THEME RSS FEED
|
|
A good theme is an idea or message about life, society or human nature. It is hidden by good creative writers and comes to the reader via symbol and clues and often wearing disguises so as not to impose on the flow of the story. Good creative writers realize confronting a reader, head-on, with deep ideas is an easy, fast way to lose a reader. No one likes to be preached to, especially for page after page. Most people read for enjoyment. 98% of the people will pick an enjoyable read over a serious read every time. But writers are people too. Most writers want and need to feel that there is more worth to their writing than just creating entertainment. There is a natural human urge to teach and enlighten other people. Sometimes, the need to vent and let off steam spurs a writer to pick up his pen. But the wise writer knows he must first entice his reader into his web, to capture his full attention, before he can slap us in the face with a strong theme like; the evils of bigotry. This paradox leads to a cat and mouse game between the author and the reader which results in themes being hidden and not immediately apparent.
|
Good creative writers have learned by experience that if you wish to get read, it is best to put the heavy themes under the surface. Therefore to uncover the bigger idea the reader often has to look closely at the sub-text, subtle details and smaller events, not spoken about out right. By studying the sub-text you will gain glimpses into the author’s ideas about the world. Identifying the theme may take time and thought. It may appear to be one thing but change by the end of the tale.
Identify the inner struggles of characters. What are their needs and desires when the story starts, in the middle then at the end? How and why do they change? Identify the central conflict. How does the conflict affect the main characters? Pay attention to cues. Look for universal symbols or motifs that represent something bigger. Examine the dialogue and action between characters for clues to a higher meaning. Crafty creative writers will even use the story’s title and the titles of chapters for leaving clues about their messages. Think about what you would do and how you would act if you were in the same position as the main characters of the story. Would you do anything different from the way the main characters act? Themes come in many sizes, shapes and colors. They are as varied and numerous as all the different people in the world; each with a different opinion. And remember, as man progresses new challenges unfold requiring new thoughts, ideas and strategies thus, undoubtedly, more themes will be explored in man's literature. |
WE'LL WRITE IT FOR YOU!
GET A FREE QUOTE:
Manuscripts, Ebooks, Kindles, white papers... *Your idea/We write it YOU TAKE ALL THE CREDIT! MUSIC SEARCH ENGINE
FREE cutting edge! mp3 downloads!
|
Here’s a few of the more common literary themes to help you get an idea as to what to look for:
Change versus tradition, the circle of life, coming of age, corruption in government, death, everlasting love, evil men can't change, the evils of racism, faith versus doubt, good versus evil, greed, hypocrisy, the illusion of power, Immortality, the individual versus society, inner strength versus outer strength, injustice, Is the death penalty right or wrong?
Knowledge versus ignorance, life is fragile, the loss of innocence, Man versus nature, materialism, oppression, overcoming fear, patriotism, power and corruption, progress, the quest for power, religion, self-awareness, self-preservation, self-reliance, social mobility, the evils of technology, the good of technology, temptation, vanity, The glory of war, the futility of war, the necessity of war, the pain of war, the tragedy of war, working class struggles, youth and beauty versus wisdom and experience.
Change versus tradition, the circle of life, coming of age, corruption in government, death, everlasting love, evil men can't change, the evils of racism, faith versus doubt, good versus evil, greed, hypocrisy, the illusion of power, Immortality, the individual versus society, inner strength versus outer strength, injustice, Is the death penalty right or wrong?
Knowledge versus ignorance, life is fragile, the loss of innocence, Man versus nature, materialism, oppression, overcoming fear, patriotism, power and corruption, progress, the quest for power, religion, self-awareness, self-preservation, self-reliance, social mobility, the evils of technology, the good of technology, temptation, vanity, The glory of war, the futility of war, the necessity of war, the pain of war, the tragedy of war, working class struggles, youth and beauty versus wisdom and experience.
