What's a theme anyway?
Since I'm in 'editing' mode, I took an online class to help me out. The first question asked was to define the theme of our book.
Theme.
Well, on the spreadsheet from hell, I thought I had a theme. But it wasn't a theme after all. It was a teaser line.
She thought she was unlovable, he knew he was.
Certainly not a theme. Well, it took me three days to figure it out. Three days! But I finally came up with one. It affects both the hero and the heroine, plus some of the minor characters are also dealing with it.
My muse knew all along what my theme was, but I wish it would have clued me in before I thought for three days. Thinking of theme can give you a headache. I'm not going to tell you the theme. I'd rather you buy the book and figure it out for yourself. I might even run a contest on it.
Metsy Hingle, fantastic writer, beautiful, etc., wrote several books before she discovered that all her books had an underlying theme, something close to her heart.
And looking at my theme, it reflects something that is close to my heart as well. How strange that these elements creep into our work.
Back to the rewriting.
posted by Donna Caubarreaux @ 4:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Donna,
I just want to say a special thank you to you for all the work you've gone to in establishing the great tips we get each day and terrific articles about the writing life.
Thanks!
Paula
hamgroup
How interesting that you mention theme and that it's inherent in our writing from our life! Must be a message from the Universe. This has hit me in the face several times in recent weeks.
Thank you for all you do for the writing community!
I enjoy reading about your writing process - and loved it when you said you'd have to read the book to find out what the theme is.
I, too, have a theme running through my writing and when I deviate from it, I don't enjoy the book as much. I'd quit telling people what it is except it's too much a part of other writing I'm doing as well. :)
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