Creative Writing 101

Lesson 3: Ideas, Plots and Themes.

Plots and Themes.

The Plot. What the story is about. Develops from a conscious idea.

The Theme. What the story is really about. Develops from the subconscious.

Now you have a handle on these two important components of the story, it is useful to see how they relate to one another. In Lesson 4 you will learn some useful ways of constructing a plot, but here, in the early stages, as the idea is blooming, is a good time to consider giving your theme a nudge.

Look at your idea again, and see what the themes might be.

Girl turns into a horse in another world.

The simple theme might be "creativity", "isolation", "affinity with animals", "living a dream" or "self image".

The implied theme might be "animals are happier than humans", "horses have no responsibilities, therefore it is better to be a horse," "horses have no control over their lives, therefore it is better to be human", "creativity can be magic", "creativity can be dangerous", "identifying too closely with something is deadly".

Frightened wife falls in love with a ghost.

Possible simple themes; "fear", "love", "mutual support", "life and death", "time" or "ecape".

Possible implied themes; "there's a soulmate for everyone", "time has no meaning", "love conquers all", "love drives out fear", "the frightened will take risks", "misery loves company", or "easy love is worth less than difficult love".

Once you have a list of possible themes, choose the one(s) you think most appropriate, most powerful or most "true".

Then, as you plan your novel or story, you will be able to guide the theme along with the growing plot.

Why is this necessary?

Actually, it isn't. As mentioned earlier in this lesson, theme often arrives from your subconscious, with no help from you. However, if you use conscious planning your story is more likely to be properly balanced. Also, identifying or knowing your theme will help you find the proper tone.

Since you know the theme will be lying behind the plot, it can be useful to find ways of presenting the theme. You need not state it like an old-fashioned moral, but it pays to remember that each incident in the story should either advance the plot or illuminate the theme. For more on showcasing theme, read what the author has to say on Page 251 of 'Sin and Syntax'.

Themes can be lighthearted or serious, and many a serious theme underpins what seems, on the surface, to be a frothy comedy. If you have ever read a light story and been surprised to see how firmly it lodges in your memory, the theme may be responsible. Conversely, if you have ever read a story that was curiously unsatisfying, or which left a strange aftertaste, the theme might have been at fault.

Although important, the theme should never be allowed to overshadow the plot. The majority of readers read, or think they read, to find out "what happens next". Just as the theme can sometimes hide from the writer, so it should hide from the reader, to emerge fully from behind the curtain only later, after the story is done.

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