Theme, Plot, and Arc: Why we should understand what each one is and how to use them.

(Photo credit to Cottonbro of Pixel)

Any good writer should know where their story is going, what it's about, where it will end and how the characters will end. This will give the writer some direction when creating the work, the flow, and the characters. We do this using themes, the plot, and the character arcs. First, let's define them and explain why they are essential.

A theme is the subject matter that permeates the story, the atmosphere, and the ambiance. It can also be reoccurring ideas or situations that illustrate an integral part of the story. Case in point, a story about good versus evil and the conflict between them, I might say "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." If someone wanted a story about justice, I might say "Crime and Punishment." The theme defines and is defined by the author's message. The theme describes the subjects that the author wants to explore.

The plot is the vehicle the theme rides inside. The plot is the series of events that reveal the message. It is the events that happen, the order they happen in, how they bring the reader through the story, and what those events reveal about the characters, their motivations, their thoughts, and so on- ad nauseam. It is important to mention here, at least in well-written stories, the plot allows the readers to explore the theme with the author as a walk-through of the subject matter. These two things together (Plot and Theme) help the author make their point.

Now the character arcs. I put these in here because it is crucial to consider how the characters will change or evolve when placed into the world the author has created. Their thoughts and feeling should be responsive to the events of the plot and the accompanying subject matter of the theme- a character's story arc should help the author paint the message they are trying to convey with the theme and the events of the plot. All three should entangle with each other. The plot will reveal the theme, and the theme will dictate the characters' reactions, feelings, and responses to reinforce what the author is trying to convey. This, in turn, should illustrate the human condition and adaptation through the characters.

That's all well and good, but how do we improve these qualities in our writing?

That question is not easy to answer, and the simple answer is focus and practice, lots of practice. I need to focus on these things to contain my story and direct where it should go. I generally create a list of questions I want the story to discuss or ideas to reveal. Then I keep the list with my writing as I do the work. I refer to it constantly as I write. I ask myself if the story reveals the subject I want to discuss, if the plot is reinforcing the characters and their growth, and if the plot provides the right direction for the theme and the characters.

If the answer is no, I usually cut out the passages and murder the scenes that don't further the plot, the characters or reveal the theme. Most of this happens in the re-writes. The most I have ever removed from a story was 200 pages; they didn't add anything to the work, they were excellent, and some were very well written, but they also made the work so much longer than it needed to be. This needs to be habitual when writing. No one wants to read "meandering-waffle" on paper. They want to be taken on an adventure with some characters and change with them- Good writing has strong themes, brisk and well-thought-out plot, and character arcs that force the reader to change with the characters.

Cheers, and keep on creating!