The word “theme” can still cause shivers because it calls up my memories of high school English when I had to identify elements like theme or symbolism in five paragraph essays. (The only thing worse was analyzing poetry.) Those essays always left me feeling stupid. Like I might know how to read, but I didn’t really know how to read. Did the author even intend for this to be so packed with meaning? I would often think. I doubt it.

But after having been an author myself for a number of years, I no longer doubt that the authors I studied in English class were purposeful about their themes. And when Shannon showed me the definition of theme, I felt myself relax a bit:

Study.com defines it this way: The theme in a story is its underlying message, or ‘big idea.’

If I think about theme as my story’s big idea or takeaway message, that doesn’t feel quite as scary.

I do think about my theme when I start writing my story, but almost entirely as it relates to the lie my main character believes and the truth they need to combat the lie. What my character learns on their journey is almost always what I would love for my reader to walk away with too.

But most of my work developing the theme of my story happens in edits, though you might find that’s not true for you. When I read through my manuscript, as discussed several weeks ago, I’m on the lookout for ways to better weave in my theme(s).

The feel reminds me of when you’re watching a movie or a musical and a certain melody will “belong” to a character. Think Darth Vader’s song, only not quite that blatant. You’ll be watching and then realize that melody has snuck its way into the musical score, only tinged to reflect the tone of this specific scene.

When I draft my book, I often know my melody (or my theme song, if you will). When I’m editing, I’m looking for ways to sneak that melody back into the undercurrent of what’s going on.

Here are some ways I try to do that:

Dialogue

When I’m editing, I often notice a piece of dialogue or a conversation that carries a certain weight to it. If I do, I make a note of it. The message of the dialogue might already be close enough to my theme that I want to get it all the way there. Or it might be a different shade of the theme that I want to bring out.

I’ve also had times where as I wrote the first draft, the conversation swirled around an idea or theme, but I never quite landed the plane. So I’ll make notes of ways to be more clear and work on this in edits.

Character decisions

This is my favorite way to develop and explore my theme.

In Within These Lines, Evalina learns that caring about something requires bravery. In the first half of the book, she writes many anonymous letters to newspaper editors, but in the second half of the book, she makes several choices to not be anonymous. Evalina deciding to sign her name to her opinion piece in the school newspaper is a big moment for her.

In my draft of that book, I only got about halfway there on developing this theme. In edits, I nailed down several specific situations where Evalina chose to be anonymous or chose to not be anonymous.

These kinds of actions can be a great way to SHOW the theme instead of just TELLING us about it.

The antagonist

(or differing views from other characters)

How can I explore my theme through my antagonist? This is a question I’m working on asking before I write a draft as well as in my edits.

One of the things that leads to a theme feeling heavy-handed or “preachy” is the one-sided approach to it. If your theme is that war is bad, and all you show is the very bad things that come out of war, you’re not really doing the issue justice.

Your antagonist can be a great way to show the other side or a different approach to the theme.

Differing views from other smart, likable characters is an even braver choice. If you can show that other characters who we like feel differently than the main character about this issue, that’s a very good way to avoid being preachy.

Symbols or metaphors

Maybe your setting is a symbol for your theme. (e.g. Your character believes in self-sufficiency, and they live on an island.)

Or I once read a book where the main character studied some kind of sea creature (I don’t remember what kind) that had to feel safe and comfortable before it could shed its outer layer. The main character waiting for this to happen represented her own need to let down her guard.

Finding opportunities to express your character’s inner journey with exterior objects and circumstances is a great way to explore your theme!

Do you think about theme before you write your stories? Do you know what the theme of your book is?