Theme: Where Does it Belong?

[Lafayette]

I have a theme for my story. I believe I've read somewhere that the theme belongs on the first page of the story. Is this true? In the first draft I had it on the first page, but I was told it was too vague and/or undefined and was more tell and not show. I'm asking because on the second draft I don't have it at all. Trying to put it there feels clumsy and unnatural. I, of course, plan on getting to it, however it may not be until the fifth page. Is this bad writing?

I really like the theme and feel it's important.

I also like the characters.

I have been searching for the answer, yet no cigar.

I welcome all comments and questions.

 

[DLCroix]

Well, the way I see it, I wouldn't say so much like that. For me the first page is used for other things. To begin with, the first sentence is the hook and the rest of the first paragraph is the development of that, which can be in many ways; for example, starting with your foot on the accelerator, in such a way that that first paragraph can be more or less long or even cover more than one page, although this technique corresponds to an overlapping of one sentence after another, usually using a lot of comma or semicolon to avoid interruption and whose objective is precisely not to give the reader respite. In boxing terms, one punch after another. The difficult thing, yes, is to find what to say, which is why it is recommended for some cases and not for others, it all depends on what is being told.

An opposite case, for example, is the slow wick, according to which you gradually gain speed similar to a wave, that is, you guide the reader through an ascent, climax and its corresponding descent in each chapter. But again it depends on the type of story. Even so, it is often said that there are writers who are gradually gaining strength.

I personally don't see an obligation that the subject should be explained on the first page. You can give clues , yes, because the reader begins reading wondering what it is about, so, at least in the first five pages, I would say, you cannot allow yourself to digress; that's for other chapters, when you've already accomplished certain goals like setting the narrative tone; to present not necessarily the MC but some liaison character, although, of course, it would be appreciated if the idea of the story was expressed within that first chapter.

 

[tinkerdan]

Quoting from this web article...

What Is Theme & Why Does It Matter? | Novel Writing Help

The theme of a story is one of those topics that many novel writing guides barely mention, if they mention it at all. Why is that?

www.novel-writing-help.com

the reason that theme is often ignored in novel writing books and courses is that it’s an abstract concept. As opposed to a concrete one, like character, plot and setting.
Character, plot and setting are the “who,” “what” and “where” of novel writing. And everybody understands what those mean. But the theme of a story (the “why”) is invisible.

Quoting this article...

What exactly is a theme of a story, and how can I recognize it?

The theme of a story is what the author is trying to convey — in other words, the central idea of the story. Short stories often have just one theme, wher

www.cliffsnotes.com

Short stories often have just one theme, whereas novels usually have multiple themes.

And what wikipedia has to say,,,

Theme (narrative) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

thematic concept is what readers "think the work is about" and its thematic statement being "what the work says about the subject"

So while central to the story it can often be invisible, for a novel there can be more than one, and there is a difference between what the theme is and how it is portrayed; all of which might account for the response to the draft with the theme being vague.

There might have been an issue in someone's head about the way you were portraying it. Some of the themes in my novels are Identity, indentured slavery, and prejudice. The beginning of the novel contains elements of those, but I don't hit the reader in the head with it like its a hammer. It's more like a tickling feather that's meant to eventually get under the skin and cause a bit of itch.

Because of the potential for invisibility I think that this is something that you will have to struggle with to find the right place for you to be comfortable in your writing or to brave into uncomfortable territory; however it should, ultimately, fit into the story in an organic way that might be subtle enough that it seems vague. I'd revisit what you previously wrote and see if it might be just what you need to suck the reader into that theme.

 

[Toby Frost]

I don't think I'd worry about it at an early stage. It's something that will probably become clear as you continue to write. I don't think an author needs to know the book's theme when they start: it's sometimes something that often becomes clear once the draft is finished. Then you can go back and edit the book with the theme in mind.

 

[Wayne Mack]

I've read somewhere that the theme belongs on the first page of the story. Is this true? In the first draft I had it on the first page, but I was told it was too vague and/or undefined and was more tell and not show. I'm asking because on the second draft I don't have it at all. Trying to put it there feels clumsy and unnatural. I, of course, plan on getting to it, however it may not be until the fifth page. Is this bad writing?

I am going to answer a slightly different question -- What belongs in the introduction?

Before leaving theme, I believe that theme should be present throughout a story, but be subtle and not dominant. It should be subtle to the point that the reader could possibly overlook it.

I feel a reader can only grasp so much new information at once; give the reader too much and he or she is overwhelmed and becomes confused rather than curious. This requires the writer to be very selective on what to reveal to the reader at the start. There are characters, potentially many of them in the story. There is a main plot and likely several subplots. In science fiction and fantasy, there is a new physical environment and new creatures and races. There also may be new laws of physics: magic systems or scientific advances. Lastly, there is likely a theme or philosophy that the writer would like to convey or at least adhere to. That is a lot to throw at the reader and it cannot be all addressed in the first page or the first five pages or even within the first chapter. Good writing is determining how to prioritize the information given the reader and how to find the balance between giving too much too soon and having the reader find key pieces of information seemingly thrown in at the last minute.

