tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post2544560413581748566..comments2024-03-22T02:54:23.511-06:00Comments on Shallee McArthur: How to bring out theme to give your story extra oomphShalleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-9200683817570779092012-03-11T06:53:18.685-06:002012-03-11T06:53:18.685-06:00My current book has two themes.
It's told fro...My current book has two themes. <br />It's told from two different perspectives. <br /><br />First one is - Can you really escape your past? Or will you repeat the mistakes of your family?<br /><br />And<br /><br />Second one - Obsession and lust also naivety. <br />How much are you willing to change yourself for someone else?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-40131589820801766212011-11-23T22:47:17.369-07:002011-11-23T22:47:17.369-07:00I totally agree that the theme needs to come out i...I totally agree that the theme needs to come out in the character arc! If the plot and the character arc can both climax at the same time <i>and</i> focus on the theme, you're pretty much golden.Peggy Eddlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241451940725996650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-82792928434131218472011-11-23T08:23:00.054-07:002011-11-23T08:23:00.054-07:00I love books where the theme is understated, but p...I love books where the theme is understated, but present. Theme is a tricking thing to nail.Stacy Henriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03303383087338174942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-63571291387894910852011-11-23T05:58:32.303-07:002011-11-23T05:58:32.303-07:00Excellent post. I've got an accidental theme ...Excellent post. I've got an accidental theme going on right now, but I think the story could benefit from taking some time to explore the theme a bit more.Vicki Rochohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07381089434014961076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-40975102470159683522011-11-22T19:45:52.458-07:002011-11-22T19:45:52.458-07:00You know Shallee, I am constantly confused by what...You know Shallee, I am constantly confused by what constitutes a theme. I like the idea of the theme being a question, that is easy enough to make or create in a story. Otherwise, themes are illusive for me.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-39880781039999159642011-11-22T16:37:38.051-07:002011-11-22T16:37:38.051-07:00Hi, Shallee, interesting topic and blog! I will be...Hi, Shallee, interesting topic and blog! I will be following your blog. To answer your question,I think of the theme of a story before I start writing it, but then sometimes I find another theme is evident after I finish crafting it. I find a lot under the surface after the story is on paper. Sometimes I tend to be so subtle with the theme that some of the readers do not get the message I try to convey. Today I finished writing a short story by Albert Camus: An Artist at work and the theme is about how pressed an artist can be by society. (I really enjoyed this funny story).Julia Honeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497316179340178624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-47945523776382978272011-11-22T16:12:25.363-07:002011-11-22T16:12:25.363-07:00Totally agree that theme comes about best organica...Totally agree that theme comes about best organically.<br /><br />Hope things calm down for you soon. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!Krispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492607213249874138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-1135081919767480882011-11-22T16:11:29.892-07:002011-11-22T16:11:29.892-07:00I like that idea of the theme being a question tha...I like that idea of the theme being a question that you explore, but don't necessarily answer. That works for me. I find themes so illusive! Here I was an English major and everything, and I still can't really wrap my mind around them. I'll keep trying, though. :)A.L. Sonnichsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11358456786727534289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-91651796933121793262011-11-22T15:52:44.470-07:002011-11-22T15:52:44.470-07:00Great article! Theme has always come easily for me...Great article! Theme has always come easily for me because everything I write has to have a purpose to it. This stems from my urgent desire to make the world a better place (one book at a time!)Teralyn Rose Pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586129403789427592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-50462333254851283212011-11-22T14:52:37.762-07:002011-11-22T14:52:37.762-07:00Great post.
I love the way you break theme down, a...Great post.<br />I love the way you break theme down, and make it easier to discern.<br />Theme is a tricky mistress. I am 99.9% sure I know what my theme is, but I can never be sure if A.) it comes across at all or B.) I', beating my audience over the head with it... I suppose that's why we have our beta readers.Lindz Pagelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04663646312808701883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-31154912886665120442011-11-22T14:02:44.749-07:002011-11-22T14:02:44.749-07:00I've always found this tricky--sometimes I fee...I've always found this tricky--sometimes I feel like I can point to some element of the story and say "Aha! There it is!" and other times I can't find any unifying theme.<br /><br />Great post. :)Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-90068509161009805112011-11-22T13:32:06.297-07:002011-11-22T13:32:06.297-07:00For me theme tends to evolve as I write the outlin...For me theme tends to evolve as I write the outline, even as I write the first draft. I rarely start with a theme. You are right, though, to recognise it and bring it out in the edits.Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-35790928438147693682011-11-22T11:04:36.341-07:002011-11-22T11:04:36.341-07:00Theme is so hard for me because I can never tell w...Theme is so hard for me because I can never tell what mine is or if I even have one! I never write with a specific theme in mind (and maybe I should!). I'm glad you gave the distinction between themes of stories and morals of stories.Cortney Pearsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00774060537148628453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-50139543335977613812011-11-22T10:17:22.519-07:002011-11-22T10:17:22.519-07:00I found my theme grew organically from the main ch...I found my theme grew organically from the main character and her major internal conflict. Trust became the overarching idea, and my three POV characters illustrated different aspects of dealing with trust, chosing who to trust, opening yourself back up after a major break of trust, etc, through their interactions with each other. Other minor themes came as offshoots of that main idea, and usually on a subconscious level, after I recognized my main theme. Interesting post!Adriennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07258263307771178398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-38337590952919163592011-11-22T09:49:16.139-07:002011-11-22T09:49:16.139-07:00After high school English class, "theme"...After high school English class, "theme" is usually a topic I hate, but this post was perfect. I love the idea of making theme a question, and not necessarily answering it, but developing the various possibilities. <br /><br />As for books, I always thought it interesting that every villian in LotR -- even Sauron if you read the Silmarillion -- was given the chance for redemption and change. Often, the bad guys don't take the offer, but it's still the act of offering Gollum a chance to be a good guy that allows success.MKHutchinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715686902529938959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-77005565936120545362011-11-22T09:38:17.934-07:002011-11-22T09:38:17.934-07:00Oh this is just what I needed, thanks.Oh this is just what I needed, thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-14513265241823338332011-11-22T09:00:49.518-07:002011-11-22T09:00:49.518-07:00It's interesting but the good vs evil theme se...It's interesting but the good vs evil theme seems to get the best followings like Lord of Rings and Harry Potter and I also love The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness (YA author) because the theme is so powerful and yet so very fundamental.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437730797773263014.post-10081738959439898992011-11-22T08:03:50.505-07:002011-11-22T08:03:50.505-07:00Theme in a book is still one of those things that ...Theme in a book is still one of those things that puzzle me. So far I haven't been able to make the conscious choice to put a theme in my wip.<br />But your post makes it a bit easier to do now.akosshttp://akossket.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com