Steven Brust's LJ (RSS Feed)
03-24-2008, 03:45 AM
When I’m working on a story, there is usually some background idea I’m investigating; what some might call a theme, although I don’t entirely understand that word.* In practice, it means that at some point in the process–usually pretty early–I discover that I’m using the story as a means to work out or explore some problem that I don’t understand but find interesting.* Whether anyone else ever figures out my subject is beside the point: it makes the process more fun.
So, here’s the thing: from time to time, I hear references from other writers about “introducing” a theme or some over-riding subject, and I hear it spoken of as if it were a separate process from the creation of the story.* That’s what mystifies me.* How can you, on the one hand, create a story, and on the other play with broader ideas, as if they were independent of each other?* Isn’t the whole flow and working out of the story an expression of whatever theme is being explored?
I’m not expecting an answer to this.* It’s just a thing that has been on my mind for a number of years and I just figured out how to say it.
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/23/on-message-theme-and-stuff-like-that/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/23/on-message-theme-and-stuff-like-that/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/80345.html)
So, here’s the thing: from time to time, I hear references from other writers about “introducing” a theme or some over-riding subject, and I hear it spoken of as if it were a separate process from the creation of the story.* That’s what mystifies me.* How can you, on the one hand, create a story, and on the other play with broader ideas, as if they were independent of each other?* Isn’t the whole flow and working out of the story an expression of whatever theme is being explored?
I’m not expecting an answer to this.* It’s just a thing that has been on my mind for a number of years and I just figured out how to say it.
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/23/on-message-theme-and-stuff-like-that/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/23/on-message-theme-and-stuff-like-that/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/80345.html)