Step Two: Theme

For me, the next step I take in writing a novel is search my idea for a theme. Yeah, I know. Shudder. Shudder. The dreaded theme that we all hated having to know for English class. Here’s a little tip, knowing the theme from the get go makes writing the story easier. Why?

Because it gives you direction. It shapes the choices you make, the characters you choose to tell the story, as well as the plot points, the dialogue, the setting.....I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

I like to use the analogy of building a house. When you decide to build one, you spend hours pouring over house plans and driving through neighborhoods, looking for the house that has the “look” you want. Once you settle on what you’d like the house to “look” like, the other choices follow in a natural order. For example, suppose you like two story houses with an English manor exterior. That choice is going to define certain aspects of whatever floor plan you choose. It’s also going to define what type of architectural elements will be found through out the house. The type of windows and doors that will “go” with the house. What type of furniture you put in the house. You’d probably strive for the “look” of an English garden in the landscaping.

The house will have a theme: English manor. That theme will influence every purchase you make once you’ve made that decision.

Which is why knowing the theme of your novel at the beginning can save a lot of time. It will influence each choice you make, saving you time because you won’t need to “discover” the theme at the end which means revising the novel to reflect or enhance the theme. Knowing the theme means you add it to your writer’s toolbox and use it while you write not after you write your novel.