This is the continued saga of my foray into Janice Hardy’s Revise Your Novel in 31 Days at-home workshop (blog.janicehardy.com).

Today I will identify my theme and use it to guide my revisions. I should have several examples of the theme throughout the novel, know how it deepens the character arc and how it ties in with the resolution of the novel.

Janice mentions you can have more than one theme, but you don’t want too many. She recommends one story theme and one character theme for each important character.

I have struggled with theme. Sometimes I’m not certain what that is.

Results: After studying my story arc and pivotal moments, I have decided my story theme is growing stronger through adversity, with the protagonist’s theme fear of failure and the antagonist’s theme self-loathing.

Take-Away Value:

Theme is something that leads you into a story or develops as the story takes shape. If you don’t know what your theme is, consider the major arcs and action points in your story and see where they point.

This was not an easy task for me. Did you find it difficult, or was it clear from the inception of your story?

See you on the next page.