Themes

"When I look back over my novels what I find is that when I think I'm finished with a theme, I'm generally not. And usually themes will recur from novel to novel in odd, new guises." -Richard Russo

Themes are literally what defines our books. They are similar to the main idea, but they're not quite as jump-out-and-smack-you-in-the-face, if you know what I mean. It wriggles its way through the pages, making pointed comments and altering the plot ever so slightly to make it fit its own needs.

The theme of Hunger Games is rebellion- the idea of rising up and breaking the rules. My book, Realms, has the main theme of overcoming the past and approaching the future. (I think.)

One of my newer experiments, which I still don't have a name for, has a similar theme, but at a different angle. Its theme is something like what your home is and how it defines you. My two main characters define this well. One is an amnesic thief that can't remember anything from five years earlier, so he doesn't know where he's from or how he got to his current location. The other is from a very traditional country, where family is almost holy to them. He's asked to take on a task that will probably destroy him and his culture forces him to take it on. It makes for some interesting and different internal conflict.

I was once advised to subtly mention the theme within the first few chapters, preferably within the first. Some of my friends do this; I don't. I usually don't even realize the theme until the first few chapters are done. I just barely realized what the theme was for my newest work. But reflecting on it now, I see that the theme is just a part of the story. And that's what it is to me. Sometimes it takes some self-discovery, some thought, some work, some tears to weave your theme into it. But face it- we'd be doing that anyway. So its okay.

What's the theme in your books? How are you going to express it? How do your characters compliment or reject that theme?

Good luck!

Kirah