiar?). They are the ones that are always worth returning to.
So, as you head off to write that beautiful story with its moving theme, remember what Lewis can teach us:
1. Don’t sacrifice a good story with thematic speeches
2. With each scene, consider how you can weave your theme through the actions and the dialogue.
3. Don’t tack your theme on! Instead plot your story around it.
4. Don’t be afraid of simplicity, but don’t shy away from complexity.
5. Resist the urge to over-explain. Readers are smart, overexplaining can lessen the impact of what you said.
And there we go. We’ve examined what Lewis can teach us about theme. Themes can be hard and daunting, but never fear! Lewis is not the only writer to have written brilliant stories with great themes. Which means you can too.
There’s no shortcut; writing a book as powerful as this takes hard work and practice. But no one ever said it would be easy (if someone did, they lied). As a writer, I’m sure you know this. You know you’ll go through struggles, but you also know it will be truly worth it.
What books have you read where a powerful theme added to the story, rather than detracted from it?
Sandrina de Klerk
Sandrina de Klerk has been a lover of all things story for years.
She started by telling stories to her dad, then creating imaginary worlds, and loosing herself in adventure stories. When she was eight, she wrote her first story up on the computer…it was about twins who had a birthday party and received a puppy.
She writes with the aim to craft flawed and human characters, stories with strong, compelling themes, and gripping plots. Stories that contrast human weakness against God’s strength, and create a longing for the good, true, and beautiful.
When she’s not writing or reading, you can find her with her family, listening to music, studying, lost creating music on piano or guitar, running, playing sports, doing fun stuff with her dog, memorising passages, or making short films with friend
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Awesome article, Sandrina! You dug out some amazing practical advice here!
Thank you, Lulu!
Wow, this was amazing. I loved your point on not sacrificing the story for the theme. I think I tend to over think theme sometimes, and I found this personally really helpful.
Lord of the Rings and Narnia are definitely the first books that come to mind when I think of powerful themes…
Yes, it’s a helpful point to remember! Thanks, Malana!
I loved so many things about this article! Countless great points and lines that really resonated with me.
When I think of theme done well, I definitely think of Lewis and Tolkien, but also a few other times when I was so busy loving the family bonds/courage/selflessness in a story that I didn’t even notice how much they impacted and inspired me until later.
Thank you for this! 😀
Thanks so much, Iona! I’m glad this was useful.
Awesome! I’ve noticed that I have a few themes that are influenced by my worldview: for example, a lost character, searching for his family, whom he never got the chance to know. The character (he is usually either a teen or grown up, for some reason) is plunged into danger, but the story’s climax hits when he finally finds some part of his family (usually his father, do you see what that resembles?) who welcomes him with open arms. I noticed a theme something like this in not one, but TWO of my fanfictions.
That’s very interesting! I see what you mean :). Keep writing!
What a beautiful read! Thank you for the lovely article, Sandrina! Now I’m having to resist the urge to re-read Chronicles of Narnia for the millionth time… 😛