The Importance of Theme

Theme is a semi-vague and rather small word that has a disproportionately large value to a book. Confused by that sentence? Yeah. Me too. Theme is something we writers talk about a lot and we know that it’s important for books. Theme gives writing purpose. It elevates a good idea into a story worth telling. In short, theme is really, really important. 

But what on earth is it? 

What is Theme? 

The dictionary definition of theme is “an idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature.” It can also be “the subject of talk…” I like to think of theme as the main feelings or vibes of the book and the topics –sometimes emotional, sometimes not– that the book will contain and hopefully address. 

A couple examples of emotional themes could be joy, sadness, grieving, and loneliness. Less emotional and more in what I fondly think of as the “vibe department” themes could be things such as rising from the ashes, redemption, betrayal, and self-hatred. While most of those are sad, a theme doesn’t have to be emotionally heavy and/or negative. It can be something happy, such as found family or the aforementioned redemption. 

The themes in my book Tiger Lily tend to boil down to two major ones: Self-hatred, embodied in Lily, and doubting God, carried by Jason. But those are far from the only themes in there. Redemption is a huge one, as is unconditional love and mercy. Clearly, I went for the hard-hitting themes 😂.

However, a book like The Penderwicks has some much lighter, happier themes. Personally, I’d say sisterhood is one of the core themes in that book, as is coming of age and finding family. Those books are some of the most wholesome, sweet, hilarious stories I’ve read, and they still have a powerful theme. 

Another example is Artemis Fowl. A few of the major themes there are coming of age, redemption, and enemies becoming friends. Those are three very different books and they each have very different themes as well as a different portrayal of those themes. 

Why does that matter?

It means that it’s pretty darn hard to write a story that doesn’t have any themes at all. Actually, it might be impossible. Since writing is the “lie through which we tell the truth,” (not my quote) it reflects our lives. We live, and living isn’t easy. This is reflected in our writing, whether it be challenges or celebrations. We live both. So both show up. 

To put it simply, theme is what gives good writing its power. Think back to the last book you resonated with. Why? What stuck out to you? For me, it was Oathbound by Tracy Deonn. This book was so unbelievably powerful because of the themes that it carried with it. Yes, I liked the characters, yes she has excellent prose, but the book had me ranting and groaning because of the way she wove her themes through the whole book. 

And I’m willing to bet that while you may have enjoyed the plot or the characters of the last book that moved you, the last book that you resonated with, what really made all the difference was the theme. 

Theme, in short, gives your writing both power and purpose. 

What does this mean for authors?

To recap, theme is:

-Impossible to exclude from a book

-Essential to a good story

So to my authors out there, this means that we’ve been given a great power with our writing. We have the chance to use the themes our stories are going to hold to convey something worthwhile. Something people just might need to read. 

This doesn’t mean pick the most emotionally wrecking theme and write about that. Families are worthwhile. Hope is worthwhile. Laughter, joy, and humor are worthwhile. 

And theme shows up in any number of ways. We don’t necessarily choose the theme that we’re going to write about. Sometimes it chooses us. It might be something you’ve been living through yourself. Personally, I rarely choose my theme. It almost always finds me. 

And the things that you’re meant to write about, the themes that will imbue your writing are going to be different from what I’m meant to write about –and I couldn’t be happier. We all live different lives, so we all experience different things. We carry with us different themes. 

I am a firm believer that the theme that exists in your writing is the theme that God wants to be there. I had no idea that I was going to write about self-hatred, but here I am. So if you’re having trouble finding your theme, look back through your writing. Comb through your pages and see what themes are hidden in the inky passageways. Consider them. Are they something worth writing about? 

We’ve been given an incredible power as writers. We have the ability to present ideas to people in a way they’ve probably never seen them before. We can give a voice to those who are silent. We can make someone feel seen from across the world. It’s our job to use this gift well. Without theme, books are dry and pointless. So choose well. Write well. Live well.