What Themes Are Common in Your Writing?

Storyteller5 · Jul 3, 2006

Intentional or not, if you look at your writing as a whole, what are the common themes that appear again and again? Most writers seem to have two or three they like to use. :idea:

In the last year, I've really changed in my writing but something I've realized is that abandonment is a big one for me. Maybe I've just changed how I look at it and that's why I'm starting to see themes. :e2apple:

Gary · Jul 3, 2006

Real people that do unusual things.

BardSkye · Jul 3, 2006

Music, fire and ordinary people stuck in extraordinary circumstances.

Lyra Jean · Jul 3, 2006

Children who have to parent themselves.

sunandshadow · Jul 3, 2006

Prejudice and social pressure, adapting to a new culture or changes in one's body/abilities, gender and sexuality, feeling 'stuck in a rut' and breaking free of that, friendship, romance, and pregnancy.

maestrowork · Jul 3, 2006

Parent-child relationships.

bsolah · Jul 3, 2006

I'm a Marxist horror writer, so my themes are quite strong. I like to write about how normal people are driven to do terrible things due to their environment (I'm writing a novel in which a slave turns into a killer because of the abuse from his master) or the gap between the rich and poor, and general class consciousness.

LeeFlower · Jul 3, 2006

anger management and the importance of knowing yourself seem to be showing up a lot for me... I don't know if that makes me a good YA writer or a really, really bad one.

AngryGeekGirl · Jul 3, 2006

Adults dealing with a childhood ruled by a religiously fanatical parent who felt that it was their duty to "beat the evil" out of the child.

AGG

Jamesaritchie · Jul 3, 2006

Theme

Storyteller5 said:
Intentional or not, if you look at your writing as a whole, what are the common themes that appear again and again? Most writers seem to have two or three they like to use.

In the last year, I've really changed in my writing but something I've realized is that abandonment is a big one for me. Maybe I've just changed how I look at it and that's why I'm starting to see themes.

If violence doesn't solve the problem, it means you didn't use enough violence.

Snitchcat · Jul 3, 2006

Mine are usually escape or equilibrium. Both tend to happen in stories that involve imminent Armageddon, annihilation, hostile conquering of the world, or at least something world-shattering.

The other two themes I normally have are getting to know yourself, and lost and found.

seun · Jul 4, 2006

I didn't realise until recently that I often touch on people having to make right what once went wrong. (Wasn't that a line from Quantam Leap?)

L.Jones · Jul 4, 2006

Letting go

Annie -THE Contol Queen -Jones (up next Sisterhood of the Queen Mamas)

Luanne Jones (Heathen Girls out now, paperback in Jan)

slobbit · Jul 4, 2006

My stories, novels and shorts alike, all seem to be about some sort of coming-of-age. Either a little one, like a step in the process, or something big. Not necessarily a coming to adulthood, because the protags range in age from 8 to 50, but a coming into the next stage of life, coming into new responsibilities and roles, learning how to *be* in the new balance.

Diana Hignutt · Jul 4, 2006

transformation and possession...

Zecragon · Jul 4, 2006

Children having to take care of themselves, people finding out they're something more than they thought they were, and always some weird powers!

Danger Jane · Jul 4, 2006

Falling, and being forced to accept difficult people or situations. Learning to make do, I guess.

Nyna · Jul 4, 2006

Family seems to be cropping up a lot, and -- this one I keep trying to articulate and failing, so it's always *almost* there -- when being willing to do anything for love isn't the right course of action; the importance of letting go.

MidnightMuse · Jul 4, 2006

Friendship born of unusual circumstances. When I'm not writing humor, that is.

DamaNegra · Jul 4, 2006

Politics. Human nature. Good and evil. Love (any kind)

Isanthe · Jul 4, 2006

Duty/loyalty vs. personal desires

favoritism in families

losing your innocence and idealism (at any age)

Cath · Jul 4, 2006

Some really cool themes here - I think it's a great way to get to know one's fellow writers by understanding what they care so much about that it's the core of their work.

My main themes are chaos, unfairness and acceptance of not being in control. What that says about me I dread to think!

CaroGirl · Jul 4, 2006

Mother-daughter relationships.
Secrets, lies and discovery.

SpookyWriter · Jul 4, 2006

I don't do themes because that implies a reason for hauntings or serial pop-tart killers, as such. There are no moral attributes in my work either because the protagonist can become a [insert bad word here] without any morals and still come out smelling like a hero. I believe themes and morals in a story are lofty ideals for academic writing.

-- of course that's not to say romance novels shouldn't have a theme, yes?

Cath · Jul 4, 2006

SpookyWriter said:
I don't do themes because that implies a reason for hauntings or serial pop-tart killers, as such. There are no moral attributes in my work either because the protagonist can become a [insert bad word here] without any morals and still come out smelling like a hero. I believe themes and morals in a story are lofty ideals for academic writing.

I wonder if people who read your writing would say the same. I suspect we all have themes that we use unconsciously.

For example, I've said chaos is my main theme - it's not something I deliberately try to write about. But I find when I go back and read a finished work it's there.

I believe that our views of the world, our personal beliefs and desires inevitably influence our writing - whether it's intentional or not.

What Themes Are Common in Your Writing?

Say something...

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore

Two years old now.

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Fear the Death Ray

AW's Resident Commie

Lurker Extraordinaire

Dragon-kitty.

Horror Man

Very Tired

Midnight Reading

Mexican on the loose!

The mean one

Living the dream

The mean one