The silly thing about theme is that most people don’t understand it, giving you a kickarse opportunity to put your story on a better footing than most.
Ever seen a movie where there’s lots of special effects but little else? How about the book where the story seems to go nowhere and takes forever to let you know? What of the otherwise entertaining story you enjoyed, but never seemed to get around to recommending?
They’re the sorts of stories people tend to forget as soon as they put the book down (or walk out of the cinema).
Why?
Because the story isn’t saying anything worthwhile.
And that’s what theme is – it’s a statement about something.
It’s not a word like Love or Sacrifice or Hope or Despair. They’re feelings! Its not a concept either, or even a metaphor. They may be strong elements of your theme, but they’re not all of it.
Your theme is one side of a debate – its what your story is saying about a given topic.
Here’s how to figure out your theme.
Make a statement about the topic your story is exploring (or could be exploring). For example. “The brain is the sexiest part of the body.” Perhaps its a story about a genius.
Your theme argues for or against that statement. Its that simple. If it doesn’t fit, keep working on it – or change your story to fit. Either way, your theme is in there, you just have to find it.
A theme provides a story with additional meaning that gives value to the plot. It also has to be subtle – try to force it on your readers and they’ll throw your book across the room. They’re not reading to hear you preach. Well, not normally.
On the subject of preaching: “God is great!” There’s a strong statement. Use it if it fits, but your story must demonstrate exactly why the statement is true or false. Illustrate your point with such finess that your readers don’t even realise you’re telling them something important.
“All men are bastards.” Sure, if that’s what’s important to you, but prove it – or prove there’s at least one good man out there.
“Life is cheap.” Again, that’s fine. Just show me just how cheap it is – or show me the true cost of treating it cheaply.