The One Question Many Writers Have Trouble Answering
Do you know what your story is really about?
As part of the faculty at a writers conference recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with dozens of writers. Since we were all there to talk shop, I thought a good ice breaker would be: tell me about your story. Many writers had prepared loglines/elevator pitches, but there were some who would gaze into the distance and say, “So there’s this guy and he’s got this job and he doesn’t like his boss. And oh, yeah, he’s married with a few kids and…”
I realized that I’d asked the wrong question. The question isn’t: what is your story about? The question is: why should I (or anyone, really) care? It’s an important distinction because the latter gets at the heart of storytelling by revealing something important about the human condition.
Before you break into a cold sweat thinking, I’m just writing about a dentist who gets murdered or two people falling in love in a Swiss chalet or a fifth grader who gets blasted off to the planet Zorg. I’m not trying to make any lofty statements. I’m just trying to entertain readers, I’d suggest that if you’re writing about humans or creatures who interact with humans or other human stand-ins (vampires, time traveling doctors, etc.), you’re saying something about the human condition. Don’t worry, we’ll walk through this one step at at time.
Why should I (or anyone, really) care?
People are reading your book because it features other people or beings that are trying to (Prince reference incoming) get through this thing called life. Even readers seeking “lighthearted” or “entertaining” books also want to get a glimpse into life’s great truths. We writers do that through theme. The plot tells what happens in your story, and the theme tells us why we should care.
This doesn’t come together by accident. You can either approach this question before you begin writing, crafting the story with a theme in mind, or after you’ve completed a draft, combing through your words with your Sherlock Holmes hat on. Let’s start with the “before” approach.
Writing with a theme in mind
Some writers begin with an assay, looking for answers to the big life questions they’ve been considering.
“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” ~Joan Didion
If you’re in this smaller group, you may have a vague sense of the plot or the characters, but you do know a topic you want to explore. You may have something to say about life, the world or human nature. Author J. Ryan Stradal asks himself these questions before he begins a novel:
What do I want to see in the world? Why?
What do I want to learn about?
What am I afraid of? Why?
If those questions feel a bit too big, try these questions to get more specific.
Why do you want to tell this particular story?
What point do you want to make? What are you trying to prove or disprove?
What’s a general question you’re always asking or wondering about life?
What virtues do you personally value? What virtues do you think are undervalued? Why?
What vices scare you? What vices do you dislike? Why?
With these answers in mind, you can develop characters and situations to explore your ideas further.
Determining a theme after the first draft
I’d say the majority of writers I know begin with a character or a situation, and as they’re building the story, the theme begins to show itself. Sometimes it takes the first draft to see the forest for the trees. If you have a draft already written, I’ll bet there is a theme (or two!) that threaded its way through your story without you even realizing it.
1. Your protagonist holds the clues
Remember that the theme isn’t related to the plot — the events that happen in your story. The theme is a product of how the events change your protagonist internally. And usually, the way your character changes is directly related to the theme, even if you may not have realized it at first. (That’s part of the magic of writing!) So, ask yourself these questions about your main character and try to identify any common or repeating threads.
How does my protagonist change from beginning to end? Who is my protagonist at the beginning of the story? Who has my protagonist become by the end of the story?
How do the events of my story shape my protagonist for the better or the worse?
What are their flaws, and what holds them back from happiness or fulfillment?
Do they overcome their character flaws and the obstacles that stand in their way?
2. Consider universal themes
If you need some inspiration, check out these universal themes or lessons:
Forgiveness (of self or others)
Love (self-love, family love, romantic love)
Acceptance (of self, of circumstances, of reality)
Faith (in oneself, in others, in the world, in God)
Fear (overcoming it, conquering it, finding courage)
Trust (in oneself, in others, in the unknown)
Survival (including the will to live)
Selflessness (including altruism, heroism, and overcoming greed)
Responsibility (including duty, standing up for a cause, accepting one’s destiny)
Redemption (including atonement, accepting blame, remorse, and salvation)
If you can identify any of these universal themes in your character’s arc, ask yourself: What am I trying to say about this topic? What does this topic mean to me?
3. Look to your genre
Each genre lends itself to a central “topic,” for example:
Mystery/Crime: Justice, ethics
Dystopian: Loss of individualism
Epic/Adventure: Self-reliance
Romance: Love and intimacy
Science Fiction: Conflict with technology
Saga: Circle of life
Young Adult: Coming of age, independence
Consider what these ideals mean to you. For example, if you’re writing a crime novel, what do you want to say about justice? In your story, does justice prevail? If so, why? How? Of course, you don’t have to stop there. You can write a crime novel that also explores themes of trust or connection.
Once you’ve identified a theme or two, you might worry that it sounds generic or cliché. I’ll let you in on a secret: themes are almost always generic or cliché on the surface. For example, I’ve edited many novels that explore the theme of fate versus free will. Yet, the stories are as different as the writers who wrote them. This is where the plot and characters serve to make the story unique. I mean, both Star Wars and Harry Potter could be boiled down to “good vs. evil.”
Have you considered the themes for your story? What themes are you exploring? Reply and let me know!
I offer detailed critiques on published works and offer page-one feedback to paid subscribers in our community. I also host occasional Ask Me Anything posts and write-ins. The next write-in is on Wednesday, May 17, at noon Eastern, open to paid subscribers. We’ll meet for an hour, write in a group and get words on the page. If you’re not a paid subscriber, sign up now and join us. I’d love to have you there!
I have some terrific classes coming up in June, including a writing group for romance writers, a seminar on query letters, and more! I’d like to highlight a three-hour seminar Elevate Your Supporting Characters on June 3 at GrubStreet. We talk a lot about our protagonist and antagonists, but we supporting characters are often relegated to the background, populating the story solely to shore up the main character. But your supporting characters have their own lives to live. Learn more about how to create complex supporting characters.
FYI, my June writing workshop is now full, but I’ll be opening a new group starting July 10. More information to come soon! Learn more at the link below.
Hello, Jackie,
Thank you so much for such an excellent explanation.
I never connected the theme to the protagonist's inner arc.
And it confirmed what I thought my theme was.
However, I read (or misread?) somewhere that one should always use the theme while writing the novel.
How can it be if my theme is Justice forbids consideration of wealth and rejects prejudices? Especially when there are several threads and subplots?
Moreover, wouldn't the premise better answer what the novel is about?
In advance, thank you.
All the best,
Claude