| > | | | | are clear about the message they are trying to |
| | | | convey. If it is not clear to you, how can you |
| In large publishing houses, many manuscripts | | | | write it in such a way that it is clear to your |
| penned by first-time authors, never make it past | | | | readers? |
| the "first reader" who for all practical purposes is | | | | Unfortunately, you cannot find the answer to why |
| a gatekeeper of sorts. This person's job is to | | | | you are writing your story in this article, or in any |
| weed out manuscripts that do not fit certain | | | | book for that matter. You cannot even find it in a |
| established submission criteria. However, many | | | | classroom setting. Books and classes can only |
| never make it to the editor's desk, simply | | | | serve to help you bring the reason(s) to the |
| because they are badly disorganized and | | | | surface, but the answer must come from you. |
| downright incoherent. | | | | How then, do you determine your book’s |
| But even if you are self-publishing, you owe it to | | | | purpose? How can you be certain that it is more |
| yourself as well as your readers to develop a | | | | than a good story? Your book’s purpose |
| theme. Not only will a theme tell what your book | | | | is, to a great degree, intertwined with your |
| is about, it also serves to hold your book | | | | purpose. |
| together. Every other element your chapters, | | | | Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the Chicken |
| for example should support your theme. It is | | | | Soup series suggests meditation, or deep, |
| what keeps you from rambling all over the place, | | | | controlled, concentrated thought. He says, "Relax |
| and if you should stray, it is what can bring you | | | | and tap into your mind, way back there in the |
| back if you keep it in front of you. | | | | deepest, secret compartment of your mind, by |
| That’s literally, as well as figuratively. I | | | | asking yourself this question: If I knew my life |
| wouldn’t begin to write or give a talk | | | | purpose, what would it be?’ Don’t |
| without having a developed theme. Have you | | | | just ask it once. Keep asking this question until |
| ever been to a banquet or meeting where the | | | | you get the answer. It may not come the first |
| speaker went on and on with a speech that was | | | | day, or even the first week. But it’s there, |
| all over the place, talking about everything under | | | | and it will show its face if you earnestly ask." |
| the sun, except the topic the audience was | | | | Hansen states that this should be repeated every |
| waiting to hear about? Most likely it wasn’t | | | | morning and every night for 15 minutes until the |
| because the speaker didn’t have a topic, | | | | answer comes to you, and then write it down. He |
| but rather it was because the speaker | | | | continues, Be open to the answer, no matter |
| didn’t have or didn’t take the time | | | | when it comes to you. Remember, it wants you |
| to develop a theme. If you want your story to | | | | just as much as you want it. |
| be just as disjointed then don’t develop | | | | A good theme does three things: 1) it describes |
| a theme for it. | | | | the story or book; 2) it captures the uniqueness |
| Unlike a working title that may change to | | | | of the story or book; 3) it motivates the author. |
| something else entirely different or even several | | | | If it accomplishes these three things, it will also |
| times before a manuscript is finished, a theme | | | | make your outline easier to create. In |
| shouldn’t change during the course of your | | | | business-speak, an elevator speech is a |
| writing. It may become more obvious during the | | | | brief description about your company that you |
| writing process, but I advise writers to spend | | | | should be able to give to someone in the time it |
| serious time developing their theme so that they | | | | would take to ride up an elevator. |