“Having knowledge but lacking the power to express it clearly is no better than never having any ideas at all.” –Pericles
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I recently had cataract surgery on my right eye. The left eye gets its turn later this week. Prior to the surgery, I was accustomed to viewing objects with a slight blur to them, and that’s not bad when you’re looking at the world in general. As a matter of fact, maybe it’s preferable. But it wasn’t a great method for reading, and the font size on my iPad was getting close to max, so I finally agreed to undergo the procedure. Within a couple of hours after the operation, the world suddenly came into perfect focus, and I could see details I had been missing for years.
All this made me think about writing. No surprise there, but it’s not about seeing the words on the page, but rather seeing the story you want to tell. That kind of sight is what every author aspires to, and one way to obtain it is to understand the theme of your book.
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In his book Story Engineering, Larry Brooks writes
“Not to be confused with concept, theme is what your story is illuminating about real life.”
I like that “illuminating about real life.” Theme is the fundamental message you want your readers to get. It’s the lens through which they will view your story and understand the deeper meaning within it. And when that happens, the reader will walk away with a memorable experience.
But how do you choose a theme?
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“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.” —Herman Melville
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Writers.com lists some of the common themes in literature. These include
Coming of Age
Faith vs Doubt
Family
Fate vs Free Will
Good vs Evil
Hubris
Justice
Man vs Nature
Man vs Self
Man vs Society
Power and Corruption
Pursuit of Love
Revenge
Survival
War
A few of the novels mentioned on the writers.com site were Jane Eyre (Coming of Age) by Charlotte Bronte, The Iliad (Hubris) by Homer, To Kill a Mockingbird (Justice) by Harper Lee, and 1984: A Novel (Man vs Society) by George Orwell.
They didn’t mention All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, but that is the book I would choose for its powerful theme of War.
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Some authors decide on a theme before starting a new work. Others may work on their novel for a while before seeing the theme take shape. In any case, having an underlying theme for the story leaves the reader with something more than a good reading experience. It’s a message to carry with them beyond The End.
As a mystery writer, the theme for my books is always that truth will be found and justice will be served. But my last novel, Lacey’s Star, took it one step further. It was based on the theme that finding the truth may depend on who you decide to trust.
My stories also reference the importance of faith and family and emphasize the need for endurance. “Never give up” is an underlying message in every book.
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So TKZers: Do you identify a theme for your books before you start writing? Or do you “discover” the theme as you go along? What themes have you used in your books? What memorable themes have you taken away from books you read?
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“The truth is bitter, but with all its bitterness, it is better than illusion.” –Ahad Ha’Am
2024 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Award Finalist
2024 Eric Hoffer Mystery/Crime Award Honorable Mention
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books.
For me, I think in general terms of a theme in the back of my mind but it doesn’t work to try and be intentional about it–when I obsess over theme before I write, my story seems forced.
Mysteries naturally involve a quest for justice and I’d say that justice tends to be an underlying theme in some of my non-mystery story ideas as well. I have a yet to be completed historical fiction series that involves justice and family and forgiveness.
Also my favorite book and favorite movie were along the John 15:13 line of making sacrifices for something important, so that is instinctually a theme in a few of my books as well.
A theme like justice is by nature ambiguous. If a writer’s story revolves around a basically good protag who wants to do the right thing, whether they’re a cop or a housewife or whatever, they’re going to want to receive and give justice in whatever conflict they’re dealing with. I prefer just to discovery write and see how the theme plays out.
Good morning, Brenda!
I know what you mean about the story seeming to be forced because the author came up with a theme and then constructed the story around that.
I’m also a discovery writer. Or at least a hybrid plotter/pantser, and the theme usually shows up as the story progresses.
Have a great week.
Some of my bespoke themes, maybe less common:
Integrity matters.
Doing the right things for the wrong reasons is morally suspect.
Doing the right things for the wrong reasons is dangerous.
The worth difference between able people and the disabled is zero.
Disabled people work harder to get less.
And a major one:
It matters who rears the children and how.
Those are mighty themes, Alicia. Kudos to you.
“It matters who rears the children and how.” A very worthy theme.
I’ve attempted to pick a theme and write on it, but those projects always fizzled. The works I’ve completed and had published originated from an experience or insight that moved me to explore it and put it into words. The theme of my latest story, which came out last week, was Family, a particularly rich yet perilous topic.
Good morning, M.C.
It takes courage to write about Family, right? I looked up your story Only You and I Together. Very moving. Thanks
Thank you, Kay!
I like reading and writing people-vs-society stories. As a plotter, I definitely have a theme in mind before I start writing.
Good morning, Priscilla!
I admire your ability to pick a theme and write to it. People vs Society is a great theme, and it’s very timely.
Have a great week.
If I think of theme, I think I’m writing the same book over and over. I suppose it would be “Man vs Self”. It’s my characters finding out who they are and being satisfied with it. And sometimes love plays a part. But I don’t think about it when I’m writing. It just happens.
