What do you want to convey in your story? I’m not talking about preaching or moralizing, but the concept you want a reader to take away from your story. The theme.
Theme might be called an underlying truth. A foundation for the story that will help guide the story. A focus or center. It’s not plot. It’s not necessarily the subject. It’s might be described as something important that the writer believes applies to the subject.
For example, in the Harry Potter stories, the theme is “good conquers evil.” The theme in the Twilight series might be “true love overcomes all.” These concepts are not stated in so many words. The writer shows the theme instead of telling it.
In a novel there can be multiple themes. i.e. Harry Potter books: “loyalty to friends,” “hard work” and “perseverance.” The Twilight books: “protect your family” and “don’t give up on getting what you want.”
Often authors have a common underlying theme for their non series books or book series that feature different main characters. One adult author I read comes to mind: LE Modesitt Junior’s books often express the theme of “hard work;” so much so that his characters make me feel lazy. Yet, he’s not preaching at me. Instead his characters believe in hard work and follow through and I become impressed with what they do as I read. Modesitt must also believe in hard work–just look at his number of published novels.
Resources
I recently read a blog entry on theme that makes a lot of sense. Novelist Larry Brooks. says theme helps a book be memorable. He recommends including your theme in your “What’s your book about?” answer. Read more at http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-story-theme.
Laura Elvin refers to it as the “why of the story” in this article on theme in short stories.
Now what about premise?
Some writers use the terms theme and premise interchangeably. Rightly or wrongly, I view theme as general and premise more specific. So back to Harry Potter: “a young good wizard will conquer the evil old wizard.” A premise for the Twilight series might be “if her love is strong enough, a girl can even win the vampire she loves.” It’s the kernel of the story. Premise might also be described as the situation or the central idea of the story.
Jeanne Vincent has an interesting article on the difference between theme and premise. Alexandra Sokoloff talks about the premise being the pitch for the story. I like her approach. Read it here: http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2008/05/whats-your-premise.html
However, whatever you call them, these concepts are necessary for a compelling story. You may use them unconsciously as you write or you may have to plan.
Thinking about these again makes me realize I need to make sure I know what the themes are for my works in progress. I believe knowing will help me focus my stories and in the end result in a better project.
Category: Craft
Self-Editing Tips
Need ideas on how to edit your own manuscript? Here are some ideas to try. First, let your chapter or manuscript sit for a couple weeks, so you can see it afresh. Read it aloud.
Do you . . .
. . . stumble? It may mean your sentence or word choice is awkward. Or if written in verse, that your rhyme is forced or your meter is off.
. . . hear the difference between how your characters speak? If not, try this–highlight all of each character’s dialogue in individual colors, then using the color key, read through a single character’s words. Does his speech sound consistent? Can you tell who is speaking without taglines? Do each of your characters sound realistic? Aren’t lecturing? Sound age appropriate?
. . . see the setting? It may not need to be highly detailed, but especially in novels, the reader needs to know where the character is. (i.e. a child playing in a parking lot, or an abandoned lot, gives quite a different picture than a child playing on a playground, or at the video arcade.)
. . . use all five senses? Sight and hearing are pretty easy, but don’t forget to use taste, touch, and smell.
. . . feel emotion? If not, perhaps your characters aren’t quite alive yet. Show us what she is feeling, to help us feel it, too.
. . . doubt whether something is working or not? If in doubt, work it out! Don’t ignore those troublesome spots. Check with other writers if not sure why it isn’t working.
Check for . . .
. . . passive writing. Your biggest clue is use of ing. i.e. She was standing becomes the more active She stood.
. . . excessive adverbs. Are you overusing “ly” words? Instead of using a weak verb and an adverb to modify it, replace both with an active verb. (i.e. I walked quickly to I raced or I sprinted or I scurried.)
. . . weak adjectives. Use adjectives that really make a difference. (i.e. white snow tells a reader almost nothing, because snow is usually white. However, dirty snow or packed snow or yellow snow each create a different picture.) Don’t forget you can use similes and metaphors occasionally, too.
. . . specific nouns. Don’t be vague and you may not need to use adjectives with your nouns. (i.e. instead of He fed his pet, try He fed his dog or He fed his Great Dane. See how getting more specific, gives a clearer picture?)
