Theme is a funny subject because many writers seem to avoid talking about it like the plague. I get it, I used to be like this and still can be sometimes. We feel as though if we dare to discuss what our writing is about, it will suddenly lose all its magic and become a cardboard caricature of the ideas we hold in our minds.

On the other hand, some writers are almost too eager to discuss it. They seem to have a clear vision of the message they want to preach to their audience and they are determined to make their writing their ideological platform.

Now. If you belong to the second club and that works for you, great.

But if you are anything like me, you probably don’t like moralizing stories and you hate it when authors try to shove their opinions down your throat. We both know there is nothing worse than a condescending author who assumes I am unable to make up my own mind.

That may be why any attempt at discussing themes in your writing feels like you’re on the verge of doing exactly that. You feel icky and as though you’re trying to brainwash people. You may fear that talking about themes inevitably leads to a one-sided story and puts you at risk of losing any nuance in it.

Does that sound familiar?

Here is my radical proposition:

You don’t have to prove anything.

You don’t have to convince anyone.

Let me explain.

So many writers consider Premise or Theme to be about “something to prove”, “something to give my opinion about”, or “something about which to convince the audience”.

This doesn’t just come from nowhere. Numerous writing craft books focus heavily on the idea of “what is your message” and discuss creative writing in terms of proving a point, treating it as though you’re presenting an argument to your audience.

Again, I get that. Because in a way, you kind of are.

But I’m not convinced focusing on that or approaching your writing like that helps you create well-crafted and complex stories.

Because the thing is, if all you wanted to do was to present an argument, you could always write an essay, a manifesto, a speech, or anything else. In the words of Samuel Goldwyn, “If you’ve got a message, send a telegram.”

There is a reason you chose to do creative writing.

So consider this your permission slip.

You are allowed to just… write. You are allowed to explore. You are allowed to play around.

That doesn’t mean Theme is meaningless though. I just suggest you approach it differently.

Think of THEME as a guideline or frame of reference for your story.

Theme is not about persuading people or proving something. It’s about exposing, revealing, and showing different sides of it.

Think of it less as something you have to “give your opinion on” and more as a way for you to decide where to turn the spotlight. It’s what will help you decide which parts of a character’s life to show and which scenes to include.

And that’s it!

For example

Let’s say the theme you want to address is REVENGE. Does this mean you have to immediately decide what “lesson you want to teach the audience about revenge”?

Hell no.

Instead, think about

• all the associations and ideas the idea of revenge brings up for you,

• various associations it brings up for other people,

• how revenge shows up in people’s lives,

• what beliefs people have about it,

• what are some actions and events that make people think about it,

• how would different people engage in revenge,

• how would different people behave when they wanted revenge,

• and anything else that comes up when you think about revenge.

Do you see how changing the focus from “what do I want to say about revenge” to “hmm, I wonder what comes up when I think about revenge” immediately shifts your approach to the material?

How instead of feeling like you’ve got something to prove, these questions get you in a curious and much more creative mode?

That’s what I’m talking about.

Direct the spotlight

By writing, you are directing a beam of spotlight at certain aspects of life.

THEME is the tool that helps you map out what you do and do not include in your story.

Because of course, you cannot include absolutely every single moment from your characters’ lives.

Some people think the selection of scenes should be about “what is interesting” or “what happens” but the thing is, there are so many interesting things happening every day that you have to filter them somehow.

Within a day of a character’s life, you could choose a million different things to focus on and from the “action” point of view, they would all be okay. But which one you actually choose will depend on what you are interested in.

Plot is the WHY of the story, and Theme is actually the WHAT.

Not in the “what happens” sense but more in the “what you focus on” sense.

With every action and every scene you decide to include in the story, you are highlighting certain aspects of life and ultimately, that’s exactly what creates your story’s Theme.

So instead of thinking about what you want to teach the audience, focus on the experience you want to create for them.