|
As you can see the list above contains some powerful, serious, subject matter. It is easy to understand why most people are more willing to read a short story about a young soldier, coming of age, while serving his country in time of war than read an essay entitled the evils of war. Just as man is always evolving, new themes and ideas are constantly being born. When a writer discovers an idea that he doesn’t feel is getting its fair share of attention he or she is compelled to get the message out there. The author chooses the best method he knows; crafting a song, poem, short story, novel or play. Since, he feels the message is important enough to write about, he certainly doesn’t want his message to be ignored. To get people to listen to his message, he crafts a story, book or poem that is so entertaining it will inevitably be retold and passed on over and over again. This is where theme comes in. The great creative writers know how to balance their story telling with a tempered amount of message. The best advice I can give a new writer, is never let the theme get in the way of telling an interesting story. Never force the theme on us. And, never insult your readers by underestimating them. Readers are smarter than you think. Trust your readers to be able to see the bigger picture and to decipher you cues and unscramble your clues. But, always, first and foremost learn how to tell a great tale! Then and only then can you tackle the most serious subjects and expect your readers to stick with you through thick and thin. If your story is compelling, they won’t be able to close your book, whether they agree with your theme or not. That’s the day, Creative Story Writer, when you can truly say with confidence, “I’ve arrived.” |
|
LITERARY TOPIC AND LITERARY THEME
by Stu Leventhal
New students studying literature often have a hard time identifying the themes that run through a creative writing work. I truly believe they get the author’s messages but have a difficult time deciphering, into classroom accepted terms, the differences between a story’s subject and its theme. Add a ‘moral to the story’ and you’ve really confused them! Literary terminology is complicated. Scholars, professors, critics rarely agree and it seems like everyone blends the meanings of literary terms together or stretches their meanings to fit their needs, when discussing their favorite books, stories and authors.
Whenever one attempts to analyze, explain or define a concept, as strong and powerful as the world of literature the passions will fly! And yet if we are to be able to understand, teach and pass on to our youth and future generations all the wonders of literature we must quantify the unquantifiable, categorize things that were never written to be constrained by categorization and define art such as Shakespeare’s Sonnets that truly can mean something different every new time one reads them!
The ‘topic’ of the story is what the tale is about. For example; Moby Dick is about a Sea Captain obsessed with exacting revenge on a whale.
The ‘moral of the story’ is the lesson to be learned from the tale. In Moby Dick one of the reader’s most obvious conclusions would be; over obsessing to the point of nothing else matters, can be very dangerous and quite self-destructing. This is demonstrated throughout the plot by Ahab’s relentless desire to hunt and kill a legendary Whale and his total disregard for anything that stands in his way including his crews feelings and eventually even his own safety.
And the ‘theme’ is the overall message and or ideas the author is trying to relay to the reader. Herman Melville is obviously showing us that revenge is the roots of evil but is there more to this classic? Man verses nature is another large idea that Melville takes on explicitly. He uses different characters to explore different viewpoints of man’s ideas of what his relationship is and should be to the rest of the natural world he lives in. Some feel it is our right and we should try to tame the all mighty, powerful Mother Nature and harvest any and all her bounty for our own means. Some characters stand back in awe and fear marveling at the uncaring and often unforgiving strength of Mother Nature. Yet other characters respect and try to live with and learn from Mother Nature. Melville questions religious views of his time period. Does the great, white whale represent the Devil as Ahab would like us to believe or all of nature or perhaps even God?
There’s a lot more bubbling under the surface of Herman Melville’s classic man verses beast drama! Melville also challenges racial views and issues of his time by compiling a cast of multi-mixed origin; An African, an African American, a Native American, Caucasians, a South Sea islander, to name a few.
One of the strongest themes and reoccurring ideas Melville explores with Moby Dick is the question of whether the characters are destined to their fates or did they have a choice? Chance verses fate verses free will! But don’t say you heard it from me. I don’t want to cause another scholastic, literary apocalypse!
New students studying literature often have a hard time identifying the themes that run through a creative writing work. I truly believe they get the author’s messages but have a difficult time deciphering, into classroom accepted terms, the differences between a story’s subject and its theme. Add a ‘moral to the story’ and you’ve really confused them! Literary terminology is complicated. Scholars, professors, critics rarely agree and it seems like everyone blends the meanings of literary terms together or stretches their meanings to fit their needs, when discussing their favorite books, stories and authors.
Whenever one attempts to analyze, explain or define a concept, as strong and powerful as the world of literature the passions will fly! And yet if we are to be able to understand, teach and pass on to our youth and future generations all the wonders of literature we must quantify the unquantifiable, categorize things that were never written to be constrained by categorization and define art such as Shakespeare’s Sonnets that truly can mean something different every new time one reads them!
The ‘topic’ of the story is what the tale is about. For example; Moby Dick is about a Sea Captain obsessed with exacting revenge on a whale.
