Ack, love this! Loved Shutter Island as well. Also, you are the first fellow writer I know who references Eric Maisel (I find a need to reread his books on coaching the artist within every few years). As for your question, I have both started strongly with theme and clung to it as essential life raft during deep revisions when almost everything else has changed; AND I’ve discovered a new more authentic theme once a plot or characters have moved me toward new ideas. (Metaphor for second approach- left the life raft and swam toward a different shore?) In all cases, theme matters deeply to me. It’s never just tacked on or the result of over analyzing. I have disagreed publicly with other writers/teachers who diss theme. Often, they’re writing short stories. When you’re in it for the long haul, I think theme keeps both writer and reader on track. Plus, I’m invigorated by it!
Love love love this topic! I have to admit that, usually, I don’t consciously think about theme until after I’ve written at least the first draft. Theme seems to organically show itself to me at that point and I more or less “realize” what I was trying to say. Then, the subsequent drafts are where I intentionally work with theme as I revise. However! Last year I drafted a new book which had pretty strong themes before I began writing. Maybe it depends on the book or story and how thematically forthcoming it wants to be lol
Loved that my choices are island: hurricane or island:drink. Given that the state of the entire world at the moment seems like island:hurricane, I'm thinking I want island:drink as my escape hatch. This question of theme is so interesting and important -- and yet when it's not handled deftly, the novel can become a kind of thudding polemic: IDEAS rather than characters, which maybe happens when the ideas haven't been fully baked? Haven't read some of these books on craft that you mention, so am going to hunt them down today! (And hurry up with that second book b/c I really, really liked your first)
Ack, love this! Loved Shutter Island as well. Also, you are the first fellow writer I know who references Eric Maisel (I find a need to reread his books on coaching the artist within every few years). As for your question, I have both started strongly with theme and clung to it as essential life raft during deep revisions when almost everything else has changed; AND I’ve discovered a new more authentic theme once a plot or characters have moved me toward new ideas. (Metaphor for second approach- left the life raft and swam toward a different shore?) In all cases, theme matters deeply to me. It’s never just tacked on or the result of over analyzing. I have disagreed publicly with other writers/teachers who diss theme. Often, they’re writing short stories. When you’re in it for the long haul, I think theme keeps both writer and reader on track. Plus, I’m invigorated by it!
Love love love this topic! I have to admit that, usually, I don’t consciously think about theme until after I’ve written at least the first draft. Theme seems to organically show itself to me at that point and I more or less “realize” what I was trying to say. Then, the subsequent drafts are where I intentionally work with theme as I revise. However! Last year I drafted a new book which had pretty strong themes before I began writing. Maybe it depends on the book or story and how thematically forthcoming it wants to be lol
Loved that my choices are island: hurricane or island:drink. Given that the state of the entire world at the moment seems like island:hurricane, I'm thinking I want island:drink as my escape hatch. This question of theme is so interesting and important -- and yet when it's not handled deftly, the novel can become a kind of thudding polemic: IDEAS rather than characters, which maybe happens when the ideas haven't been fully baked? Haven't read some of these books on craft that you mention, so am going to hunt them down today! (And hurry up with that second book b/c I really, really liked your first)