Discover in this post …

• how theme relates to change.

• how theme relates to character.

• how to build a natural theme in your novel using five simple steps.

What Readers Crave in a Story

If you’re anything like me, you get annoyed when your favorite brand of pen goes out of stock. Or when your laptop acts up and you can’t find a simple fix. Or when you’re forced to give up your 8 p.m. guaranteed hour of writing because the toilet overflowed.

And let’s not forget hardships on a larger scale: family emergencies, serious illnesses, and the like.

Our responses say a lot about us. We can’t afford to shut down. Life moves on, and as functional human beings, we have to adapt.

Personally, I’m capable of adapting. I just don’t like it.

Which brings up an interesting corollary.

In real life, we despise change.

But in stories, we crave it.

In the movie Pretty Woman, we root for insecure Vivian Ward (played by Julia Roberts) to gain the inner confidence she needs to stand up for herself, waltz into the Beverly Hills boutique, and say, “Big mistake. Big. Huge!” to the snooty saleswoman who judged her the day before. We feel immense satisfaction by the end of this scene.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we watch as narrow-minded Elizabeth Bennett gradually embraces the idea that someone of the highest class (Mr. Darcy) can abandon his pride and bestow kindness, generosity, and love upon someone of her social rank.

These stories have heart. And they have a discernible theme.

Your story can too.

What I’m about to propose may seem simplistic, and it’s by no means the only way to approach theme in your novel. But if you want to ensure your book means something but don’t quite know how, I encourage you to try the following method (inspired by a combination of ideas from international script consultant Dara Marks, professor of screenwriting Eric Edson, and seasoned novel editor Shawn Coyne).

Two Key Points Before You Read the Five Steps

1. The following information relates primarily to stories that follow a typical “arch-plot”: a classic storyline with a high potential to capture the attention of the widest audience. You might know this type of plot as the hero’s journey, or a “quest” narrative. Features of the “arch-plot” include the following:

• Events occur mostly chronologically in a cause/effect fashion.

• The story consists of one main protagonist with a clear goal (although co-protagonists can exist if they share the same goal).

• The protagonist evolves by the story’s end. (Sometimes, like in Forrest Gump, the protagonist remains static but influences others around him. This can also bring about a theme—but the information below focuses on how to build a theme using a dynamic main character.)

2. A story can contain more than one theme. Because people’s viewpoints and experiences vary, readers may draw different ideas from your work. Keep in mind that the method below is by no means the only way to integrate theme into a novel.

Step #1 in building and integrating your novel’s theme is to identify what’s internally wrong with your protagonist at the start of your story.

What is your main character’s “fatal flaw”? Don’t mistake this for a “quirk.” Theme has nothing to do with your character’s tendency to overeat at parties, or to read the endings of books before their beginnings (yes, people actually do this).

Theme is built upon change.

Think back to the previous examples. Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman and Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice drastically change their actions and attitudes by the end of their respective stories. At the start, they see the world--and themselves--with a distinct but flawed viewpoint. They lack the capacity to behave outside their natural tendencies. But over the course of their journeys, they learn and grow beyond themselves.

Fatal flaws can be personality traits, inaccurate worldviews, or immature mindsets (as in a coming-of-age novel). We can complete the first thematic step by answering a simple question:

Question: On an internal level, what’s wrong with Vivian Ward at the start of her story?

Answer: From her opening scenes, she believes she isn’t a worthwhile human being.

Question: What’s wrong with Elizabeth Bennett at the start of her story?

Answer: She unconsciously judges people from social classes that differ from her own.

Let’s add a third example for variety’s sake. In the first episode of the popular TV series Breaking Bad, chemistry teacher Walter White is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. To provide for his family, Walter White begins to cook and sell meth. The key story difference here is that while the previous two examples fall in line with the hero’s journey, Walter White’s story follows a downward spiral that ends in tragedy. So instead of asking the question above, we need to reverse the wording:

Question: What’s internally “right” or “good” about Walter White at the start of his story?

Answer: He is a gentle, mild-mannered man who loves his son and pregnant wife.

