Inside Creative Writing

Inside Creative Writing


< Back to Episodes

Theme in Fiction Writing: How to Develop Meaningful Stories

August 13, 2018
THEME IN FICTION WRITING:
How to Develop Meaningful Stories

— a podcast episode —

What is theme in fiction writing?
Theme in fiction writing is the underlying message or central idea that gives a story deeper meaning. Unlike a topic, which is broad (e.g., “revenge” or “love”), theme is a specific perspective on that topic (e.g., “Revenge destroys both the seeker and the victim”). A well-developed theme connects with readers emotionally, enhances character arcs, and adds depth to storytelling.

Helping writers craft authentic, immersive stories.
Find out more about us here.

Inside Creative Writing

Table Of Contents How to Use Theme to Deepen Your Storytelling By the End of This Episode, You Will… Formatted and Edited Transcript Keep Learning: Deepen Your Writing Skills Talk to Us! Share This Resource How to Use Theme to Deepen Your Storytelling

What makes a story linger in a reader’s mind long after they’ve turned the last page? The answer is often theme—the deeper meaning woven into the fabric of a story. But theme is one of the most misunderstood elements of fiction writing. Many writers confuse it with topic or struggle to incorporate it without feeling preachy.

In this episode of Inside Creative Writing, we break down theme in fiction writing into clear, practical steps. You’ll learn how to identify the themes in your own work, integrate them naturally, and use theme to add layers of meaning to your story without turning it into a sermon.

If you’ve ever worried that your novel might leave readers asking, “So what?”—this episode is for you.

By the End of This Episode, You Will…
  • Understand the difference between theme and topic so you stop making common mistakes.
  • Learn a simple process for uncovering your story’s themes—even if you’re still drafting.
  • Use opposing character worldviews to explore theme dynamically.
  • Avoid heavy-handed moralizing and instead create stories that invite readers to think deeply.
  • Strengthen the emotional impact of your story by making your theme resonate on multiple levels.

Listen to the full episode or skim the edited transcript with relevant links below.

Inside Creative Writing is all about practical, hands-on storytelling techniques—because writing isn’t just taught, it’s practiced. Now, let’s dive into the transcript.

Formatted and Edited Transcript Episode 29: What Is Theme in Writing?

Today, we’re tackling one of the most misunderstood but vital elements of writing fiction—theme. What is it, and how do we get it working in our stories?

Welcome back to the Inside Creative Writing podcast! My name is Brad Reed, and I’m really excited to bring today’s topic to you. Theme is one of those things that might give you unpleasant flashbacks to high school English class, where it felt elusive and confusing. If that’s the case, you’re not alone.

As a high school English teacher myself, I watch students come into my class with that same glassy-eyed hesitation when I start talking about theme. But the good news is that they leave my class understanding what theme is in writing and why it’s so important. That’s what we’re going to do today—go beyond just understanding theme and explore how we can use it to make our writing more relevant, powerful, and compelling for readers.

Real-Time Revision Video on Theme

Before we dive into today’s discussion, I want to mention that we’ve done a real-time revision video all about theme. If, after today’s episode, you’d like to see how I identify and implement theme in my own writing, check out that video. You can find it on our YouTube channel.

Listener Feedback: Overcoming Writer’s Block

Last week, we explored the concept of writer’s block and asked for your feedback. I especially wanted to hear about techniques you use to push past roadblocks in writing. Listener Jesse Hawley from Sydney, Australia, called in to share a unique perspective. Let’s listen to Jesse’s thoughts.

“Hi there, Brad. This is Jesse from Sydney, Australia, just calling in response to the recent episode on writer’s block. I loved it! I think writer’s block is nothing supernatural or insurmountable, and I wanted to share a recent ‘hack’ for getting through it.

My friends started a book club, and their first pick was Ready Player One. I was reluctant to read it, but I did. As I read, I found myself arguing with the author’s writing style—I thought it was lazy and simple. So my advice for overcoming writer’s block? Engage with a piece of art you find simplistic. You might start coming up with all these ideas about how you would have done it better. Maybe it’s just my competitive nature, but I found it really sparked my creativity. It’s a bit of a negative route, but it certainly worked for me. Thanks!”