The ‘moral of the story’ is the lesson to be learned from the tale. In Moby Dick one of the reader’s most obvious conclusions would be; over obsessing to the point of nothing else matters, can be very dangerous and quite self-destructing. This is demonstrated throughout the plot by Ahab’s relentless desire to hunt and kill a legendary Whale and his total disregard for anything that stands in his way including his crews feelings and eventually even his own safety.
And the ‘theme’ is the overall message and or ideas the author is trying to relay to the reader. Herman Melville is obviously showing us that revenge is the roots of evil but is there more to this classic? Man verses nature is another large idea that Melville takes on explicitly. He uses different characters to explore different viewpoints of man’s ideas of what his relationship is and should be to the rest of the natural world he lives in. Some feel it is our right and we should try to tame the all mighty, powerful Mother Nature and harvest any and all her bounty for our own means. Some characters stand back in awe and fear marveling at the uncaring and often unforgiving strength of Mother Nature. Yet other characters respect and try to live with and learn from Mother Nature. Melville questions religious views of his time period. Does the great, white whale represent the Devil as Ahab would like us to believe or all of nature or perhaps even God?
There’s a lot more bubbling under the surface of Herman Melville’s classic man verses beast drama! Melville also challenges racial views and issues of his time by compiling a cast of multi-mixed origin; An African, an African American, a Native American, Caucasians, a South Sea islander, to name a few.
One of the strongest themes and reoccurring ideas Melville explores with Moby Dick is the question of whether the characters are destined to their fates or did they have a choice? Chance verses fate verses free will! But don’t say you heard it from me. I don’t want to cause another scholastic, literary apocalypse!
GET A FREE QUOTE ON ALL YOUR FICTION NEEDS!
Relevant Theme
by Stuart Leventhal
Theme is the underlying message or meaning of a story, movie, poem, song, play…
Theme in literature? YUK! There’s no such thing. Theme is a hoax started by the conservatives to anger the progressives because they didn’t get it. Then the pacifists started to see theme in every word so the monarchs decided to outlaw the whole blasted thing. But that didn’t go over very good with the anarchists who claimed they just had to have some theme or else everything was pointless. Then the revolution came. After the dust cleared, it seemed everyone was talking about theme again.
Now-a-days, theme is a very controversial subject to say the least. Professional movie and book critics love to discuss theme. It gives them a chance to act all high and mighty, full well knowing that few will be brave enough to challenge their opinions since nobody seems to know what the heck they are even talking about. Lay people have always been skeptical of literary authorities who thrust theme on everyone. “I just want to enjoy a good story.” They say. “Keep all your opinions about hidden meanings author’s agendas, interpretations of symbolism and hints of implied messages to yourselves.”
If the truth were to be told, we all just want to enjoy a good story. We pick up a book to relax, a poem collection to de-stress, go to the movies or a concert or the theater to unwind, kill the boredom or perhaps if we are lucky to enjoy a date with our beloved. Would you really pick up a 400 page novel with enthusiasm if you knew beforehand that the author was going to be challenging you for the next month or more to unravel his hidden meanings and interpret his vague references for the sole reason of helping you grow as a human being? And have you ever heard someone say fondly, “I had to read it five times before I really, started to get it.” No thank you! If the author can’t make his point in the first reading, I, for one, ain’t coming back for seconds. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me!
And then you have the scholars who see symbolism in every other word. Finding meanings everywhere, most of which the author never intended. But alive or dead, what writer would not be happy to take credit for the mere coincidence. And yet we all can’t help taking small pleasure in stubbing our noses at the sentimentalist who declares, “I don’t care about all that hubbully-bub. I just like happy endings.”
Legend has it that, an admirer once sent W.B. Yeats his interpretation of one of his poems. The fellow had the audacity to ask the Nobel Prize winner if he was right. Yeats replied, grudgingly that he was correct but that he did not think poets ought to interpret their own poems or give the green light to the interpretations of other people, for this would serve to limit the poems.
And so, the debate over how relevant theme is continues. Are authors hiding behind a cloak of mysticism and magic, as they honor some ancient writers’ code to force each reader to decide for themselves what each work really means? Poets and writers of any age have it tough. Their work is always cut out for them. Being so intimately close to the issues at hand they cannot help but get swept up. Some authors feel they have a responsibility to record what is transpiring around them, for prosperity. Others feel the overwhelming desire to help their fellow man muddle through during these troubled and confusing times. Still others wish to enlighten. Yet every author, no matter what century he or she lives or lived, must feel or have felt that the present conditions of; uncertainty, disorder, skepticism, doubt, unrest, fear and most of all perplexity, represents the most trying times for man ever.
