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Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Theme: Themes
Still workin' on that StoryWeaver program.
As a matter of fact, I might be done soon, because I want to go to bed. Not to mention that I've gotten past characters and plot and am now working on...theme.
The theme, my nemesis.
StoryWeaver defines theme as a "moral message" applied to "a topic," like exploring the topic of death with the message of the afterlife: that there is something beyond death.
Apparently you have to have one of these, though I have my doubts. Several of you (I'm looking at you, Curt and Jen...and Julie if you're still reading) are very familiar with my work on SNL scripts, and you know that I almost always leave the moral message (or the "theme," I guess) to the very end. I always think about the jokes, characters, storyline - you know, the fun stuff - first, and then throw the theme in at the end. But in order to have a good theme, you've got to be working on it and planning to include it from the beginning.
Can't I enjoy a story without benefiting from it in any way? Why won't these themes just leave me be?
Anyway, what are your opinions regarding theme? What are some of the good themes you have run across in your reading? How were they presented? How can I learn to not hate them?
+100 points to anyone who can actually get me interested in themes.
That's all for now, and thanks for reading!
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Man, I'm gonna fail at this point system. Ideas...coming up with them...not my strong point, as we all know from SNL meetings where Curt is spouting out random ideas and I'm just shaking my head.
ReplyDeleteHowever if some crazy divine inspiration hits me...you'll know it.
I look forward to it, and it will be awesome.
ReplyDeleteThat's an awfully narrow definition of "theme". I typically feel that the story itself is its own point; life doesn't all boil down to one "lesson of the day" (some may disagree, but look at all the not-caring I'm doing about that right now), so why should your writing?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's a lesson of the day, necessarily, so much as it is that you need to explore something in your writing.
ReplyDeleteI guess. I'm not exactly sure; it's a program for writers, not a writing class, but the writing classes I've taken were just as bad at explaining it, so...
Here, this is a lot more clear:
ReplyDeletehttp://storymind.com/storyweaver/sw3/links/theme/thematic-topic.htm
I always think that it's really awesome when I'm reading a book, and they display something that matches up with a theme, and then they go through the book a bit without actually mentioning it. Then, it recaps or brings to light a new fact that when applied to the past information makes you go.. OMG.. I totally see the message in those actions now! That happened a lot in that Series you let me borrow. That's probably why I liked it so much.
ReplyDeleteYeah, actually I liked the themes in the Night Angel Trilogy way more than I normally do...maybe because they made sense, and didn't seem preachy? I dunno.
ReplyDelete"Explore"...that's why I hate things like that. It's so diluted as to be meaningless; as you respond to these comments, you are "exploring" the concept of themes in the responses that you type. "Typing out gibberish musings about whatever happens to be in your head" are no different from "a written exploration of thoughts, concepts, and themes that come to your mind".
ReplyDeleteNever underestimate the power of careful wording...especially when it was written by a professional marketer to get you to drop thirty to three hundred bucks on useless software. Read that page carefully, and consider it closely; it's devoid of real meaning! It's just trying to harness "all those essays you wrote in high school (and college, if you're Will)" as a way to sell you on junk ideas. Never trust a site that places a list of its hilarious overpriced products under the text of every page of "information".
You can look at WoT for lessons in theme. There are numerous ones running throughout the series, some of which we've discussed. For instance, the importance of the the concept of linear time. My personal favorite is Rand's journey. Perhaps it's not strictly a theme, but I feel that his beginning as a young innocent, to hardened veteran, to cynical/half crazy man, and back is an extraordinary theme/commentary on the effects of stress and combat on an essentially good individual.
ReplyDeleteTheme Schmeme. I just wanted to say that. I (as you know) work opposite --I am your Bizarro! I like to (sometimes) imagine the ending first...and like to carry the theme throughout...if you don't do that, you might lose them...because if you throw a big moral story in at the end won't it feel detached? It's like a quilt...and I know how you love to quilt.
ReplyDelete