Fantasy is a genre, not a theme. Theme is more like the message a story tries to convey. In LOTR, for example, there are themes like "you don't have to be an important person to change the world for the better", and "war affects everyone whether we're involved in the actual fighting or not".
Oh ok so like a fable. Got it, this is actually something my writing needs to improve but yes I agree, it is often unconsciously imparted.Fantasy is a genre, not a theme. Theme is more like the message a story tries to convey. In LOTR, for example, there are themes like "you don't have to be an important person to change the world for the better", and "war affects everyone whether we're involved in the actual fighting or not".
What exactly is theme in a story? Perhaps this sounds like an emergency question, must answer before writing. The truth is, the only theme I've ever followed is fantasy. I'm not sure what people mean by theme.
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Oh ok so like a fable.
Tolkien was aggravated by it all
Fantasy is a genre, not a theme. Theme is more like the message a story tries to convey. In LOTR, for example, there are themes like "you don't have to be an important person to change the world for the better", and "war affects everyone whether we're involved in the actual fighting or not".
Well said, Ireth. And I agree with those who have hinted that theme is sometimes unintentional. I would go even further and suggest it is probably more unintentional than planned. I think that many writers are too focused on their story and it's characters to concern themselves with theme. In truth, I believe theme is more a product of critique than an element of writerly intent. If an author does a good job of telling his/her story, the themes will create themselves. It is merely the unavoidable byproduct of a well-told story. If a writer goes into a work with theme foremost in their mind, the story will likely begin to sound like subtle preaching. And that can doom a story before it can really get started. So, write your story and let others determine the theme. Readers will probably have varying opinions on the subject anyway, no matter what the author might or might not intend.
Of course, that's just one man's opinion. And what the hell do I know?
Personally, I write from theme. I get an idea I want to tell a story about X issue, and then build my plot and characters from there. My process goes something like "I want to talk about theme X." to "In what kind of world can I most embody theme X without it being a beating over the head" to "What characters have the most to lose dealing with the issues from theme X" etc. So I build from the theme out.
Yes, Tolkien didn't like the allegory thing, but he also didn't like the thematic conclusions people often pulled from the story...
Lastly I have a friend who writes Spec Fic and some of his work is taught in university courses. Apparently when one of his books is on the curriculum it invariably is taught as trying to make comments on the theme of the plight of North American Indians (we call them First Nations up here). My friend swears up and down that the First Nations people did not cross his mind for an instant when he was writing the book.
When I tell her that I didn't do thing like that, and that it's just a story about a wizard that I put together in 5 hours, she says something to the extent of "Well, maybe you don't think you put any of that in there, but it's there."