Now answer the question for yourself:

Question: If your story follows the hero’s journey, what’s internally wrong with your protagonist at the start of your story? Or, if your story is a tragedy, what’s internally “right” or “good” about your protagonist at the start of your story?

Answer: _____________________________________

There. We’ve completed Step #1. Let’s move on.

Step #2 is to identify exactly where your character ends up in your final scene.

Whether you’re dealing with the hero’s journey or a tragedy, this time the question remains the same. Here’s how it plays out in the examples:

Question: In Pretty Woman, how does Vivian Ward change by the end of the story?

Answer: She comes to understand she is a valuable human being, capable of speaking for herself with a voice she wasn’t aware she had.

Question: In Pride and Prejudice, how does Elizabeth Bennett change by the end of the story?

Answer: She overcomes her judgmental nature and gains sophistication in the realms of love and acceptance.

Question: In Breaking Bad, how does Walter White change by the end of the story?

Answer: He transforms into a ruthless drug dealer and grows obsessed with wealth and power.

Now examine your own story and answer the same question:

Question: How does/will your protagonist change by the end of your story?

Answer: _______________________________________

Step #3 is to choose the best opposing values that describe the beginning and end of your protagonist’s internal character arc.

You might come up with several possibilities. Don’t waste time overanalyzing—just choose your favorite. Let’s move straight into the examples:

Question: What two words best describe Vivian Ward’s character arc from beginning to end?

Answer: Worthless to Valuable

Question: What two words best describe Elizabeth Bennett’s character arc from beginning to end?

Answer: Judgmental to Sophisticated

Question: What two words best describe Walter White’s character arc from beginning to end?

Answer: Timid to Ruthless

Question: What two words best describe your protagonist’s character arc from beginning to end?

Answer: ________ to ________

The more the beginning and ending values oppose each other, the more dramatic and compelling your story will be. There’s a reason Breaking Bad won twenty-eight industry awards.

We’re almost finished—just two steps to go.

Step #4 is to use the information you gathered in your first steps to write your theme in clear language.

In his book The Story Solution, Eric Edson uses this format to write theme: “In order to ________, you must __________.” This ensures your theme comes across as a message to readers (like “Seize the day”) rather than as a topic (like “love” or “war”). You don’t have to word it this way, but if it’s helpful to you, then by all means follow this structure.

To write your theme, examine your protagonist’s character arc and analyze how the transformation occurs by the end of the story. How does your protagonist move from point A (in step 1) to point B (in step 2)? Let’s look at each of our examples and construct their possible themes. You might use completely different wording, and that’s okay. Filling in the second half of this step might take considerable thought.

Question: How can we express a clear theme to represent Vivian Ward’s transformation from “worthless” to “valuable”?

Answer: In order to embrace your self-worth, you must give yourself permission to move past your previous life experiences and see yourself in a new light.

Question: How can we express a clear theme to represent Elizabeth’s Bennett transformation from “judgmental” to “sophisticated”?

Answer: In order to remove your prejudices and gain sophistication, you must learn to admit your own flaws and embrace the opinions of those who think differently from you.

Question: How can we express a clear theme to represent Walter White’s transformation from “timid” to “ruthless”?

(You’ll notice that the “In order to _____, you must _____” wording for the other two examples implies that the theme is desirable, something we as humans should strive to achieve. A tragedy like Breaking Bad still deals with cause and effect, but using the previous format doesn’t make sense. I’d suggest changing it to something like this: “When you _____, you will _____.”)

Answer: When you give the base part of yourself permission to make destructive choices (regardless of your original intentions), you will descend into inescapable ruin.

Now it’s your turn:

Question: How can you express a clear theme to represent your protagonist’s transformation from _____ to _____?

Answer: (hero’s journey) “In order to _________________, you must _________________.”

Answer: (tragedy) “When you _________________, you will _________________.”

Let’s move to the final step.

Step #5 is to make sure your character ACTS and REACTS at specific points throughout your story in a way that reveals the theme both gradually and naturally.

If you do not make a conscious effort to follow this last step, it's possible (and even probable) your theme will get lost within your story.

