Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures
are not followed. Even mixing and matching systems to favor
one’s own position can cause a great deal of consternation. In
writing a book, the first rule is to know and understand why you
want to write in the first place.
In other words, you need to develop a theme that will answer the
question of why you want to write. I usually get a blank stare
when I ask a budding author, “What is your book’s theme?”
Eventually the answer I get may be the title of a manuscript.
When I explain that a title isn’t a theme, I then may hear,
“It’s the story of my life.” That is unquestionably the
number-one answer I get. There is a big difference between the
title of your book and your theme.
While your title may be the sizzle, the theme is the flavor and
is formally defined as a “recurring, unifying subject or idea.”
This is the aim or the main message of your book. Generally
speaking, in writing there are two themes: the author’s theme
and the book’s theme.
The author’s theme is the usual subject matter the writer
handles, or the one the writer is most comfortable with. For
example, a writer may find his forte in the subject matter of
healing or forgiveness. Another may write most of the time in
the area of spirituality or motivation.
Don’t confuse the author’s theme with genre, which is the
category of writing. In addition to establishing if you are
writing fiction or non-fiction, there are several categories
your book may fall into. Some of the most popular ones today are
biography, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance,
thriller/espionage, horror, inspirational, historical, and
courtroom drama. Your book’s theme is what the reader should
learn most after reading your story. There are two answers that
you as a writer shouldn’t give when questioned about your theme:
1) This book is about me and the things that have happened to
me; and 2) A rambling, almost incoherent dissertation that
leaves one asking, “Huh?” Every author should ask and answer the
following questions: “Why am I writing? What am I trying to
articulate? What kind of outcome will the story have on the
reader and what is the outcome I’m aiming for?”
In other words, what is the rationale behind your book? For
example in his bestseller, The Purpose-Driven® Life(Zondervan),
author Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake
Forest, California, takes readers on a “personal 40-day
spiritual journey” to find the answer to the question, “What on
earth am I here for?” To me, the most important element of your
book is its theme.
Writing professors will probably disagree with me, and that is
their right. In fact, some say the title is the most important.
I understand, because all of this is subjective and mostly based
upon personal preference. After all, there are many elements to
creating a successful manuscript. But after years of trying to
get would-be writers to complete their novels, short stories or
even church talks, I’ve discovered that nothing has helped to
move them “off the pot” quicker than having a well-developed
theme.
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