Theme is hidden in the plot of every story. In order to find the theme of your story, ask yourself these questions:
- Why did I write this story?
- What is important about this story?
- What am I really trying to say with this story?
- Why did I pick this story to publish?
If it is challenging to answer these questions it might be helpful to have a list of common themes in stories:
- Even though you might not realize it at first, family is important
- Sometimes people aren’t always what they seem
- Growing up is tough and having support is important
- Hard things happen in life, how you choose to deal with them is what matters
- Try not to judge others, you never know what they may be going through
- Courage can be found in unlikely people and places
Once you’ve figured out the theme, now it is time to give clues about it in your story. But how?
- Give clues about it in the way your character acts, talks or solves a problem
- Give clues about it in the resolution of your story
- Give clues about it in the beginning and middle of your story
- Try not to state the theme directly