Morning, Terry.
Man vs Self is a great theme to write to. And most of us can identify with it.
Now that I’m focused on eco-thrillers, my themes stay at the forefront. The important part is to not let the theme sound like you’re standing on a soapbox. Rather, readers expect to become immersed in “animal conservation/protection” theme without sacrificing pace or plot.
Hope you’re doing well, Kay!
Good morning, Sue!
You make a good point about soap boxes. It’s possible for an author to let a theme take over and start shouting at the world rather than telling a story.
I start writing knowing my character arc, but theme always comes a few drafts in.
Good morning, Azali.
It’s interesting that the theme is always there, but sometimes the author has to discover it during the writing process.
Good luck with your next work.
Great topic for discussion, Kay.
Good luck with your second cataract surgery. I went through that rite of passage a couple years ago. It is wonderful to see clearly again, and to not need glasses for distant vision.
It seems that the majority of authors of craft-of-fiction books come down on the side of discovering the theme as you write, lest your story turn into a sermon. I recently reviewed Lajos Egri’s The Art if Dramatic Writing. His definition of premise was distilled to the point that replacing the verb phrase between two noun phrases with “and” yielded the theme. And, he stated that without that “premise,” you could not begin to write.
I do have a vague idea of theme before I start to write. I try to set up a story world and situation where that theme might emerge, and then allow the theme to come into focus as the story progresses.
Have a great week!
Good morning, Steve.
“allow the theme to come into focus as the story progresses.” It’s interesting how many of us have that experience as we write.
Re: the cataract surgery. I told my ophthalmologist that he was close to being a miracle worker, and that put him in very good company. It also gave me an idea for the theme of my next novel.
Congratulations, Kay, on the dual Eric Hoffer mentions! Also glad your cataract surgery went well!
Theme was hard for me in school, maybe b/c my teachers didn’t explain it as clearly as you did. Theme was either a heavy-handed morality lesson or a vague, amorphous idea that only literary snobs could understand. So for years I avoided thinking about it. With age and experience, I finally got it.
Justice, power and corruption, family, man vs. society recur often in my books. Themes emerge organically as I write. Sometimes I’m not consciously aware of them until I go back and read the whole draft and think, Oh yeah, that’s what this was about.
Books that stay with me are often dystopian: Orwell, Bradbury, Nevil Shute (On the Beach), Rod Serling (although his were TV shows).
Also history like Herman Wouk (Winds of War).
Good morning, Debbie, and thanks for the well wishes.
Theme is hard to nail down. I think most of us have multiple themes in our books, and it’s not always easy to say which one is the overriding message.
Like you, I find some dystopian novels to be powerful. I suppose that’s because the theme is so clear. I remember reading On the Beach years ago, and I still think of that story when world events seem to be spinning out of control.
Debbie,
I too didn’t think theme was well explained during the K-12 years. Maybe I just didn’t have enough brain cells developed then LOL! but the way theme was explained in primary school seemed rather ambiguous.
” . . . what your story is illuminating about real life.” I love this definition for theme.
For me, theme comes about during the writing. I had a writing coach that pushed me to develop the theme before hand and then center the story conflict around that. It made sense and did help me learn to start thinking of theme earlier on. But trying to define it before I knew my characters, the lies they believe and their goals created a giant bit of really blah and disjointed writing.
Good morning, Lori!
I also love the way Larry Brooks defined theme.
“But trying to define it before I knew my characters,…” It can be like trying to force puzzle pieces together when they just don’t fit.
Have a great week.
Good morning, Kay! Congratulations on being an Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Finalist and your honorable mention. I’m glad your first cataract surgery went well, and hope your second goes equally well. It’s in my future, at some point.
I’ve tried coming up with themes in the planning phase, which you’d think would make sense, since I’m an outliner, but it never works. Instead, thematic emphasis arises as I draft and revise.
In my Empowered series, themes included doing the right thing, regardless of the cost; sacrificing yourself for others; the importance of found family.
In my Meg Booker series theme, like in your own mysteries, is the classic mystery one of seeking the truth leads to justice. Related is preserving or restoring the community by solving the crime. The importance of family and friendship is a third. Finally, kindness wins out.
Keeping you in my thoughts. Hope you have a good week.
Good morning, Dale, and thanks for the well wishes.
It’s interesting that your themes develop as you write even though you outline ahead of time. The ones you mention are powerful.
Have a great week.
Congratulations, Kay.
I don’t start out with a theme, but common themes seem to emerge. I like to write about the unseen people who do the work of the world.
Hi Elaine.
“I like to write about the unseen people who do the work of the world.” What a wonderful subject!
Glad your first surgery went well. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for this next one. I love my cataract surgery – no more glasses.
Asfor theme. I usually write about justice and good versus evil with a little forgiveness thrown in and always hope.
Thanks for your good wishes, Patricia. Glad your experience was good!
“I usually write about justice and good versus evil with a little forgiveness thrown in and always hope.” — Sounds like a perfect set of themes to me.