 Drama: December 14, 2016 Issue [#8003] |
  Drama
This week: Let’s Not Preach Thematic Arguments Edited by: Joy  
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“In every bit of honest writing in the world, there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love.”
John Steinbeck
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
Madeleine L'Engle
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
“A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter in any other way.”
Caroline Gordon
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about writing fiction without overtly moralizing to lecture the readers.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she. |
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
When the theme of a story or novel has an argument in it, its writer may have a difficult time to hold back from preaching to the readers. Certainly, there are quite a few successful authors who have preached to the public. Among them, Ayn Rand comes to mind. Rand was trying to change or influence the perspective of the readers through ideological debate and long philosophical speeches in her novels; whereas, most works of fiction are more successful when the author and the writer share the basic idea of the argument in the theme.
Before I try to reach further, let’s begin with the explanation of what a thematic argument is. The thematic argument has to do with the author’s bias where the theme is concerned. Case in point, Good vs. Evil is a theme. One author’s argument may be Good always wins over Evil, but another author, possibly a horror writer, may say Evil can be stronger than Good. Both are arguments on the same theme. Another way a thematic argument may be worded can be through this style: Some activity or character trait leads to a particular result or conclusion. Examples: Hate leads to self-destruction; Greed is the downfall of the powerful; Love heals all hurts; Power can corrupt the moral person.
The thematic argument can be character based or plot-based. In other words, the argument can be made on one character’s personal experience in the story or it may run throughout all or most of the characters and events of the story. In addition, a thematic argument can sometimes be expressed as the premise.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, just like the characters and the plot, the theme can also develop through the run of the story. In successful fiction, the theme’s ideological essence stays hidden until the final climax. A misunderstanding among the beginning writers is that the theme remains unchanged and stable from the beginning to the end of the story. Although in some short stories this approach may work, in serious work the theme develops its argument through the process of the narrative’s dramatic change.
Thus, the question becomes: How do I write a story with a thematic argument but not preach to the readers?
A most important point to keep in mind is that we writers are not creating a lecture, a sermon, or pushing our ideas concerning morals on the readers. We are writing a story and the main idea behind any story is entertainment through plot twists and character development; therefore, a thematic argument should deliver its message without sidetracking from the entertainment.
The second important point and the backbone of not-preaching are the characters. Each character needs to be well-developed, complex enough, and with a justifiable position, reason, and motivation. This way, when the thematic argument is discussed or fought out between the characters, the story will flow naturally without being forced. Most of the time, the protagonist starts out as an independent player in the conflict, such as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. There are, however, successful stories where the protagonists are aligned with the thematic arguments, such as most detective stories.
A lesser point may have to do with symbolism. Although using a few symbols may aid the thematic argument and deepen the reader's experience, too many symbols can insert an artificial aura into the story. It is, therefore, wise to use symbols sparingly.
My personal conviction is to write the story about our characters just for entertainment without paying too much attention to what the thematic argument is. Usually, the thematic argument finds itself expressed through the characters’ actions and interactions, anyhow, especially if our characterization is impeccable. In short, it works better to choose the simple over the technical, anytime.
Until next month! 
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Reference materials used for this editorial are:
Screenwriting & The Unified Theory of Narrative – Part I: The Unified Narrative Structure by Michael Welles Schock
Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell
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 This Issue's Tip: If you are writing a series, you might consider giving a character, possibly a secondary character, a non-changing world view or morals throughout the series. This way, a character may succeed to pull the entire novel-chain together.
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Feedback for "Showing a Character’s Motivation"
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Quick-Quill 
Motivation is one of the key elements to any story. why keep reading if we don't know why? or CARE why? We want the main character to succeed. It's the journey that keeps us turning the page.
That is true. Motives, hidden or in open view, cause the story to happen. When the main character succeeds, the reader feels as if she has succeeded also.
Thanks for the input.
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