Artist and particularly writers tend to take things personally. They pick up their pen because they are disgusted, they are elated, something has made them fuming mad or they are in awe. Something spurs them to write and it’s usually something much stronger than the need to entertain. Our authors try futilely to make some sense out of the chaos all round. And as they strive to keep the connection between themselves and their audience they also fight to revolutionize their own craft. They battle against the bondage of the traditionally accepted means of plying their craft. For the one thing all writers value most is their treasured freedom of expression. Undoubtedly any knew literary style or even a slight deviation will have the critics crying, “foul!” It’s only hope of being accepted lies with the fans.
Great artists love to experiment. They want to head off down a road they’ve never been down before just to see where it will take them. If a writer has mastered the use of the tools of his craft he or she will take their reader along for the ride. Themes are always present at some level in any good story or poem. Some themes will be discarded before being fully developed. Some themes will be dropped because they’ve been proven false. Some themes will be choppy and elusive but ever present because they are so strong they cannot be totally ignored. And, if we the readers are lucky by the journey’s end an idea will show its head. We’ll get a glimpse of a rarely observed species called a ‘truth’. That is theme. And I say, that is relevant.
Theme in literature? YUK! There’s no such thing. Theme is a hoax started by the conservatives to anger the progressives because they didn’t get it. Then the pacifists started to see theme in every word so the monarchs decided to outlaw the whole blasted thing. But that didn’t go over very good with the anarchists who claimed they just had to have some theme or else everything was pointless. Then the revolution came. After the dust cleared, it seemed everyone was talking about theme again.
Now-a-days, theme is a very controversial subject to say the least. Professional movie and book critics love to discuss theme. It gives them a chance to act all high and mighty, full well knowing that few will be brave enough to challenge their opinions since nobody seems to know what the heck they are even talking about. Lay people have always been skeptical of literary authorities who thrust theme on everyone. “I just want to enjoy a good story.” They say. “Keep all your opinions about hidden meanings author’s agendas, interpretations of symbolism and hints of implied messages to yourselves.”
If the truth were to be told, we all just want to enjoy a good story. We pick up a book to relax, a poem collection to de-stress, go to the movies or a concert or the theater to unwind, kill the boredom or perhaps if we are lucky to enjoy a date with our beloved. Would you really pick up a 400 page novel with enthusiasm if you knew beforehand that the author was going to be challenging you for the next month or more to unravel his hidden meanings and interpret his vague references for the sole reason of helping you grow as a human being? And have you ever heard someone say fondly, “I had to read it five times before I really, started to get it.” No thank you! If the author can’t make his point in the first reading, I, for one, ain’t coming back for seconds. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me!
And then you have the scholars who see symbolism in every other word. Finding meanings everywhere, most of which the author never intended. But alive or dead, what writer would not be happy to take credit for the mere coincidence. And yet we all can’t help taking small pleasure in stubbing our noses at the sentimentalist who declares, “I don’t care about all that hubbully-bub. I just like happy endings.”
Legend has it that, an admirer once sent W.B. Yeats his interpretation of one of his poems. The fellow had the audacity to ask the Nobel Prize winner if he was right. Yeats replied, grudgingly that he was correct but that he did not think poets ought to interpret their own poems or give the green light to the interpretations of other people, for this would serve to limit the poems.
And so, the debate over how relevant theme is continues. Are authors hiding behind a cloak of mysticism and magic, as they honor some ancient writers’ code to force each reader to decide for themselves what each work really means? Poets and writers of any age have it tough. Their work is always cut out for them. Being so intimately close to the issues at hand they cannot help but get swept up. Some authors feel they have a responsibility to record what is transpiring around them, for prosperity. Others feel the overwhelming desire to help their fellow man muddle through during these troubled and confusing times. Still others wish to enlighten. Yet every author, no matter what century he or she lives or lived, must feel or have felt that the present conditions of; uncertainty, disorder, skepticism, doubt, unrest, fear and most of all perplexity, represents the most trying times for man ever.
