Repeating Themes and Motifs

[Jo Zebedee]

And, ahhhhh... Ealyn Varnon. Feel free to introduce me again, springs.

That's only cos he wears a pilot suit and is sexy. (We are that shallow.)

I don't start with a bathroom scene because I 'can't start the story without it.' They don't appear there accidentally, I've purposely used the three scenes in the three stories they appear because they have a reason. If I took them out, particularly in the two novels, it would change the whole story. QUOTE]

There's no doubt about the part the scene plays in the story. It's interesting, though, I nearly always start with some sort of vista of the world I'm in, that rarely survives to the final draft. (The nail went in the coffin for Inish's yesterday, and it was a very nice vista scene. Hey ho.)

Ealyn Varnon does sound intriguing, Springs. Look forward to the introductions. ;-)

For me, theme is the only element of storytelling that the act of writing the story reveals. A lot of folks say their stories just reveal themselves to them: setting and characters, plot and conflict, theme, but for me I don't write a story where the first four aren't already known and/or outlined. Sure, I edit as I go to enforce emerging traits, but I'd never say a character tells me how the plot must proceed.

Theme, on the other hand, I'm not really aware of, or if I am, tends to take on much wider changes than the rest. Once the themes reveal themselves, I then go back and edit to enforce them, in part by cutting as much prose that doesn't directly underscore the theme from the writing as I can. But those original themes, I don't consciously put them there. Which is why, I think, I like that they repeat so often, because it means at least my subconscious has a pretty well-formulated worldview, even if I find my concious thoughts muddled on most points, most of the time. ;-)

Anyone else write themes directly? Figure them all out beforehand and whatnot? If so, how?

Oh, I'm working at some of his stuff, still, some of it might well make it to crits.

I have to admit, firstly, to being a non-plotter. If I know what's happening in the next chapter, it's a bonus. Three is a rarity. But themes, yes I often have an idea what themes I want. (How well I deliver them is another matter.)

I wrote a series with the theme of an existentialist approach to life, a self imposed morality that allows transcendence over some pretty grim travails. Less of a sense of good vs evil, though that is mostly the story, more of a sense of choice, and being, and how one or two actions can ripple and affect people both intertwined and seperately. In the first book, this didn't fully come out, but now, in the third, the rippling is there.

With another, I want, if I can, to explore the theme of the frontier, the strength it takes to meet and embrace it, the sacrifices it demands. I wanted, too, to explore it from a female perspective - although I have three good male characters who are making their voices heard, too, which is nice. I have a suspicion, again, it's possibly rather existentialist in its outlook.

In both cases the theme is what made me want to write the book. But, having said that, I wrote one for plot and had a ball doing that one, so sometimes it's nice not to have these huge overarcing themes. Sometimes it's nice to just have fun.

 

[Gumboot]

Revenge. I love a good revenge story.

 

[Juliana]

Regarding repeating motifs, everything I've written lately has magic in it (magical creatures, an amulet, a portal) but the MCs are all ordinary children with no special powers of their own.

Probably because that was the format I read a lot as a child (Narnia, E.Nesbit...) as opposed to some of the popular kids books now (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Skulduggery Pleasant) where the kids have powers of their own.

I like reading both approaches but it feels more natural to write about ordinary children who gain access to magic somehow.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For me, it's secrets, disguises, false names, and just generally hidden things.

Also alchemy. I know alchemy is a word that gets thrown around a lot in fantasy these days, but this goes back a long way for me, and in some of my books it runs very deep.

And gadgets, lots of gadgets! But that's just in my books with an 18th century type setting.

 

[Culhwch]

Like Mouse, I'd definitely say redemption is a recurring theme in my work. However unlike Mouse, I wouldn't say bathrooms appear with any frequency.

I also like to play with themes of duty, particularly in regards to duty to family clashing with duty to something else (king and country, a code of honour, various other things). Also big on exploring familial relationships, both positive and negative. Lately I've also been playing up magic use as a taint or something to be repressed.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

For me its anti-capitalism. It keeps rearing its pretty head! My elves, being sweetness and light (sometimes) really don't use money a whole lot. My advanced alien civilizations seem to have a similar approach to such things.

Maybe it's just because I'm such a terrible capitalist myself!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[jastius]

they have a reason[/I]. If I took them out, particularly in the two novels, it would change the whole story.

Hard to believe, I know, but I do know what I'm doing.

sorry mouse, I know that you do, I wasn't trying to imply otherwise at all
okay its just we once had this absolutely brilliant playwright who has won all sorts of awards do a semester as a drop in prof at my university, and thats one of the things he recommended just as an exercise. its really about taking apart your head so that you can work in other voices; (or not machine gun editors when they demand endless rewrites). did you know that good will hunting started out as a scifi murder mystery complete with time travel?
the studios liked the premise but wanted a different treatment. apparently the biggest battle was over the laser gun fights. what i was trying to get at is that could you gut your baby in the same way? if you absolutely were forced to it? (and if it paid enough wereguild for the assasination of course) I mean like, does anyone REALLY think the studios do a horrendous film treatment on purpose??
anyways mouse, mea culpa, mea culpa, I didn't mean offence