Theme

Finding a theme for your work is a daunting task. It’s almost expected that any work of writing should have a theme. At first I wondered why I couldn’t just write an enjoyable story, but then I thought back to all the enjoyable stories I’ve read/watched over the years, and most, if not all, of them, have a recognizable theme.

Sometimes authors use subtle, or not immediately recognizable themes. Tolkien’s work (and Jackson’s interpretations) in their grandeur and scale, often tease themes of a more everyday nature, and the juxtaposition is often heart-wrenchingly beautiful. The stories discuss bonds of friendship and the joys of a simple life while the characters traverse the known world to save everything in existence, producing a brilliantly effective theme.

By contrast, less disguised themes, when executed cleverly, can also elicit the audience’s joy. In HBO’s adaptation of Westworld, the main character often references a “path for everyone” in her musings. The story presents the idea of allowing all creatures to discover—and being allowed to discover—their own path in a clear and bold way.

Themes can also be faceted or layered. For example, superhero movies often follow an overarching theme of teamwork, but each individual hero’s storyline can have a theme unto itself—standing up for justice, rooting for the underdog, overcoming hardships, and the list goes on.

My current work in progress takes place in a world where folks historically fear the unknown and seldom leave the comfort of their environment. The characters often say things like “Stick to the road,” “Trust your compass,” or “Mind the guideposts.” However, as a journey-based fantasy, the main point-of-view characters are yanked out of their environments and thrust headfirst into the uncertainty of what they’ve never experienced, often against others’ well-intentioned admonition. In my next round of revisions I plan to nail down that concept as a theme and develop it more soundly. I’m sure many other stories tackle a similar theme, but my characters will lend a unique perspective.

Therefore, don’t stick to the road. Trust your gut just as much as your compass. Note the guideposts, but decide for yourself where your journey will take you.

Reminiscence

Reminiscing is to remembering as savoring is to eating. 

Many of our meals happen rushed, without thought and without real enjoyment. In fairness, not everyone finds equal satisfaction in their food (I struggle to understand this but it's true). And yet, the perception of what constitutes a gratifying meal varies from person to person. Often, we simply haven’t the time or resources to orchestrate an enjoyable food experience. Even more unfortunately, we often lack the desire or will to make any efforts toward a properly delicious meal.

The same happens with our memories. We catapult through life, constantly in search of the next unique adventure, barely stopping to actually live through our experiences in a way that will allow us to remember. It seems we automatically whip out our devices as a first instinct to document memorable moments, but as our attention drifts we sacrifice actual memories.

We are daily enticed to engage with those same devices instead of dedicating time to reminisce on the images, clips and sounds recorded in our most valuable storage center, our memory.

True, those choosing consumption for consumption’s sake over savory delight may confound us. I argue, however, that neglecting our reminiscence in favor of the moment may be short sighted and naive. Perhaps.

Honor

We generally accept honor as a positive trait. Honorable people put others before themselves and seek the greater good for its own sake, generally.

First of all, I should recognize that honor is not inherently an emotion, so therefore it shouldn’t fit into this analysis exercise. However, the more I brainstormed, the more I wanted to explore what this trait means.

Honor often appears in literature, movies and other genres of entertainment. It’s almost too easy to include because it’s such a conflicting trait, usually beginning positive but backfiring somehow.

Some cultures teach their youth to value honor above all else, but what happens when their honor requires them to enact vengeance upon the innocent? Some countries label their finest soldiers honorable but only in direct relation to the ruthlessness of their fighting. Meanwhile, those who refuse to fight are called cowards or traitors. As an even juicier plot line, those who have lost honor may go to unspeakable, deplorable lengths to regain it. It’s the perfect paradox.

Clearly, honor is a two-sided coin. One side shiny, pristine and the other mucked, usually with blood. This could be what makes honor such a desirable character trait for fiction, because the same admirable trait can quickly and easily become a deadly flaw.

Quote

“Love was no single feeling, could not be summed up in a single moment or a single expression. It was a swirling, undulating, festering tempest that changed within her constantly, making her need him.”

— Book 1: Prologue (First edit)

Wonder

There are certain incredible things about childhood that we tend to lose with age. Wonder is one of them. Children have an innate ability to simply... wonder.

What happens to us? As we age (and learn) we may simply have less to wonder about. As we get accustomed to reality, we may find that wondering disappoints more often than it gratifies. In fact, practically everything we do in life we do for the results. Work, exercise, study are all finitely results-oriented. Even many recreational pastimes depend on the score or the win. We often forget that the purpose of wondering has nothing to do with the result.

It's true, curiosity prompts us to pursue specific goals—finding answers, understanding concepts or solving problems. Curiosity is educational. It stems from strategy, or the active desire to complete a void. It can thus be satisfied, tied up neatly with a bow and effectively discarded.

Wonder, on the other hand, happens abstractly. Imaginatively. It generally lacks boundaries, structure, direction or finish lines. Its extreme passivity demands little to no investigation whatsoever. Our wonders lead us from one idea to another without making us feel the need to define, answer or complete the nebulous progression of thought. Wonder is not so suicidal as curiosity. It doesn't need to find the answer.

Perhaps that's why no cats were ever killed by wonder.

Welcome

You can call me Cristian. I'm no experienced or professional author, but I write. I enjoy writing, creating imagery with words, exploring fantastic possibilities. Incredible uncertainties. Commanding those uncertainties in writing has taught me to do the same in life. In fact, while I'm unsure about many things in life, at this moment I can guarantee two things with absolute certainty.

First, I have no idea what I'm doing. No idea whatsoever. I've never published anything written, and the discouraging stories behind other aspiring writers' experiences tends to shake one's head out of the clouds somewhat. Yet I will power on, to what success only time will tell.

Second, I will pour my heart into this. I have poured my heart into this. Hopefully the little justice in the world will see fit to grant my efforts some small measure of fulfillment.

This journal is meant to accompany the written work I may someday publish, stories that take place in a galaxy known as the Dromelian Truss. Be gentle with me, and do not take my musings seriously. I do hope you enjoy what you read and that it inspires you to pick up your pen, pencil, keyboard, stylus or even your mobile device and begin your own writing adventure.