Thread by @lukeryansays

Some #WednesdayMotivation for #screenwriters and authors on the topic of theme. THREAD:

#amwriting #screenwriting #WritingCommunity

I think this is the most important aspect of writing any sort of material while also being one of the most conceptually misunderstood. Should it be helpful, here’s how I approach it ...

Recently I’ve seen people define their “theme” with one or two-words, or treat it like a tagline.

IMHO that’s doing a disservice to whatever project you’re working on and ultimately making your process more difficult.

I’ve seen this mistake everywhere from screenwriting instructors/”gurus” to bloggers to a CEO I was dealing with on a consumer products-driven franchise.

Before getting into the challenges with these approaches, let’s start with what defines a good theme.

A good theme is a *complete thought* and something that can be *questioned and debated* (this thematic debate is actually what gives your story an impactful POV and allows you to design scenes, characters, etc. with as much depth as possible).

It’s what your story is *really about* beyond the logline/”elevator pitch.”

It should be simple but provocative, and is best when rooted in the moral/ethical tug of war within your protagonist. It will ultimately reflect a greater philosophy on the right way to approach everything from life in general to a specific situation.

It should be the thing that people discuss most passionately at dinner when talking about the film/book/etc.

Jumping over quickly to one of the problematic approaches to talk about what's problematic about it in comparison …

I see people use one or two words to describe the theme of their project all the time and it DRIVES ME NUTS. What’s the theme? “Family!”

No! “Family” is not a theme, it is a noun. It says nothing specific about your story, your characters, and undercuts your ability to weave in your own POV without making it heavy-handed or a gigantic spoonful of medicine.

“Family is the most important thing” *is* a theme because it makes a firm/complete statement and we can debate it.

Some people will shrug and think “Of course, family is *always* the most important thing!” Which gives you the opportunity, as a writer, to credibly attack that in your plot and POVs of the supporting characters.

“Family is the most important thing” sounds nice, but the truth is ...

... Sometimes emotional health is the most important thing; sometimes being true to one’s self is the most important thing; sometimes money and security are the most important things; sometimes your “found family” or romantic relationship is the most important thing …

And your protagonist’s journey is actually about confirming or disputing this thematic statement and the plot and characters are the fuel for the thematic argument.

Ideally, prior to your Climax, your protagonist is faced with deciding whether they will live into the theme, wholeheartedly deny it, or redefine/reframe it.

If you’re into Campbell/Hero's Journey structure, then this evolution of character often happens in the “Gauntlet”/”Visit To Death” area of your story (which doesn’t always have to close out your second act – but that’s an entirely different thread).

Basically that moment when your protagonist (and perhaps others) stares into the abyss and realizes, literally or figuratively, that their life is short.

They are mortal and in being mortal then life has to mean/amount to something. They fully expose the theme by deciding what meaning their life will now take on.

Think about that moment in your story as this:

“If life is short, then I need to stand for something. Based on the trials behind me and still ahead of me, I hereby choose to stand for [confirmation/denial/redefining the thematic statement] and now I am prepared for my toughest challenge(s) in the Climax.”

So, now you’ve got an elegant path to your character arc. It helps you define what their major need is in the beginning, the ways in which you need to attack them and their POV in the story, and where they need to end up … *and* whether they are right or wrong in the end.

It also makes your supporting character designs more meaningful, as each can then embody different degrees of confirming/denying/redefining the thematic statement.

For instance, it’s usually easy to track in Romantic Comedies. You’ve got your protagonist who wants to find love, but has something stopping them from being able to fully give themselves in the right way to a healthy romantic relationship.

And they will inevitably be surrounded by: a Loving Couple who is invested in every aspect of their relationship and super-duper in love and also the cynical Friend Who Shags Everything That Moves.

(Not advocating that you be formulaic; just pointing to a formula you will see over and over that often works inside of one of the most formulaic genres).

Your protagonist begins in a specific place relative to these two extremes.

Between the plot and the arguments from these characters (and these characters’ own journeys) your protagonist actually *lives* the thematic argument until they reach that “Visit To Death” moment and ultimately makes a life-defining choice.

The journeys of the supporting characters are important because they attack your protagonist in a variety of critical ways.

Loving Couple will make them wish they had the stability of true love, but if LC run into bumps in the road and/or break up then your hero will wonder if they can handle the pain that goes with loving someone that much.

The same with Friend Who Shags Everything. Their cynicism towards love will reinforce the protagonist’s own inner obstacles.

Usually right when our hero has decided love is something to be avoided, FWSE will fall head over heels into love/commitment and completely blow up their previous POV, causing a new inner struggle/debate around the theme for your hero.

The protagonist eventually makes their decision in response to the thematic argument and this is the horse they ride at top speed into the Climax, the results of which will either affirm or dispute their decision.

99% of the time, the hero makes it through their most challenging/threatening moment by the skin of their teeth and shows that they made the right decision.

So, back to something like “Family!” vs. “Family is the most important thing.” You can see how the former gives you zero fuel for all of this and the latter can lay out the entire foundations of your story and make it emotional, authentic, and impactful.

But wait, there’s more! Sometimes writers will approach theme like a tag-line: “Bringing about truth and justice everywhere.”

This is neither a complete thought nor a complete sentence, but the BIGGER problem is it lacks a POV to argue for or against with all the components of your story.

“Truth and justice are worth risking everything for,” gets you much closer. Again, on the surface, that seems like a really agreeable thematic statement. But the truth is, people have different definitions of truth and justice.

sometimes what you think is true/right is an illusion and you are hurting others by pursuing it, sometimes getting involved makes it worse in unforeseeable ways, sometimes you have to break laws and/or your own moral code to bring about justice, etc.

The best themes, to me, are ones that make your audience authentically question their own morals/ethics. I always think of Sling Blade as a perfect example of this.

Because more than anything you want Karl to split Doyle’s skull open with the kaiser blade to protect Frank, which means you are rooting for a reformed/redeemed murderer to kill again in a manner that a young, impressionable kid will witness the results of and be forever changed.

It’s a terrible thing to root for … But it’s … THE RIGHT THING.

(What does it say about me that I’m rooting for that? Is it really the right thing? In a moment where life cannot be black and white, what do I stand for?)

Make your audience think/feel that and you will have done an incredible job in terms of craftsmanship.

Anyway, my take on theme. If you made it this far, thank you, and please share any thoughts you have.