Writing Great Fiction: An Introduction

Chapter 6: Theme and the Interior World

First, it will take you deeper into your character's emotions. Your protagonist might feel bad about stealing, but what if through exploring the theme you find out there was another layer of emotion below that, one that influenced her, but she wasn't really aware of. With this, you begin to move beyond the character's plot oriented decisions. Instead, what you are working is really the subconscious itch that your characters don't even know they are scratching, but it's something that your readers will notice. Showing a character's inner workings to the audience, even when the character doesn't know about them is an incredibly humanizing tactic you can use.

Think about this one...who do you know that is fully aware of all of their motivations all the time? Lots of people pretend that they are aware and in control, but isn't that a bit delusional? Isn't it more common that people spend some time on autopilot, barely aware of what they are doing, let alone why?

A character that has his emotions all figured out is unrealistic, and very boring. So, instead, give him some room to grow, something he needs to figure out and change that he just might not be aware of at first. He doesn't need to see all his own problems in the beginning. This approach gives you lots of great room for your characters to grow, which, in turn, will make your readers very happy.

The second big benefit to working on your theme takes you back to the external world of your story...how it interacts with the plot. When you pose the problem or question of your theme, you are presented with a great opportunity. You get to ask yourself, "how do I show that?" If we go back to the example of a protagonist who is a thief, what actions would show that she feels bad about stealing? What situations would show that there are times when it's the right thing to do?

These are questions that can help give you ideas about what needs to happen in your story. Forcing your character into situations and decisions that are based on theme can help get the story moving when you feel stuck. Working this way, the interior world can drive the external world of plot to create a story that is richer and more connected. And, once again, with all of the growing connections between emotions and what is happening in the plot, your readers will be very satisfied.

Now, let's get more into what theme is and isn't with a big, classical kind of example...Shakespeare. Some people identify the theme of Romeo and Juliet as love. Ummm...what? Yeah, sure, there's a lot of love stuff in the play. We might even say that the topic of this story is love. That's makes sense. But the theme...is it just the abstract concept of love that Shakespeare wanted us to talk about after watching that play? Is that all? Or is there more?

Think about Romeo and Juliet. What is Shakespeare saying about love? What is he saying about family? It's a big discussion, isn't it? Huge. Ask your friends what they think. Does everyone have the same opinion about what the old bard is trying to say? Probably not.

That's one of the most interesting things about a story's theme. You, the writer, can have a definite idea of what the theme of your story is...but that idea really only applies to you. Once it's in the reader's hands, then their own experiences color and change how they interpret the theme. If one of your friends has just been arguing with her mother, then she'll probably think the theme in Romeo and Juliet is about how families are destructive. If another friend just met the girl of his dreams, he might think the theme is about how wonderful and eternal love is. Another might center on the masks and the sleeping potion and decide that love is all about deception. Or, you might think about it and decide that Shakespeare is telling us that love can be just as deadly as hate.

That's a lot of ways to think about one play. And here's the thing; not one of these interpretations of the theme of Romeo and Juliet is actually wrong. It's this interaction between the writer's intent and the reader's interpretation that provides such unique perspectives on one story. And, once you dive down into the interior of a story this way, the thoughts about theme can end up being more important and interesting than the play itself, and we're talking about a story that is overflowing with romance and murder. That's how powerful theme can be.