. . . overuse of prepositional phrases, especially those beginning with “as.” Actions can be shown one at a time and are often clearer, than trying to show two actions at once. (i.e. As Benny walked to school, he saw . . . could become On the way to school Benny saw . . . or Benny had almost reached school when he saw . . .)
. . . overuse of flashbacks. Flashbacks pull the reader out of the present action. Use sparingly. Consider telling the story in chronological order and see if that improves the flow of your story.
. . . heavy sections of black text. Reader’s like some white space. This can be provided by using dialogue, shorter paragraphs mixed in with long ones. Breaking up narration with action. Eliminating unnecessary description.
. . . scenes that don’t move the story forward. Sometimes we write too many details, when instead we need a brief summary as a transition between scenes. (An example would be the details of what a character had for breakfast, who with, and how long it took, when this really is just filler between the important idea he had when he woke up and his action to use the idea after breakfast. When Lee woke up, he knew what he had to do. After breakfast, he raced next door . . .) Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this add to the story?
- Am I getting to the main point here?
- Will the reader care about this?
- How does this make my main character appear?
. . . clear transitions. These can be brief (i.e. the next morning), but the main purpose is to show we’re not in the same place and/or time.
. . . a strong beginning. Did you start with the moment that is different? Did you start with action, not background info? Does your reader soon know what the main character’s problem is?
. . . a satisfactory ending. Does your story come full circle? Is the problem presented early on resolved? (Doesn’t necessarily mean a happy ending or all questions answered.) Did your character change and grow? Did your antagonist get what he deserves? Was this relationship/problem resolved at the right time?
. . . varied sentence structure. Don’t always use noun verb subject order. (i.e. Dolly washed her hair and sat down to do her homework could be changed to After washing her hair, Dolly sat down to do her homework.)
. . . varied sentence length. Short sentences create more tension. Longer ones, a more relaxed feel. You can even have sentence fragments where the subject and verb are understood, not stated or use them for emphasis, i.e. CRASH!
. . . correct spelling and grammar. You did use your computer spell check, right? And rechecked after editing? And checked visually? Spell check can’t catch “their” instead of “there,” but it can catch many words. Your grammar checker can help where spell check doesn’t. It is not an infallible tool–it especially was not aimed at fiction–but if pops up, make sure you understand the “rule” it says you are breaking.
. . . correct punctuation. A great favorite resource is Errors in English and How to Correct Them by Shaw. It helps with word usage and grammar, too. If you have someone in your critique group, who readily spots grammar and punctuation mistakes, ask them to read over your manuscript.
Weed Out Weasel Words
They are those words that just slip their way into your manuscript. Often they are used again, and again, and again. The examples below may or may not be a problem for you, or you may have others to add to this list.
really
finally
just
very
so
then
next
seems, seemed
began
that
Agent Rachelle Gardner has an even longer list on her blog.
Or because of your subject matter, you may use the same word over and over. Find other ways to say it.
Tighten
One well-published author, Peg Kehret, looks at each page and tries to eliminate 3 words per page. Pretend you have a word count limit per chapter or scene. When forced to reduce text to make word count, you often see unnecessary words or sentences.
Repeat as Needed
Make your changes, again let the manuscript set for a time. Sometimes it helps to print it out in a different size font. Reread it and see if more changes are necessary. Repeat as many times as needed. When satisfied that is as good as you can make it, take it to a critique group or do a manuscript exchange. After the critique, you’ll probably be making more additions, deletions, and corrections.
Pay Attention to Comments
Pay attention to critiquers’ comments that you receive frequently, i.e. show don’t tell. If you have good critiquers, this is an indication you have a weakness in that area. Do your best to not hear that comment again by educating yourself to spot it yourself. If you don’t understand what they mean, find out!
If you consistently get personal rejections that comment on one problem, that problem may cross into other manuscripts as well. Learn as much as you can about strengthening your skills in your problem area.
The Story Ladder or Novel Timeline
If writing an outline before you create your story is not for you, perhaps a story ladder would be a good choice.
Keeping track of where and when things happen can make sure you don’t end up having Monday happen twice in one week in your story. It also can help you strengthen endings and beginnings of chapters. Plus when you make a change in a story that necessitates a change earlier on, it makes it easier to find the appropriate scene or place.
You may want to write a few chapters before creating it. Or you may use it as a mini-outline to write from. Following are several samples.
