Write-Bytes by Linda S. Gunther
Most of us have heard the famous expression from the great philosopher Aristotle:
“The whole is the sum of its parts.”
It’s an old adage that applies to many things in life and I believe also links to writing a book.
As writers, we create our characters, a plot, and hopefully, have a theme. Our story is usually comprised of a series of events whereas our plot is a structure we use to show the connection between those events. The theme is basically the central message of our story.
If we are missing any one of these three parts, our story may fall flat, not have the “legs” or “depth” readers look for, and savor. The central theme is the “WHY” in any piece of writing, and is linked to the author searching for, and finding meaning in what s/he has written.
In my first novel, Ten Steps from the Hotel Inglaterra, the story is related to the protagonist breaking down the walls she’s built up to protect her heart after losing her younger sister to suicide. She begins her re-awakening on a solo trip to Havana, Cuba, where she allows herself to open up, be vulnerable. Then, she takes a risk which threatens her personal safety but ultimately leads her to true love. So, why did I write this story?Partly to go through my own real-life grieving process. And I wanted to show how a family tragedy can affect a person for several years, and how engaging in a self-less act to benefit a family outside one’s own can serve as part of the personal healing process. In a few words, the theme of my book is this: dealing with grief through self-less action.
Without a theme, the story can feel one-dimensional and merely a re-counting of events that happen to the characters. The setting may be intriguing, the characters colorful, the plot brilliant, but if the central theme is not decipherable to the reader, the book may disappoint. The reader may feel cheated.
Sample themes seen in great books include:
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Theme: Redemption, betrayal and the complex relationship between fathers and sons
- The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson
Theme: Alienation, unrequited love and “be careful what you wish for”
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Theme: Stepping up in the face of adversity
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Theme: The allure of forbidden love and “money doesn’t buy happiness”
Here are some actions to help you discover the central theme of your story:
- Ask yourself, beneath the plot, subplots, characters and descriptions of places, what is this story really about? What is the main theme? Key message?
- Have one sentence or phrase that you keep in your mind as you write your story. It will help you stay on track and retain the central idea throughout your work. (e.g.: the battle between good and evil, money doesn’t buy happiness, the allure of forbidden love)
- Think about what the protagonist learns (insights gained) from going through the conflict scenario and then from resolving the conflict? Write yourself a statement about what was learned.
- Be clear on HOW the protagonist changes as a result of what s/he went through in the story? Make sure your readers will understand and see this change. The change in your protagonist should be evident in the protagonist’s dialogue, actions, thoughts as well as the narrator’s reflections. SHOW THIS vs TELL THIS in your story. Keep in mind that the change for the character doesn’t need to be a huge change. It can be “being inflexible, stubborn to becoming more flexible and less stubborn.”
Developing a powerful and CLEAR theme for your story can set your book apart from the rest.
Stay tuned for next week. Look for this BLOG every FRIDAY which will l be posted at 9 a.m.
Next week’s WRITE-BYTES post will be titled DOING RESEARCH FOR YOUR STORY.
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