Stories entertain, educate, and provide insight into the human experience. Strong themes separate excellent stories from the mediocre. While many may associate themes with morality, it's essential to understand that themes encompass more complicated ideas and concepts. Let's explore the significance of crafting stories with strong themes, why you should settle on a theme early in the creative process, and how themes can strengthen your narrative.
What is a Theme?
Theme forms the backbone of a well-written story, novel, or screenplay; it provides cohesion and depth for all aspects of the story. Themes are not limited to morality and can encompass a spectrum of ideas without limits. For example, "bad always defeats good" and "good always conquers evil" both form viable themes.
Draft Your Themes Early in the Process
Settle on a theme early in the creative process. This decision creates a foundation upon which you can build your narrative. By choosing a theme upfront, you establish a clear direction for your story; this helps you make important decisions about characters, plot, and setting that line up behind a specific purpose.
Consider a writer who decides that the theme of their story is "the corrupting nature of power." Armed with this theme early in the process, they can create characters and situations that explore power dynamics, ambition, and the consequences of unchecked authority. Every plot twist, character arc, and setting choice can be evaluated against this theme, ensuring the story remains cohesive and purposeful.
Themes as a Narrative Backbone
Theme as a narrative backbone provides structure and meaning to your work. Here's how themes function as a vital storytelling tool:
Consistency: A strong theme helps maintain consistency throughout your narrative. It ensures that your characters' actions and decisions align with the central idea you want to convey. This consistency enhances the reader's immersion and engagement with the story.
Depth and Subtext: Themes add depth and subtext to your storytelling. They allow you to explore complex issues and emotions beneath the surface, making your story more thought-provoking and resonant with your audience.
Purpose: Themes give your story a sense of purpose. Whether your theme concerns the triumph of good over evil, it provides a clear direction for your narrative and helps you avoid meandering plotlines or irrelevant subplots.
Reader Engagement: A well-developed theme can resonate with readers personally. It invites them to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives, making the story more relatable and memorable.
Unity: Themes unify elements of your story, from character development to plot progression. This unity contributes to a seamless and satisfying reading experience.
Strong themes in novels often resonate with readers and provide a unifying framework for the story. Here are a few examples of solid themes in novels:
The Pursuit of Identity in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:
Theme: The search for one's identity and the struggle to find authenticity in a conformist society.
Strength: This theme reflects the universal struggle of adolescence and the desire to break free from societal expectations. Holden Caulfield's journey to discover his true self resonates with readers who have faced similar challenges, making the theme relatable and thought-provoking.
The Corruption of Power in Animal Farm by George Orwell:
Theme: The corrupting influence of power and the dangers of totalitarianism.
Strength: This theme explores the timeless issue of how individuals and groups can become corrupted when they gain unchecked authority. Orwell's allegorical storytelling warns about the potential consequences of power, making the theme relevant in manifold historical and political contexts.
Love and Sacrifice in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:
Theme: The transformative power of love and the willingness to sacrifice for those for whom we care.
Strength: This theme delves into human emotions and the profound impact of love in the face of adversity. The characters' willingness to sacrifice for each other evokes empathy and emotional connection in readers, making it a compelling and enduring theme.
The Complexity of Good and Evil in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee:
Theme: The exploration of moral ambiguity and the coexistence of good and evil in society.
Strength: This theme challenges simplistic notions of morality and highlights the complexities of human nature. Through characters like Atticus Finch and Boo Radley, the novel forces readers to confront difficult questions about justice, prejudice, and empathy, fostering deep reflection on these issues.
The Loss of Innocence in Lord of the Flies by William Golding:
Theme: Examining how societal norms break down, leading to the loss of innocence and the emergence of primal instincts.
Strength: This theme explores the dark side of human nature and the fragility of civilization. The descent of the stranded boys into chaos and violence forms an allegory for the potential consequences of unchecked human impulses, making the theme thought-provoking and haunting.
These examples demonstrate that strong novel themes touch on fundamental aspects of the human condition, challenge preconceived notions, and invite readers to reflect on complex issues. They provide a lens through which readers can engage with the story's characters, conflicts, and messages, ultimately making the narrative more compelling and resonant.
One can’t overstate the importance of writing stories with strong themes. While themes are not limited to morality, they guide your storytelling, offering consistency, depth, purpose, and reader engagement. By settling on a theme early in the creative process and evaluating every narrative element against it, you can create a compelling and cohesive narrative that resonates with your audience.
Your Assignment
Select a Theme: Choose a theme for your novel. Remember that your theme should not be limited to morality but can encompass more complicated ideas and concepts. Consider themes that resonate with you personally or explore societal issues. Some examples could include "the cost of ambition," "the resilience of the human spirit," or "the consequences of unchecked technology."
Write a brief paragraph (150-200 words) elaborating on your chosen theme. Describe how your theme will align with elements of your novel, including characters, plot, setting, and conflict. How will the theme influence your characters' development and your story's progression?
Happy writing.
Watch a Novel Grow in Real Time
Theme for Thornhill: Strange Love
Thornhill: Strange Love delves into the inescapable grip of the past on the present. Charles, seeking refuge from the suffocating expectations of his high-society family, leaps into the unknown by joining a nomadic carnival. He discovers love in his new world, believing he has finally outrun the shadows of his upbringing.
When life in the carnival becomes unbearable, Charles attempts to leave the past again by fleeing with his new love. But choices made in the carnival lead to an inescapable reckoning when the carnival catches up with him.
Ultimately, Charles’s relationship with his past comes full circle. With no other option, he and his lover return to Thornhill Mansion, where he sought to escape from the beginning. Here, they confront the truth that one can never sever the ties that bind them to their past. As Charles and his lover navigate the web of love, regret, and destiny, they must come to terms with the hooks that forever link them to the world they thought they could leave behind.