Going back over my story ladder for one novel, I added a column for main plot and subplot, which let me see how balanced the story was. I’ve also added codes or columns so I can see how often I mention a character trait–this helps me not forget some mannerism or habit that should be ongoing. Or perhaps it helps me keep track of something in the character’s setting which is important either to the plot or to the character.
Sometimes the summary shows me that not much happened in a chapter. I can then ask myself do I need this scene? Is it moving the story forward? Do I need to strengthen it or combine it with another chapter? Is it in the wrong place?
Page numbers and/or word count show the lengths of my chapters. If most of them are a consistent length, except for this one long one, perhaps I consider breaking it into two chapters.
Use a story ladder as a tool for what YOU need to keep track of in your story. For a mystery, you might want a column for clues, so you know when you’ve revealed what. If you’re writing a novel with multiple viewpoints, you may need a column to indicate whose viewpoint each chapter or section is in.
A story ladder or novel timeline can be helpful when you have to create a synopsis, too, since the basics are already gathered in one place.
Showing Versus Telling
“Show don’t tell,” writers say. But what exactly does that mean? “Telling” is talking about what happened in a story. “Showing” is putting the reader on scene. We are there while it is happening. It’s like being at the theater and watching the monster break through the screen compared to hearing a news reporter tell about the incident.
How do you do it? By using the following. Not all will be used all the time, but a mixture can definitely help your reader be on scene.
• ACTION
Show the reader what is happening. Let them know what the character is doing. It might be some repetitive action he or she does–a habit–or just what they are doing at the moment and how they are doing it.
Not: Stephanie was nervous.
Instead: Stephanie ran her curled hand down the leg of her jeans and back up. The scrape scrape of her fingernails sped up along with the rate of her breathing.
• ACTIVE VERBS (LIMIT ADVERBS)
If you can’t come up with active verb, use a thesaurus to help you find just the right one. The right verb can even give a sense of the mood of the action. We don’t usually stomp when we are happy!
He raced or sprinted…
instead of
He walked hurriedly… OR He went quickly…
OR the passive form He was walking…
• THOUGHTS
Let us know what the main character is thinking. Give us insights into the main character’s thought processes.
Not: Jared thought he should apologize. OR Jared knew he should apologize.
Instead: I guess I’d better tell her I’m sorry, Jared thought. If I don’t, she won’t let me go to Matthew’s house. And then, I’ll really be . . .
• DIALOGUE
Let us hear the characters talk. It will add life to your story. Three different people will say the same thing three different ways.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, how’re you doin’?”
“How are you this fine morning?”
• FEELINGS
Let us feel what your main character is feeling. This can be done with action, dialogue, thoughts, or a combination of the three.
Not: Elaine was sad she didn’t get to go.
Instead: Elaine pouted. “It’s not fair. I worked as hard as she did! Why don’t I get to go?”
• DESCRIPTION
Let us see where and when your scene is happening. Don’t forget to include other senses besides sight: tactile, taste, smell, hearing. Is this a contemporary story or historical? What you describe will let us know.
The boy shivered in the cold morning air. Ice had formed on the watering trough. In the barn the cow lowed. If he didn’t get her milked right away, Pa would take the switch to him. He hoped Ma would have some of the salt pork fried up when he got back to the cabin.
• SPECIFIC NOUNS
Make it clear what you are talking about by using specific nouns. Three people squeezing into a Ferrari gives a different picture than three people climbing into an SUV. Even in simple sentences being precise is better.
She fed her iguana.
instead of
She fed her pet.
• ADJECTIVES THAT COUNT
Not white snow, because most everyone knows it is white. Instead dirty snow, waist-deep snow, packed snow all create different pictures. Don’t go overboard here either. One well-chosen adjective is usually better than a series of weak adjectives:
The humongous dog…
NOT
The very big dog…
Examples using the above suggestions:
Telling:
I was alone in the house and a noise upstairs scared me.
Showing:
The house was quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds were the ticking of the living room clock and the pounding of my heart. I glanced over my shoulder as if I thought someone might be there. Of course, no one was. Why should there be? I knew I was alone. And then I heard it. A thump. Someone had knocked something over in the attic.
Telling:
Jeff broke his mother’s antique vase and was in trouble when she saw it.
Showing:
Crash! Jeff stared at the shattered glass on the hardwood floor. Oh, no! He slapped his palm against his forehead. Mom’s going to kill me! She’s always telling anyone who will listen how the vase came from Texas in a covered wagon. And now I bumped it with my stupid backpack and broke the stupid thing.
