·
Because I like living through another
person’s eyes
·
Because it’s fun
·
It helps you learn vocabulary
·
It teaches you about the world
·
It lets you see other cultures
·
It’s like a movie in your head
·
Because it takes me out of my life for
as long as I need it
·
It makes me a better writer
·
It teaches you about life
I want to take a moment to talk about that last one.
Life. There certainly many things to learn about it. Every day I am learning
about how to deal with the twists and turns it deals. And even at this point,
when I feel like I should pretty much have a handle on things, something
happens and I find myself saying, “What the heck?” “What am I supposed to DO
with this?”
Life. The commercials stated we could be a winner at
the game of Life. I’m still waiting. And my car is getting emptier, not fuller.
Those who’ve played the game, totally know what I’m talking about. But why are
you talking board games, Carey? What in the world does this have to do with why
we read?
Because for me, and really for most people, I think
why we read is because at the deepest level, we want to know that we’re not
alone. And that there is hope. Because if some klutzy, normal, boring looking
girl can snag a hot, sparkly vampire, then there is hope for us. If some boy
who lives in a closet under the stairs can become a wizard that saves all of us
muggles from the perils of the dark forces, then we, too, can overcome our
obstacles, however brooding they may seem. At the heart of all books, all
narratives really, be they memoirs or fiction, is the story of us. The human
experience.
And we want, no we NEED to know that we are not
alone in this. And that others have been there or have it far worse. Not to
mention that these themes span across not only continents, but centuries. It is
refreshing to know that while we pine and weep over love lost or the one that
got away, or the one we hope is THE ONE, Jane Austen was feeling that same way.
As was Fitzgerald. As was Shakespeare.
So, when writing it is important to keep your story,
your characters, your scenes in check. But don’t forget the theme. It’s why
your writing matters. It’s the whole point. If yours has no point, then why
would we want to read it? How am I, as a reader, going to connect to it if
there is nothing worth connecting to?
At the end of reading your novel, readers should be
able to sit down and analyze character choices, and how what they decided led
to the final outcome. But to really dig in, past the skin into the meat, the
sinewy goodness that makes your novel satisfying to bite on, we need to know
why those choices matter. And how those choices relate to our decisions.
So when teaching my students theme (which is HARD to
do by the way), I ask them this:
What does the reader
learn about life?
What does the reader
learn about the world?
What does the reader
learn about themselves or others?
These are the themes.
If your novel does not answer one of these, you may be missing something.
Another good checkpoint. Ask yourself the following
of your novel:
Who? (main character)
Wants What?
(motivation)
But? (what gets in the
way?)
So? (what do they have
to do to solve the problem?)
Then? (what is the
falling action, consequence, resolution?)
This teaches that? (THEME)
This should ensure that a) you have a solid plot and
b)your novel has a theme.
I have compiled my own list of the most universal
themes I have seen in my years of teaching and reading. Some are trite. Some
are cliché. But you gotta start somewhere. See if any of these would work for
yours.
·
Love conquers all.
·
Friendship means truly being there for
another.
·
There is more to people than
appearances.
·
Ugliness comes from actions, not looks.
·
Love makes us do crazy things.
·
Love is worth sacrifice.
·
Through adversity, we learn who we are.
·
Death is a part of life.
·
You can’t have friends if you don’t act
like a friend.
·
You should always stand up for yourself.
·
Nothing worth having is ever easy.
·
All actions have consequences.
·
You have to find your own happiness.
·
Don’t be afraid to try new things.
·
Believe in yourself.
·
Be happy with what you have.
·
Courage is doing what’s right, even when
it’s hard.
·
Love can be shown in many different
ways.
·
Jealousy will destroy.
·
Appreciate what you already have.
·
Don’t give up on your dreams.
·
Sometimes what you’re searching for is
in your own backyard.
·
The only one you can rely on is
yourself.
·
Growing up means giving up on fantasy.
·
Your identity lies within yourself, not
anyone else.
·
Sometimes everyone feels out of place.
·
Freedom is gained by imagination.
·
With determination, one could accomplish
anything.
·
Sometimes we are the strongest when we
remain quiet.
·
Accept that things change.
·
Most people have an inner strength, only
not all use it.
·
Don’t let anyone hold you back from what
you want.
·
Love can be shown in many different
ways.
·
No one is stronger than nature.
·
Identity is determined by society.
·
Enjoy life now, because we all die soon.
·
By the time we understand life, there is
too little left to live.
·
Live in the present.
·
Family comes first.
·
Family is who you love, not who you are
related to.
·
In life, there must be balance.
·
To be mature, you must be responsible.
·
The choices you make determine the
person you are.
·
Finish what you started.
·
Not everything is what it seems
·
Reliance on technology makes us lazy.
·
With age comes wisdom.
·
Having “things” won’t make you happy.
·
Whatever has been done, cannot be
undone.
This list is not by any means all there is. This is
just my list I have used. If you have any others to share, please post in
comments! J
thanks! And carpe diem.