Thank you, Jesse, for calling in and sharing that insight. You’ve hit on a technique I’ve never thought to try myself. It makes sense—so much of writer’s block actually boils down to a lack of confidence in our skills. Looking at a piece of writing you consider inferior, yet still successful, can build confidence in your own work.

I haven’t read Ready Player One yet—it’s been on my to-read list for a while. But Jesse’s approach reminds me of something I heard a few weeks ago (though I can’t recall where). It was about how, if a book has a solid enough plot and structure, readers can often overlook less-than-stellar writing. But if the plot and structure don’t work, no amount of beautiful prose will save the book.

That aligns with Jesse’s point: Whatever it takes to get us out of perfectionism and into getting words on the page is a good thing. Thanks again, Jesse, for your support of the show!

What Is Theme in Writing?

Enough of the introductory stuff—let’s dive into today’s topic: what is theme in writing? What it is, what it isn’t, and how we can use it in our stories.

Of all the things English teachers teach, I think theme might be one of the hardest. I’m not sure why. Part of the challenge is that there isn’t even clear agreement among teachers about what theme means. But another reason is that we use the word “theme” in so many different ways.

For example, a school dance can have a theme—“Under the Sea” or “A Night Beneath the Stars.” Your house could have a country theme. TV shows have theme songs. There are even theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios. But how do these meanings relate to themes in books and stories?

To understand what theme in writing is, we need to separate it from all those other uses. Forget everything you know about the word “theme” outside of writing. We’re going to give it a new, precise meaning.

Defining Theme in Writing

To get a clear understanding of what is theme in writing, we actually need to start with another word: topic. Topic is simply a concept or the subject under discussion. A topic is almost always a single word or a short phrase that sums up an idea.

Books usually explore multiple topics—essentially, the things the book is about. For example, the book I’m writing right now touches on topics like earthquakes, survival, family, love, loss, religion, faith, trust, danger, hope, hopelessness, and fear. These are all topics, but they are not themes.

Let’s take Harry Potter as an example since it’s a story that most people are familiar with. What are its topics? You have magic, friendship, education, good and evil, family, love, adventure, loneliness, and so on. You could generate a long list of topics found in Harry Potter, but none of them are the book’s theme.

From Topic to Theme

A topic is what a story is about, but what is theme in writing? Here’s how we get from topic to theme. Let’s choose friendship as a major topic in Harry Potter. Now, complete the following sentence:

“The creator of Harry Potter believes that friendship is __________.”

Think about it—knowing the story, how would you complete that sentence? You might say something like:

“The creator of Harry Potter believes that we need the help of our friends to overcome great challenges.”

That is a theme. Notice that it’s no longer just a word (friendship). Instead, it’s a statement of belief—something the story is saying about the topic.

Some people confuse theme with moral, but I like to stay away from that term because it implies a right-or-wrong, good-versus-evil lesson. Instead, think of theme as a way of seeing the world—a perspective the story explores.

Testing a Theme

Before we decide that we’ve correctly identified a theme, we can apply two simple checks.

1. Can Someone Argue Against It?

A strong theme should be arguable. Could someone believe the opposite of your theme?

For example, could someone argue against the idea that “we need the help of our friends to overcome great challenges”? Absolutely. Many great stories are about self-reliance and the importance of going it alone. That makes this a strong, arguable theme.

A topic like friendship alone isn’t arguable—it’s just a subject. That’s why a topic can’t serve as a theme on its own.

2. Can You Support It With Evidence?

Can you back up your theme with moments from the story? Can you point to specific events that suggest that the author is putting forth this idea?

In Harry Potter, there are countless moments where, without Ron and Hermione, Harry would have failed or even died. The story provides evidence to support the theme that we need friends to overcome challenges.

Why Does Theme Matter for Writers?

Some of you might be having high school flashbacks right now—asking, “What does proving a theme with evidence have to do with writing my own book?” It actually has everything to do with it.

Whether we intend to or not, our books express themes. If we’re not intentional about theme, we risk either (1) accidentally sending a message we don’t believe in or (2) leaving readers feeling like the book lacked deeper meaning. Readers might finish a story and think, That was a fun read, but… so what?