A challenge I have found that as a writer, I have often thought a great deal about the theme, characters, plot, etc., so ideas may be obvious to me. My reader, however, is coming in cold and needs more explicit steps in understanding the world I am trying to present. The theme should definitely influence a tale starting with the first page, but the trick is determining how and when to give the reader pieces of information and allow him or her time to digest the info before being hit with the next item.

 

[Lafayette]

Thanks to all of you.

I read your comments, suggestions and links and will study them again.

 

[sknox]

Also, what constitutes the first page? I read on my phone, so "first page" is maybe three sentences.

I can think of any number of great books where themes don't appear until further in. Others where it's right there up front. And still others where the author had in mind this or that theme, but readers found other themes.

I have a general rule of thumb (that's a rule used only by the thumbs of generals). Listen to all advice. Don't take any of it to heart without challenging the person who offers it. Taking advice as a rule to live by without first questioning it will only tangle up your feet.

 

[Steve Harrison]

I have never worried about theme other than vague, all-encompassing themes like 'strangers in a strange land,' 'be careful what you wish for,' or, as in my latest novel, 'the grass is always greener.' I have never heard that the theme should appear on the first page and it doesn't make sense to me. That's not to say that particular opinion is wrong; it's just not for me.

My blasé attitude to theme was formed after a reader came up to me at an author's event and congratulated me on several themes included in my first novel. I had no idea any of them were there.

 

[Saiyali]

I've been writing books and each one has a little epigram (?) on the front page which essentially sums up the theme.
On the other hand, a recurring theme through all of the writing is, Reality sucks, take me somewhere else please!

 

[sknox]

>I had no idea any of them were there.
It's a kind of writerly arrogance to imagine that the reader will find only what I intended. I am delighted when readers surprise me.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

The theme should develop naturally throughout the story (which is not to say that it can't be chosen in advance, but that you shouldn't be thinking about it all the time or manipulating the story to make it fit in) and to say that it must appear on the first page (or any other particular location) sounds artificial and formulaic to me.

I never worry about the theme or themes of my books. I know they are going to be there whether I put them there consciously or not, so I leave them to take care of themselves, and they have never disappointed me: by the time I have written a draft or two I can see very clearly that they are there and what they are. Then I might pay a bit more attention to them during revision.

One problem is that I have heard new writers say that there theme is x and reading their manuscripts it doesn't seem to be the theme at all. It's just being used as a handy plot device to get the characters to act in certain (usually illogical) ways. But a theme and a plot device are very different things and until a writer can be sure they know the difference—and I don't mean just defining them by rote, but understanding the difference on a deeper level—I believe it is better to just write and see what happens.

 

[tinkerdan]

There are some--I have read--who believe that there is character and theme and plot and that plot depends on theme.

he theme should develop naturally throughout the story (which is not to say that it can't be chosen in advance, but that you shouldn't be thinking about it all the time or manipulating the story to make it fit in) and to say that it must appear on the first page (or any other particular location) sounds artificial and formulaic to me.

That makes me me think:
Plot is the theme, wherein we shall catch the conscience of the reader.

However, I think in that respect that often the depth of the character involves some theme or themes. And in some way I think the plot is formulaic and there is story only when Character and Theme are engaged. However I also believe that theme is so closely tied with character that it can be almost invisible until you start digging into motive and desire; pride and prejudice; honesty and compassion; courage and perseverance; loyalty, friendship and love; revenge and redemption...the list goes on.
,

 

[paranoid marvin]

Trying to shoehorn a theme into a book can be detrimental to the overall experience. Not only do you risk making it too obvious to the reader, but the storyline may be at odds with the theme you have chosen. Write the book and the story as you envision it, and the themes will come through naturally. It is quite likely that different readers with different life experiences will find their own themes in what you write.

 

[luriantimetraveler]

Perhaps a helpful reframing of theme is to think of it as two parts:

1. A question about what it means to be human (e.g., How do we escape oppression? How can I be a good parent? etc)
2. An answer, proved through the plot and character development (e.g., We escape oppression through empathy; to be a good parent is to know your own limitations, etc)

In that sense, yes — perhaps the opening scene/character interaction/conflict is in some ways an opening of that question, although obviously not yet the answer. The answer is earned through the character's movement through the plot.

Also — if the question is something that is driving you (and the character) from the beginning (or you notice it emerging as your writing), you don't have to shoehorn anything in. The plot/conflict will naturally try to answer the question (and probably get the answer wrong a few times along the way, getting your protagonist into some excellent trouble!).