Hello, friends! How’s it going? This week I’ll discuss what the theme really is and how to choose what yours is going to be. So, let’s get down to business!
The theme is the main message of the story, or what the author is really trying to say. For example, let’s say you decided to write about a girl who is being bullied (I choose this example a lot… I’m not sure why. It’s the first thing that comes to mind, I guess!). What is the main idea or lesson that you’re trying to tell your readers? The theme of this story would probably be something about how it is wrong to bully. As an author, you’re trying to expose your reader to how bad bullying can really be, and that it needs to be stopped. Got it? Let’s talk about finding the theme of your story.
Pull out your plot notes and look through them. Is there an idea that just keeps popping up as you read through them? That would be your theme. Anything that you want to teach your readers is your theme.
There can be more than one theme in a story; there can actually be several. But there are also two types of themes: implicit and explicit. An implicit theme is a theme that you don’t directly state. You use details in your plot, setting, and characters to imply your theme. An explicit theme is directly stated. Ever read one of Aesop’s fables? There’s always a sentence at the end of each story that give you the theme. You can state your theme that way, or you can have one of your characters say it, or come up with some other way.
Another way to think of the theme is as the main idea. Here are a few examples:
Love
Dreams
Power
Money
Coming of age
Building character
Good vs. Evil
Those are just a few of the hundreds that are out there. Look it up on the Internet if you still need more examples- I found plenty!
That’s all I’ve got today. If you have any questions or comments, you can comment or send me an email.
Thanks for reading! Happy writing!
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 ESV)
Hello, readers! I’m glad you’re back! Today I’m just going to do my once-a-month recap that tells you what my month looked like.
Books I Read
This month, I finally finished up The Chronicles of Narnia, and I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed it. I’ll be doing a review on this series soon.
I also started a new series recommended by my mom, The Mitford Years. I am in the middle of book one, and I love it! This is a very relaxing series, which is definitely a change of pace for me!
Writing
This month, I got a few chapters done. You may be thinking, “Only a few chapters!? I thought you loved writing!!” Yes, I do love writing. But I also needed to focus on my schoolwork, which took up a lot of my time this month. But I also made an important decision.
I’ve been wondering for a while now if I should publish my recently-finished book (just as an e-book). I couldn’t decided, because I was afraid. I had no idea what others would think- if it was weird or just not a good story overall. I finally decided that this summer, I’m going to try to publish it. I’ll do whatever I need to do (look over it, give it to someone else to critique, etc.) to get it out there.
If you have any experience publishing an e-book and have any advice, please let me know in the comments.
A New Journal
This month, I started something new to help me focus on my daily Bible reading. I’m calling it my Devotion Journal.
Basically, I do my Bible reading, and then I write down a summary for each chapter. And then I can also add any prayer requests or interesting facts that I learned. I suggest doing this because it can help you understand what you’re reading and help you learn from it.
Bullet Journaling
This month, I tried several new weekly layouts, just trying to find what really works for me. The one that I had been doing in January just wasn’t working. It felt too cramped. So then I tried one that divided each day into sections. It was too strict. Finally, I found the one that works (see the picture at the top).
First, I drew a line down each page that was about one-third of the page. Then, I drew lines for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday daily sections on the first page. I then continued the lines over to the second page as well. Those would be for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Saturday and Sunday is one daily section split in half). I did this that way because I didn’t want to have different sized sections, plus I don’t use my bullet journal much during the weekend.
On the left page, I have my study chart, habit tracker, and health tracker. My study chart is something new I’m doing to help me see when I studied in each subject.
On the right page, I have a section for notes, goals, and a stress key.
My Story of the Month
It was time.
I was ready. I was born ready.
We were going to win.
“Christy! Are you ready?”
I jumped up off the bed when I heard my mom calling for me.
“Yeah, coming!”
I began to search my room for my helmet and riding boots. I found them in the corner of my closet. I pulled on my boots and stopped in front of the mirror. My chin-length blonde hair was tangled, my mascara was smudged, and my riding uniform was wrinkled. I sighed. I had gotten ready too early, and I had fallen asleep on my bed while I was waiting to leave.
I grabbed my mascara and hairbrush and stuck them in my bag as I rushed down the hall and outside onto the driveway. I halted when I noticed a blue truck in the driveway.
I stared in wonder as a handsome guy hopped out and slammed the door. His brown hair was combed to the side, and he wore a gray t-shirt and jeans.
“Surprised?” Derrek asked as he walked over to me.
“Yeah. Usually my dad drives me to the race.”
“We worked it out,” he said glancing as the short man standing in front of the barn.
Dad waved, and he waved back cheerfully.
“Well, come on! Let’s go!” He took my bag and put it in the back as I ran to the passenger’s side and hopped in.
When we got to the stables, I couldn’t get out of the car. My legs felt like jelly.
“Hey, it’s ok. You’ll do fine. I know you will. You and Chester have been training for a long time. You’ll do fine.”
I looked over at him and sighed. “But what if he falls? I mean, what if he slips on the track? It’s been really rainy lately, and-”
He put a finger to my lips. “You’ll be fine. Now get out there.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and then got out of the truck. I followed.
Two hours later, I was sitting on top of Chester, mere seconds before the gun shot. Then, everything was a blur. I could only focus on urging my horse on, telling him to go faster.
I didn’t see the rock.
And neither did Chester.
The last thing I remember seeing was the muddy ground.
I’m just going to take a second to explain this story. If you couldn’t tell, Chester and Christy were in a race, and because of a rock in the path, Chester fell and Christy is now unconscious. I don’t really know anything about horses, but I would love to be able to ride one. I just thought I would try out writing a story about a race.
And that is the end of another monthly recap! Let me know if you liked my story and if you have any experience with publishing an e-book. How did your month go? Was it as busy and filled with homework as mine was?
The HeartWord Way 