Think back to a work of literature you've read that had a strong influence on you, one that kept you enamored well after you closed the cover. What was it about the story that had such a strong impact compared to those that you've now forgotten about? It may have had fleshed out characters, a well planned plot or surprising twists, but even a story with all those elements can only go so far if it's missing one vital piece...

 

A theme.

 

What's a Theme?

 

In essence, a theme is the central idea you're trying to get across to your readers. A theme serves as the destination for a story, which you should always keep in mind while writing. If you don't decide where you're going before you start a trip, you'll end up anywhere and nowhere. Not having a clear theme will result in the same fate for your book.

 

Why Themes are Important

 

I've found that if a story has a strong theme, I'll think about it for a long, long time. If the theme is good  enough (along with other story elements), it ends up being recommended to my friends. Realizing the power of a strong theme, I've made it a point to plan all my work around one.

 

My current project  came from my desire to explore the distinction between good and evil, while at the same time showing readers that their choices have consequences. Whenever I consider making a big change to my story, theme always comes first. I do this not because I want to limit myself as a writer, but because I realize how important a theme is to the overall effectiveness of what I write. If no one remembers what was said after they finish reading my story, what will any of it have mattered?

 

 

Theme isn't Everything

 

I am not at all recommending you focus on your theme at the expense of other parts of the writing process. Quite the opposite actually! A theme acts as the overarching message behind a story, but a good theme will never cover up sloppy writing. You'll have half a story if you focus too heavily on either side. I'll be going into more detail on the hierarchy of the writing process in a future article. 

 

Decide on the theme early so that if a question comes up about the direction of your story, you have a “constant” to fall back on. It may seem limiting at first, but in reality it allows your mind to focus on other parts of writing while still having a central message.

 

 

Creating a Theme

 

Deciding on a theme is a surprisingly simple process. If you're planning to start a new project, think back to a time in your life when you thought you'd never make it through. What do you wish you knew back then that you know now? Write down a list of three ideas and then review them. As you do, take into account which idea you'd be most interested in writing about.

 

If you've already started on a project but want to solidify your theme, then think about what excited you about what you're writing. If you can't think of anything right away, consider taking a break from working on the story to evaluate if the project is worth continuing. Don't throw away what you've written, but if your story isn't going anywhere it won't leave a lasting impact on your readers. Time spent planning is not time wasted.

 

Remember: a theme is the final destination of your story. Switching that destination half way through the trip will end up to be twice the work. The theme you decide on should be tailored to who you are and what you want to tell others. At the same time it should be relevant to your audience and specific enough to ensure they pick up on what you're telling them. Keeping it within one sentence is a great way to make sure it stays simple enough to be understood, essentially forcing you to get a big idea in as little space as possible.

 

Once you've decided on it, write it down with your motivation statement; both will be vital to moving forward!