Jeff bent down to see if there was anything worth saving, then jerked upright at the
tap, tap, tap of approaching high heels. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’m sorry,” he said. “It was on accident.”
Mrs. Winsted’s mouth gaped open the moment she saw the ruined antique. “Jeffrey Andrews Windsted! Do you realize what you’ve done? That vase was passed down from my great-grandmother!” She grabbed his shoulder and squeezed.
Is there a time to tell? Yes. We often use telling for simple transitions.
There wasn’t anything else I could do, so I left the room.
- Here, we don’t want a blow by blow of how the person got out of the room.
After Leanne showered and put on her nightgown, she crawled into bed.
- The details of her shower and her nightgown are not important.
Winston explained his secret plan.
- If we’ve already heard his thoughts about his plans, we don’t need a rehash as he tells his friend. Or perhaps this simple telling is to keep the reader in suspense; the reader will learn as the plan unfolds before them.
However, if you find yourself telling something important, such as a fight or the danger the character is in, resist temptation and share the gory details. Your readers will appreciate it.
Read, Read, Read
Are you taking armloads of children’s books home from the library? Are you perusing the titles in the children’s section of the bookstore? Are you paying attention to Newbery award winners, ALA notables, or Golden Kite Awards? (To name only a few awards.)
Are you reading the books of the publishers whom you’d like to see publish your books? Are you reading books published within the last three years? Books are changing all the time, so you need to keep current. Books from ten years ago are not what publishers are looking for now. So what does that say about books from your childhood?!
If you’re not reading, you need to be. Here’s what a master has to say:
“Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” -William Faulkner
Many of us write because we love to read, but it’s amazing how many people write, but don’t read. We can learn so much by reading the writing of others. Some of the conventions of writing get ingrained into us as we read. Others may take more study. But who else better to teach us than those who have already done it?
When you read, note what you like. In novels, is it the fast moving pace, the depth of the characters, or how real the story feels? What in this specific book makes you keep reading? In a picture book, is it the way the text sings, or the humor? How did the author accomplish those things? Emulate the traits you like in your own writing.
Note what turns you off. Is it the lengthy description or the level of violence? Is it the high dose of saccharine or preachiness? Is it something that pulled you out of the story? Be aware of whatever stops you. It sounds obvious, but in your own writing don’t do what you hate.
Read in your category and genre. Want to write early middle grade novels or mysteries? Read them. You’ll get the feel for lengths of chapter, language, ages of main characters, types of topics covered, who the “big name” authors are in the genre, who the publishing houses are, and more.
Keep track of what you’re reading, so you can go back to what you learned. I use a table in Word, but a spreadsheet or notebook would work, too.
Here’s the info I keep:
Book Title and a brief description of the story, so I’ll remember what it was about, including the main character’s name and ~ age. If I know who the editor was, I add that, too.
Author – I also might note the illustrator.
Date Published
Category – PB, MG or YA
Genre – contemporary, fantasy, mystery, historical, etc.
My notes – This is where I write what I thought of the book. I start with short and simple (i.e. very good) then go on to say in more detail what I liked or didn’t like.
I file each book entry under the PUBLISHER name. Publishers are alphabetical to help me quickly find what I’m looking for. I keep these entries in date order by publication date.
This above info is especially helpful when you’re preparing to submit. Through frequent reading you’ll begin to know first hand the personalities and quirks of publishing houses. I remember when one new house came on the scene–I read every one of their books I could find. Through that reading, it became obvious my novels would not fit in. Mine did not have the same overall flavor as their books did.
Read lots and lots of children’s books to help you know what is already out there. You’ll know many of the topics and themes by reading, reading, reading. You’ll get an idea of what has been done, and done, and done. Knowing that, means you can write your story from a fresh or unique angle, so you’re not submitting something editors are sick of seeing.
Consider focused reading. Deliberately search for books on your topic or theme. What makes your story different from those? If you find nothing on your topic for your audience, that’s a good selling point in your cover and query letters.
Read agent and editor favorites. Been to a conference and heard an editor talk about books they love (these may or may not be books they’ve edited)? Read an agent’s blog about books he or she has acquired? If you’re interested in that editor or agent, you’ll know better if they might be a fit for you once you’ve read what they like.
Here’s what another master had to say about the importance of reading. “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over a half a library to make one book.” – Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
So if you want to write, get reading!