The “specific points” here are also called “turning points.” Turning points can occur in one of two ways: either new information comes to light, or someone takes physical action.

Since this step requires two questions, let’s limit our examples to a single storyline here. Movies and TV shows can help appeal to a wide audience—and they’re stories, just as much as books are—but since we’re novelists, let’s focus on Pride and Prejudice to complete this step.

Question 1: What are Elizabeth Bennett’s internal gradients of change in Pride and Prejudice?

Answer: Unconscious Judgment to Conscious Judgment to Uncertainty to Sophistication

Question 2: In what way(s) does Elizabeth Bennett act and/or react to display each gradient to the reader? (Note that the examples below are not an exhaustive list.)

Answers:

• Unconscious Judgment - At the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth is unaware of her own social prejudices. Mr. Darcy acts in a condescending manner toward her and her social class upon their first meeting, so Elizabeth reacts by deciding he is irredeemably arrogant and selfish. Her attitude is unconscious because she lightheartedly spreads the story of Darcy’s insult without realizing she is, in turn, judging him in the same way he judges her.

• Conscious Judgment - Mr. Wickham regales Elizabeth with a series of untruths about Darcy, and because Elizabeth is already set against Darcy, she reacts by readily believing Wickham (hello, confirmation bias). Armed with this false knowledge, Elizabeth acts by gossiping to her sister about Darcy. Not long afterward, she also acts by responding with rudeness to Miss Bingley, who attempts to warn her against Wickham and his falsehoods.

• Uncertainty - At the Netherfield ball, Elizabeth’s family members each make utter fools of themselves and betray their lack of sophistication. Elizabeth reacts with embarrassment, magnified since Darcy and his upper-class companions are present. Her family’s behavior doesn’t match her inner beliefs about her perceived level of sophistication. Later in the novel, Elizabeth views Pemberley (Darcy’s home) for the first time. Darcy’s housekeeper speaks of her master with utmost respect, highlighting his kindness and amiable nature. We are privy to Elizabeth’s thoughts as she reacts with astonishment. Soon after, she acts by explaining to her aunt and uncle (who have accompanied her to Pemberley) that Darcy behaved differently in the past, but that she believes him not as flawed as she previously supposed—and Wickham not as angelic.

• Sophistication - Elizabeth learns that Darcy has saved her younger sister from ruin—not in hopes of personal gain, but out of kindness, generosity, and admiration for Elizabeth. A relative of Darcy’s tries to keep Elizabeth and Darcy apart. Elizabeth acts by outwitting Darcy's relative and declining her rude request. Then, for the second time, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. She reacts by accepting his hand. She has learned to disregard her initial blindness and embrace a mature worldview.

You can complete this last step while you outline your story, as you write your story, or after you write it. It’s okay if you don’t have a clear idea of your theme in your first draft—or if you can’t quite articulate it. Theme is often subconscious at this stage. Then, in later drafts, you can draw it out.

Question 1: What are your protagonist’s internal gradients of change? There’s no rule that you need exactly four words. Do what works best for your story.

Answer: __________ to __________ to __________ to ______

Question 2: In what way(s) does your protagonist act and/or react to display each gradient of change to the reader?

Answers: ________________________________

To examine this topic further, choose a dynamic character whose story is either a hero’s journey or a tragedy, watch the movie/TV show or read the book, and track the protagonist’s progression over the course of the story. How easily can you devise a theme based on the fatal character flaw?

Integrate a clear theme into your own story by focusing on change, and watch as readers repeatedly return to your work—because they know your stories hold meaning and truth.

What are your own thoughts about ways to build a theme in a novel? How might the approach above work or not work in your writing? Leave a comment to let me know!

Do you want to learn how to write a story that makes your target readers stand up and cheer? If you’d like support from A to Z (from brainstorming to drafting to revising to publication), book a Discovery Call with me to see if you’re a good fit to join my book coaching program, Fantasy Footsteps: Road to Publication. And if you haven’t done so already, grab your Free Guide on how to hook readers from your story’s start!