Writers Helping Writers^®

Theme

Yesterday: Looking Back at the First Act

August 18, 2020

Yesterday: Looking Back at the First Act

August 18, 2020

“Yesterday.” A beautiful, beautiful song that easily applies to our writing process. Confused? Go with me for a minute. It doesn’t matter if we’re a pantser, a plotter, a plotser,…

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

Sourced from The Occupation Thesaurus OVERVIEWA firefighter is a rescuer who extinguishes and prevents fires that threaten life, property, and the environment. They also respond to car accidents, chemical spills,…

Why All Writers Need A Structural Toolbox

March 17, 2020

Why All Writers Need A Structural Toolbox

March 17, 2020

What Is A Structural Toolbox? Put simply, a structural toolbox is the foundation work all writers need to put in to ensure they … understand how structure works can apply…

How Premise Plays into Theme

February 11, 2020

How Premise Plays into Theme

February 11, 2020

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…

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Humans like complexity: puzzles, questions, layers. It fascinates us. My guess it’s because there are so many complex systems in nature that our brain needs to navigate successfully. Ecosystems, weather…

How Do You Lead Readers to Your Theme?

July 10, 2018

How Do You Lead Readers to Your Theme?

July 10, 2018

Theme & Symbolism Database A good book, once finished, often leaves you with that feeling of something more. I like to think of it as the book’s essence. It kind…

Use Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, and Tension

May 31, 2018

Use Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, and Tension

May 31, 2018

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…

Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

March 13, 2018

Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

March 13, 2018

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…

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

Many people are familiar with subplots. They are those side stories that give a novel’s plot depth. A subplot may involve the main character or minor characters, but they enrich…

The Power of Theme

August 28, 2012

The Power of Theme

August 28, 2012

John Yeoman dives into a difficult area for many of us–the importance of THEME and how it adds richness and meaning to a story. Strong stories have great themes. They…