Part 13 "Do I really need a theme?"

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The above clip reviews 10 themes found in familiar movies and is very helpful. 

Whether you intend it or not, your story will have a theme

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Whether you intend it or not, your story will have a theme. The story inside of you has a reason it's been knocking around your heart and in your mind.

What a theme is not the subject of the story or the "moral to the story." It's not the lesson from a Sunday School parable.

A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message. It can be represented through dialogue, characters, characters' actions, and/or symbols. It can be woven throughout the story or it can be "realized" at the end -- as the character has grown and changed throughout the story.

Think of a theme as more of a mirror. It's a reflection of us. There's not a right or a wrong. It's more of something to think about. Something to chew on. Ideas to consider.

You have a story inside of you because you have been thinking about something. An event, something someone said, did (or didn't do), something you saw or heard about, an experience... any number of things can make you ponder. And spark your story.

So, don't be intimidated about theme

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So, don't be intimidated about theme. It's not complicated or difficult. It's already there. We just need to brush off the dirt and give it a little shine.

At the end of this section is a list of 100 Common Themes (in alpha order) I found on the wikihow. You may find something here and say "yep! That's what I'm trying to say." Or your message may be something else entirely. However, it's worth a scroll through for it may trigger a few ideas.

 However, it's worth a scroll through for it may trigger a few ideas

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