Comments on: Writing to a Theme: Questions to Find Your Story's Heart

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 23:32:25 +0000

In reply to Jeremy Newman. You're exactly right, Jeremy. The "elevator speech," where you are required to tell your story in 50 or so words, is an amazing roadmap. Thanks!

By: Jeremy Newman

Jeremy Newman — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 06:22:20 +0000

I have a side-track on the topic of 'writing about what you're writing about'. That is, when someone asks us what we're writing about, it forces us to think about what we are writing about, from a new angle. "Tell us the cover copy/blurb", or "come up with a single-sentence premise line." These disciplines, apart from meeting someone's brief, can also reveal our story's purpose - if we didn't know it already.

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 22:58:07 +0000

In reply to Pamela Gibson. Pamela, I love Regency stories! What a great theme and plot! Both of them sound like they have a great arc. Thanks for the comment!

By: Pamela Gibson

Pamela Gibson — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 21:53:02 +0000

I'm not doing Nano because they are allowing AI. The theme of my current WIP is "sometimes a person projects an image to hide who they truly are and we should be willing to look beneath the surface before we judge them." It's a Regency about a man who portrays himself as a frivolous fop to annoy the father who ignores him and a plain woman who uses her intellect to hide her true nature to keep from having a broken heart.

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:33:20 +0000

In reply to denise. Yep! And, isn't it amazing what we find?

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:32:02 +0000

In reply to V.M. Sang. V.M., with your already honed insight on theme, I have no doubt you'll find what you need when you need it. So many times, our themes are so deeply ingrained in the back of our mind, we write to them without realizing it. I can't tell you how many established and successful writers have told me (or that I've read about) that they really didn't have all that symbolism and those allegorical ideas in mind when they wrote a story. They were just writing. I really think that's the way most of us roll. THEN we figure out what we wanted to say. :) Thanks for the comment!

By: V.M. Sang

V.M. Sang — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 12:35:10 +0000

In reply to Lisa Norman. I have no idea what the themes of my books are when I start writing. In my series, following a family through the generations, the title of the book that I came up with when it was almost finished,made me realise what the theme was. It's called Vengeance of a Slave, so it's about a young man coming to terms with his capture, slavery and desire for vengeance on the Romans. The second book is about overcoming jealousy, and follows a descendant of the protagonist in the first book. My fantasy duo is about friendship. But none of these themes were evident when I began the stories, and I still don't know what the theme is for another fantasy series, now up to book 4. I suppose it will come. At least I hope it will. And I'm not doing NaNo this year. But a WITS one sounds good.

By: denise

denise — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 05:22:23 +0000

reinventing yourself (fictional character)

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:24:30 +0000

In reply to B. Lynn Goodwin. Thanks, B. Lynn. I love discussing the WHY of our stories. I think it is the difference between a good story and a GREAT story. Thanks for the comment!

By: Sarah Sally Hamer

Sarah Sally Hamer — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:23:28 +0000

In reply to Esther O'Neill. Esther, NaNo Lite is very doable too. Sounds like a lot less pressure in our busy schedules. Or even NaNo-weekends. Or NaNo-once-a-month-for-two-hours. I'm in! So, if I may, let me ask a question. Your WIP sounds great -- I LOVE ghost stories! Do you know what that "painful theme" is? You don't have to tell us, but do you know? That's half the battle!