Favorite Element of Writing: Themes

   
   I love themes. It’s what adds all that unity and synergy to the piece. It’s what gives the audience greater insight into what it means to be human along with an important message, which gives the piece a greater purpose other than just being an entertainment piece.

   When we travel, we can also find themes throughout our journeys. If stories like “Lord of the Rings” has multiple themes from the characters' journey (albeit our journeys aren’t as long or epic as theirs), then surely we, too, can find a theme from destination to destination. 

   During many of my travels to Pittsburgh, for instance, I almost always feel that chaos, that there are too many people, that I just don’t belong there, that I spend my time being too introverted and could also spend time being extroverted, and it seems to represent how much I don’t know about the world coupled with my limited experiences and even my limitations as a human being. It makes me feel small and insignificant. And from seeing all the people, it reminds me of the broad array of human experiences and personalities, how life can be so sharply different by merely being a different person.

   Woah. That was much deeper than I expected. But including my recent travel experiences, my trip to the Strip District’s theme could be finding organization and peace in the midst of the chaos, and garnering enjoyment out of what I think might be a not so enjoyable trip. My trip to Schramm’s Farms and Orchids theme could be about memory, since I suddenly remembered being there when I was a small boy, taking pictures next to the pumpkins. The theme at Carrie Furnace could have been discovering my love for the diversity of plant-life, and learning how art at a place like an old iron-mill could bring it back to life.

   If the traveler is conscientious and notices themes like these, it makes the overall experience amazing for both him and the audience.

    When I write my novels, I pay extra close attention to themes. I don’t force them, but I notice the strings they create throughout the story. For instance, in my memoir, “A True Love Story,” a heavy focus is on technology and social networking. In the prologue chapter, I’m, as a character at that moment in time, tautly connected to the internet and social networking, letting it network me instead of me networking it. At the final chapter of the story, I’m at my grandmothers where there is no internet, and I feel more connected to myself and whole after being away from the internet for just a few days. I felt overall happier. I didn't plan for it to be that way, it just happened, and I thought it was brilliant when I saw the connection from the start of the story being weaved until the very end of the story.

   So, we need to notice the themes that are already there. I’m sure we all will discover more about ourselves and our surroundings, and gain something greater, if we do.