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Search Results for: theme

Story vs. Plot vs. Theme: Know Your 5Ws and H

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Journalism writing often uses the 5W1H structure. The first few paragraphs of a news article should answer 6 basic questions (which start with 5 Ws and an H): Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. While fiction writing doesn’t try to cram the essentials into the beginning paragraphs, those same … [Read more...] about Story vs. Plot vs. Theme: Know Your 5Ws and H

Themes and Symbols Go Together Like Peas and Carrots

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So...symbolism. We’re pretty familiar with this storytelling element, and I’m guessing most of us have experimented with the use of symbols in our writing. In a nutshell, you take an object, word, color, phrase, etc., and apply it in a story to give it a deeper meaning: Tolkien’s one ring (evil) … [Read more...] about Themes and Symbols Go Together Like Peas and Carrots

Use a Character’s Career to Support Your Story’s Theme

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Successful stories are often ones whose elements are employed subtly. You may not be able to say exactly why they work, and as a reader, you probably don’t care; you just like the feeling of rightness that settles in as you read. Theme is one of those important elements that are quietly working … [Read more...] about Use a Character’s Career to Support Your Story’s Theme

How Premise Plays into Theme

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For many writers, theme is an afterthought--something they may try to figure out once the book is mostly written. But in reality, for a lot of stories, the premise actually promises a theme, or at least, a theme topic. This may not be true of all premises, but a surprising number actually have a … [Read more...] about How Premise Plays into Theme

Use Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, and Tension

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I recently spoke at the Storymakers conference in Utah, and while I was there, I attended a class on theme. Theme is kind of an ethereal topic, difficult to grasp and even harder to apply. But I was blown away by Amanda Rawson Hill's breakdown—so much so that I contacted her and asked if she'd write … [Read more...] about Use Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, and Tension

Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

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Our story’s themes—our messages to readers of what to value or believe—can add depth and meaning to our writing, but to avoid being too on-the-nose, our themes are usually developed in the story’s subtext. Unfortunately, working in subtext means we can accidentally create unintentional … [Read more...] about Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

Understanding Character Wounds: A List Of Common Themes

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Characters are the heart of a novel, and within that heart is the Hero’s Inner Journey. The protagonist’s path is much like yours or mine--one that will (hopefully) bring him closer to lifelong happiness and fulfillment. In real life, people strive to become something more, to be something … [Read more...] about Understanding Character Wounds: A List Of Common Themes