Alida & Kathryn discuss their favorite topic, theme, on today’s Story Works Round Table podcast. Connect to other theme episodes in the notes.
SWRT 165 | Writing Memoir with Mag Dimond part 2
How does Mag view the Hero’s Journey in relation to our lives? Has she always been observant? Why does she explore the themes of love and death? And must they be viewed together in order to be understood? We wrap up talking about the spirituality of creativity.
SWRT 151 | Unicorns & Fairies
What is a scene stealing adorable character? And how do we create them? Are they deliberate or accidental? And what do you do with those who don’t speak English? Are these characters three dimensional? And when have they earned their own spin-off?
SWRT 121 | The Power of the Endnote
What is an endnote and why are we talking about it? How is it different from a resolution? Or the end of a scene or chapter? How can you use a “full circle” moment to really make your endnote powerful? And why should you craft it before you even get to the end of your story?
SWRT 103 | Revising with Theme with Mike Stop Continues
You have a draft, now how should you approach revising to your theme? Mike breaks down a way to approach your draft across multiple facets of your novel, and we talk about how it all works together. How do you transform description, action, and dialogue into a thematic powerhouse? By keeping your theme front and center! Now, go write it on a post-it note and stick it to your monitor!
SWRT 102 | Prewriting Theme with Mike Stop Continues
This week, Alida, Kathryn welcome Mike Stop Continues back to the show to discuss prewriting theme. We cover: why you should find your theme before you write, why themes that are too timely are no good, being human, the role of the character arc in theme, how does...
SWRT 066 | Theme
How do you define a stories theme? And should you start with a theme or let it develop naturally? We talk about how you can use the theme as a revelation, as well as how it connects readers to authors. Use theme as a layer of your story, balanced with the rest of your elements. And finally, Alida challenges us to write a story to a theme!
SWRT 022 | Inspiration
What is a high concept idea? And do you need one in order to write? Should you build your story around your theme or let it emerge through your story? And what about writing to genre conventions? We talk about what inspires us, how to write in and out of the box, and shut down that voice of resistance in your head!