When you’re developing a theme, just like any other area of story development, there’s a process to follow. From idea, research, brainstorming, implementation and review. Each stage is necessary to help you formulate your idea. Following these steps will help you create a theme quickly, and more importantly, thoroughly.
What interests you?
Ask yourself these questions; What kind of topics do you like? What do you gravitate towards and why? Is there a particular aspect of the theme that keeps you hooked and coming back for more? Establishing these key things can help when researching other topics and help you find like-minded people who may have similar interests to you.
What interests your audience?
Do research while developing a topic. What does your target audience like? Are they on the same topics, or are there subtle aspects that vary in popularity with your audience? Knowing your audience or who you would like your audience to be will help you correlate your ideas with theirs. Helping to create more diverse ideas and a greater variety of topics based on demographic preferences.
Visualize
Before you can put a topic down on paper, you first have to visualize it in your head. Assemble visual aids in the form of mood charts or write down trigger words or phrases to inspire the feeling or mood you’d like your theme to have. Make a list of similar themes that have helped inspire your idea. Remember that everyone borrows from others and recycles.
Inspiration
Look for inspiration in everything around you. Anything from movies to the books you read can help inspire your themes. You can even draw inspiration from your life and the conversations you have. Gather as much inspiration as possible and write it down on a notepad or pocket paper. For that, a pen and a notebook are used.
Implement
Does the theme you’ve developed in your head really work when you add the other elements of your story into the mix? Sometimes when you add these other elements, like characters, to the image, it can change the dynamic of the subject and ultimately clash with the whole story.
Exchange
It’s okay to change your theme. Even though you have written your theme, you are still developing it. It won’t be perfect. In fact, the first draft is always the worst draft. Revisit your topic and see how you feel about it. Are there factors you’d like to change to better suit your characters, plot, or setting? This is the fun part, so don’t hold back. Play around and think of different variations and alternatives. Don’t be afraid to part ways and start over too. It is the development process, not a test.
Following these 6 steps is a great way to develop a theme quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly. Above all, while having fun creating your perfect theme.
