Finding Theme Through Characters
You can find your main theme imbedded within your protagonist’s character arc. You can then develop that theme by exploring both sides of the theme through other characters’ arcs, subplots, advice, and examples.
Tag: writing theme
Suspense in Dialogue
There are many ways to introduce suspense into dialogue. Suspense is the element of uncertainty. What is going on? What will happen next? Because dialogue is “people telling other people things”, you may wonder how the sharing of information can lead to uncertainty. Revelations: The realization that things are not as they seemed a minute […]
Use Writer’s Block: Developing Theme
Got writer’s block? Congratulations. You might have discovered a theme for your book. After all, writer’s block highlights what is important to you and what stands in the way. The theme of your book is a unifying message. Theme can be tied to inner or outer conflict and its inevitable/best/worst resolution. Theme should be something […]
(quote) Philip Pullman on Theme
“I am a story teller. If I wanted to send a message I would have written a sermon.” ― Philip Pullman
Write a Theme, Not a Sermon
Every book is “about” something. What is right or wrong, love conquers all, and other profound topics. The theme is the core message of the book. In essence, it is an opinion about reality – a perceived truth. Likely, it is something you believe in strongly. This is great. It means you can write strongly […]
Create a Magic System: Spell Casting
Today’s blog focuses on creating a system for spell casting. Writers usually start with this element of their magic system. They usually – but not always – have a good grasp of how their magic users cast spells. But in creating my own world, I this was one of the last things I decided because […]
Create a Magic System: Introduction
I love fantasy books and poems. One of my favorite elements of the genre is the presence of magic. Typically magic is a manifestation of will or desire that makes possible the impossible. Authors can use magic in so many ways. Magic can simply be a backdrop – a piece of the fantasy world – […]
Theme: An Answer or a Question?
Earlier I wrote about theme as though it had to be a statement or opinion about life. Like much with writing, this is a rule made to be broken. If a theme can be a statement, can’t it also be a question? Absolutely! I do believe that a theme says something about life. Every book […]
Write What You Know in Fantasy and Paranormal
Counter-intuitive? Not at all. I write magic and dragons and don’t think I have a harder time than a contemporary writer with this issue. If you are writing fiction, you are expected to use a little imagination to bring it to life anyway. I don’t think the old adage is meant to be taken literally. […]
