Go On Your Own Quest — Week 7: Theme
“The Quest” has entered Week 7! And so did Go On Your Own Quest, an opportunity for anyone to follow the structure of “The Quest” to dig into screenwriting theory [Core — 8 weeks], figure out your story [Prep — 6 weeks], and write a first draft [Pages — 10 weeks]. It’s a 24-week immersion in the screenwriting process and you can do it here — for free!
This week, we are reflecting on the subject of Theme, mirroring the content the Questers are engaged with in Core VII: Theme. They are working through six lectures I have written building off the 7th Essential Screenwriting Principle: Theme = Meaning. The lectures: What is theme; Theme as expansion; Theme as focus; Theme as talismans; Theme as motifs; Theme as moments.
I doubt there is any area of screenwriting — and writing in general — more confusing than the subject of theme. Seriously, what does ‘theme’ really mean? Core VII: Theme burrows into the subject and provides not only a coherent take, but also specific ways a writer can use themes to explore a story and make it more resonant to readers.
For those of you who plan to Go On Your Own Quest, let’s begin this week long conversation about scene with this question:
* How would you define theme?
This week, you can do some serious reflection about the nature and importance of theme. If members of the GITS community really engage in a wide-ranging conversation about the subject, there’s no telling what insight each individual can gain, perhaps even a critical key to unlocking your understanding of the subject.
I strongly encourage you to Go On Your Own Quest. First off, you can’t sell a script unless you write it. Second, you can’t get better as a writer unless you write. Third, if you don’t write that script now, when are you going to write it?
So consider this your very own Call To Adventure. Will you heed the call?
I will be teaching the 1-week online writing course Core VII: Theme beginning October 22.
For background on “Go Into The Story: The Quest,” go here and here.
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