Themes

After finishing a novel recently I was delighted to find additional material at the end of the book in which the author wrote about his initial idea for the novel, and what had inspired him with the characters and plot.

As a reader I'm fascinated by these insights. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm a writer, or just nosy.

As a writer I'm also fascinated by the things that people see in my writing - some intentional and some that truly amaze me, as I'd never thought of them.

Sometimes I finish a book, put it down and don’t think much more about it, but other times the characters remain with me for longer and I think about character choices and actions.

Writers are often urged to consider the underlying theme in their work. To me this suggests we look for the theme once we’ve finished writing. I think this is the appropriate time, as writing with a theme in mind can lead to preachy writing or overdoing the emphasis. Themes need a light touch, rather like sprinkling fairy dust! Better that some readers miss it than being trampled underfoot by the lecture.

When I first started writing Lives Interrupted, I began with the idea of how people would deal with the aftermath and consequences of being involved in a major catastrophe that changed their lives. It was only while reading and editing a draft version of the novel that I saw the theme - the strength of friendship. This was shown in the stories of Rosa and Ellie, and Kate and Francine. It was also echoed in a plot line I removed in an early version. 

If you’ve read Lives Interrupted you may well have seen other themes and not noticed this one. It doesn’t really matter. Reading is a very individual activity. When I’ve discussed books or films with friends I often find that we have very different ideas of the theme, or alternatively the plot was so gripping we couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to even think about theme. We read to be entertained, and sometimes we don’t need to analyse what the author really meant. What do you think?

What's Your Theme

Over the last few weeks I’ve been editing Lies of the Dead, which started me thinking of when the initial idea came to me.

This book actually began with the narrative structure I wanted to use, and then came Liam (the main character), followed by an older brother and sister, Tom and Andi. Once I knew the characters, the conflicts and inciting event emerged, but as I began to mentally write the first chapters, much to my surprise, Tom's voice took over. 

Liam was the central character around which the story flowed, but the voice was definitely Tom. I tried several times to get back to Liam’s voice, because the narrative structure I wanted to use required that, but it didn't happen. Eventually I gave up fighting, listened to Tom and the story developed using a different structure.

Theme is one of the most insubstantial elements of writing and storytelling, and a long time ago I took on board the advice not to worry about theme until (at least) the first draft is finished.

I had no idea what the theme of Lies of the Dead was until I read the first draft. At that point there was a forehead-slapping moment because it was so blindingly obvious. I even had two characters in the book that epitomised the theme, although I hadn’t realised it as I wrote. 

I think a theme needs to be found rather than placed. If you start with a theme and try to mould the story to fit, the reader can feel as though a moral value is being forced on them.

Maybe you're reading this wondering if your novel has a theme.

Personally I don’t think it matters, some people may disagree, but when I read a book I’m not looking for a theme. I want a well-told story that takes me out of my every day and packs a strong emotional punch. Sometimes I’ve recognised a theme while reading a book, but often in discussing it with other people they’ve seen a totally different theme. I've also had people talk to me about links/ideas/themes they've seen in my writing, often things I hadn't recognised or even considered. Theme is not a hard and fast 'rule', people will find ideas that resonate with them.

If you see a theme in your book, great. Treat it with care - like fairy dust - lightly weave elements through your narrative that enhance the theme. If you can’t see a theme, don’t worry, because you can be sure that some of your readers will find one.