If you’ve ever worried about whether to weave themes into your stories, I have good news! You likely already include them—you don’t realize it.
In this first video in my series on thematic writing, we’ll explore how themes can be grand and abstract—like family and peace—but they also need to be grounded in tangible moments and choices.
Hello, Jane Cleland here. Should I have a theme? Well, I don’t know. Only you, the author, can decide that. But let me give you some things to think about, and I’ll start with the fact that you probably do. A theme is the overarching story you want to tell, and given that you’re writing, you probably have a theme.
Now, they do come in two approaches: a dominant idea and a unifying principle. And I will talk about those in additional videos, but right now, let’s just stay with the question at hand. Should I have a theme? You know, we writers tend to be very good storytellers. And the story we’re telling probably is about something. And then the incidents that form the plot, they are the manifestations of a theme.
Let me back up and explain. Just because we’re innate storytellers doesn’t mean we’re good at craft. Many of us have to learn a lot about craft to take our innate ability and get it onto paper in a meaningful and effective way. What I’m talking about is that if we have this idea, it’s intangible, it’s abstract—things like “family is most important of anything,” “peace on earth,” and so on. These are big ideas.
Great. A theme helps us ground it in something that is more tangible, that is going to give specific examples of your characters acting as if family is first, or as if they are willing to fight for peace on earth. That’s what theme does—is it guides your plot, your overarching story.
If this tip had value for you, would you like it? Would you share it? Would you subscribe to the channel? That opens up features that let us make these videos even more valuable for you, and I thank you for that. And please comment—I read them all.
*Transcripts are software-generated. To report any transcription errors, please use my contact form!