To avoid this, we need to be intentional about theme in writing and how we use it.

Discovering Your Theme

Some of you may already know what you want readers to take away from your story. That means you’ve subconsciously identified your theme. But whether or not you’ve thought about it intentionally, it’s worth taking time to clarify your theme and make sure it aligns with your vision.

To discover your theme, follow the same process we used with Harry Potter:

Make a List of Topics in Your Story
What are the major ideas your story explores? Love? War? Trust? Loss? List as many as you can. Narrow It Down
Eliminate minor topics or ones that aren’t central to your story. Get down to one, two, or three major topics. Turn Topics into Theme Statements
Write out the sentence: “The creator of this story believes that __________.”
Fill in the blank for each major topic. Refine Your Theme
Make sure your theme is arguable and backed by evidence in your story.

This process helps ensure your story has depth—that it says something meaningful.

Weaving Theme Into Your Story

Now that you know your theme, how do you work it into your story without being preachy?

One of the best ways is through character perspectives. Give each major character a different take on the theme.

Let’s say you’re writing a war story, and you decide your theme is:

“War is an effective way for boys to mature into men.”

Whether you personally agree with this or not doesn’t matter. It’s just an example.

Now, you would create characters who represent different perspectives:

  • Character A: Believes in the theme. He thinks war is necessary for personal growth.
  • Character B: Completely rejects the theme. He sees war as destructive, turning boys into killers rather than men.
  • Character C: Views war as an opportunity for wealth and power.
  • Character D: Is a pacifist, trying to change others’ minds.

By showing different perspectives, you create authentic conflict and allow readers to explore the theme without feeling like they’re being lectured.

Validating vs. Exploring Your Theme

Once you’ve introduced various perspectives on your theme, you have two options:

Validate your theme
  • Your story reinforces that your theme is correct.
  • Characters who oppose your theme fail or face consequences.
  • The ending makes your message clear.
Explore your theme
  • Your story presents multiple perspectives without picking a side.
  • Readers are left wrestling with the complexity of the theme.
  • This is common in literary fiction.

For example, superhero movies often validate themes—good always wins, evil is always evil. But literary fiction often explores themes, leaving ambiguity.

Final Tips for Using Theme

Here’s a simple technique I use when revising:

Write out your main theme. List opposing views.
  • Think of every argument against your theme.
Match opposing views to characters.
  • Assign each character a perspective.
Let the characters’ actions reveal their beliefs.
  • Don’t just have them say what they believe—show it through their choices.

When done well, theme becomes the invisible thread tying your story together.

Wise Words: Margaret Atwood on Theme

Today’s wise words come from The Handmaid’s Tale author, Margaret Atwood:

“The answers you get from literature depend on the questions you pose.”

This connects perfectly to theme. The question you explore in your story shapes your theme. Readers come with their own questions, and theme allows them to explore answers through your story world.

Weekly Challenge: Read Like a Writer

Great writers are great readers. But we have to read like writers—analyzing craft and technique.

This week’s challenge:

Read something—anything. Identify its topics. Turn one topic into a theme statement. Analyze whether the author successfully weaves in that theme.

I’d love to hear how it goes! You can share your thoughts at bradreed@insidecreativewriting.com.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up this week’s episode! Don’t forget to check out the real-time revision video where I explore theme in my own work.

Keep Learning: Deepen Your Writing Skills

Theme is what makes a story matter—it’s the reason readers connect with your work on a deeper level. If you want to master the art of storytelling, visit our How to Write a Novel page, where we break down every stage of the writing process. Because great storytelling isn’t just about plot—it’s about meaning.

Talk to Us!

We’d love to hear from you! If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or just want to tell us about your work-in-progress, give us a shout!
info@insidecreativewriting.com

Share This Resource Related Resources:
Download Arrow Download Episode
Inside Creative Writing
By Inside Creative Writing
Corvallis, Oregon
Craft immersive, authentic stories with practical techniques, deep insights, and real-world writing strategies.
External linkVisit Podcast Website
RSS notificationRSS Podcast Feed
Rss Symbol Subscribe
Share Symbol Share
Add Symbol Add to MyCast