Artist and particularly writers tend to take things personally. They pick up their pen because they are disgusted, they are elated, something has made them fuming mad or they are in awe. Something spurs them to write and it’s usually something much stronger than the need to entertain. Our authors try futilely to make some sense out of the chaos all round. And as they strive to keep the connection between themselves and their audience they also fight to revolutionize their own craft. They battle against the bondage of the traditionally accepted means of plying their craft. For the one thing all writers value most is their treasured freedom of expression. Undoubtedly any knew literary style or even a slight deviation will have the critics crying, “foul!” It’s only hope of being accepted lies with the fans.
Great artists love to experiment. They want to head off down a road they’ve never been down before just to see where it will take them. If a writer has mastered the use of the tools of his craft he or she will take their reader along for the ride. Themes are always present at some level in any good story or poem. Some themes will be discarded before being fully developed. Some themes will be dropped because they’ve been proven false. Some themes will be choppy and elusive but ever present because they are so strong they cannot be totally ignored. And, if we the readers are lucky by the journey’s end an idea will show its head. We’ll get a glimpse of a rarely observed species called a ‘truth’. That is theme. And I say, that is relevant.
The Timelessness of Great Themes
by Stuart Leventhal
The timelessness of great poetry is a true marvel of literary genre, as awe inspiring and mystical as the fact that great vocalists lose all manifestation of their everyday speaking accents once they begin to sing. Which perhaps hints that the almighty himself might be trying to tell us that song is too special a gift to allow to be tainted by petty prejudice and territorialism? In the same sensei way, the ageless universal appeal of a great poem’s theme is at the heart of the matter of making it possible to be enjoyed by fans many generations after its original perception despite the long outdated subject matter.
Theme is sometimes like an onion, with different layers becoming exposed, as one peels away one layer another deeper, often more luminous, message takes its place. This allows the great poems to be enjoyed at different levels, making them relevant to different age groups, genders and by people of diverse race, creed, educational and social standings. Usually one has to look closely to discern past the veil or popular cloaking, camouflage theme to glimpse the deeper more powerful underlying idea. In this spirit, realism and truth can be quite contradictory.
Realism is definitely dated. Truth may turn out to be eternal. With one’s creative writing, it is great to be realistic with characterization, dialog, setting and in every other literary element and essence of one’s writing. But, before the final draft is approved you must have used all that realism to take us someplace more. It’s just not acceptable to simply show us something, like an event which is real, mirror image style. Creative writing can be based on actual events, real people and historic facts to a point. As odd as we all know, real facts can sometimes be, the writing will come off as boring, contrived and plastic if a story is told entirely reporter style. To be considered art, a writer must expand the real to uncover something hidden, no matter how dramatic the actual events themselves are. Somewhere there is an element that can be exaggerated to show us something much, more fantastic. That is where ageless themes dwell and universal timeless ideas thrive.
Creative writing and all good art in general takes realism then hyper-extends it to expose it to us more fully. It’s okay for the police officer with his note pad open to request. “Just the facts Sir, please stick to the facts.” We want the stories behind the facts. That is where the truth lies. The reader wants to be able to take a tour inside your character’s soul. Sometimes during the journey they find out something about themselves.
Theme is sometimes like an onion, with different layers becoming exposed, as one peels away one layer another deeper, often more luminous, message takes its place. This allows the great poems to be enjoyed at different levels, making them relevant to different age groups, genders and by people of diverse race, creed, educational and social standings. Usually one has to look closely to discern past the veil or popular cloaking, camouflage theme to glimpse the deeper more powerful underlying idea. In this spirit, realism and truth can be quite contradictory.
Realism is definitely dated. Truth may turn out to be eternal. With one’s creative writing, it is great to be realistic with characterization, dialog, setting and in every other literary element and essence of one’s writing. But, before the final draft is approved you must have used all that realism to take us someplace more. It’s just not acceptable to simply show us something, like an event which is real, mirror image style. Creative writing can be based on actual events, real people and historic facts to a point. As odd as we all know, real facts can sometimes be, the writing will come off as boring, contrived and plastic if a story is told entirely reporter style. To be considered art, a writer must expand the real to uncover something hidden, no matter how dramatic the actual events themselves are. Somewhere there is an element that can be exaggerated to show us something much, more fantastic. That is where ageless themes dwell and universal timeless ideas thrive.
Creative writing and all good art in general takes realism then hyper-extends it to expose it to us more fully. It’s okay for the police officer with his note pad open to request. “Just the facts Sir, please stick to the facts.” We want the stories behind the facts. That is where the truth lies. The reader wants to be able to take a tour inside your character’s soul. Sometimes during the journey they find out something about themselves.