It's time for another post as a Resident Writing Coach over at Writers Helping Writers, where we're exploring how we can make story themes w
Jami Gold:
We probably all learned in school that theme is a story’s “message”—the ideas that a reader is supposed to take away from the story. However, one thing that many teachers don’t emphasize is that a story can (and probably will) have multiple themes.
Most themes are revealed through subtext. So we might need to identify the main themes by analyzing the different story elements contributing to the impression of “what our story is about”:
Story Themes: What’s the premise of the story? Who’s supposed to win or lose—and why?
Character Themes: How does the protagonist change over the course of the story? What do they learn?
Plot Themes: During the plot’s turning points, what do the characters attempt? Do they succeed or fail—and why?
Choices Themes: What choices are the characters making? Do the results match the Story or Character Themes (choices that agree with the themes should succeed and vice versa)?
Villain Themes: Are the villain’s beliefs reinforced or disproved by plot events?
Themes Can Add Depth to Our Story
