In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi suggests ways your characters can embody your story’s theme.
Themes can be tricky, Puglisi says. Good v. Evil is pretty straightforward, but many writers want to convey their unique worldview or a lesson they learned. Unless they beat the reader over the head with it, this very personal theme can be less transparent. Typically, the hero’s journey exemplifies the theme and proves the writer’s premise. Sometimes, the protagonist starts the story holding a contradictory belief, and is proven wrong by the end. How you convey your theme will affect what and how your reader feels at the conclusion of your novel.
Puglisi offers tips for conveying your theme, including:
- Use your cast to highlight the contrasts. With a diverse cast, you can allow each character to have their own perspective on your thematic question. ‘Surround your protagonist with characters whose thematic statements contrast with his own,” Puglisi says. “As the story unfolds and conflicts arise, the characters will respond based on their preconceived ideas about the theme. This will allow you to convey the idea you’re wanting to get across.”
- Leverage personality traits. “Someone who is honorable will look at greed differently than someone who is materialistic, selfish, or even ambitious,” Puglisi writes. “Personality will naturally impact your character’s opinions and values, so whatever theme you want to explore, give each character the negative and/or positive traits that will make their beliefs about it make sense.”
- Give your characters different experiences. How your characters relate to a theme like greed, family, patriotism, or sacrifice will change based on their unique experiences and backstory. “Each character’s history—the good and the bad—will contribute to their personal ideas about your story theme,” Puglisi says. “Set them up to have their own ideas about the theme by giving them the backstories that will support those beliefs.”
