Plot vs. Theme

Any writer can experience that moment where you suddenly realize that your “idea” of the story isn’t going to get you to the end.

This moment is initially devastating and then, hopefully, liberating as the writer begins to realize that it isn’t her job to know how to get to the end. Her job is to inquire into the nature of what she’s attempting to express, and let her muse come up with the goods.

It’s not just first-time novelists or screenwriters who struggle with plot. Every writer struggles with shedding the idea of the story for the truth of the story.

The solution is to recognize that your plot is simply a vehicle for what you’re attempting to express. Focus on the theme. Stay connected to that, while holding your idea of the story loosely.

Character suggests Plot

Our idea of our screenplay, novel, or memoir is never the whole story. As we inquire into the world we often discover that we must shed our idea of it for a wider perspective.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that wandered around, and found yourself asking, “What’s this about?” When the writer places their focus squarely on the plot while ignoring the characters, the theme gets blurry. It is character that suggests plot. It is only by trusting our instincts and allowing our characters to surprise us that we are led to a satisfying plot.

We must not confuse our instincts with our ideas. Our instincts will lead us to a deeper truth, while our ideas will ultimately betray our characters by squeezing them into a box.

Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.