Go On Your Own Quest — Week 7: Theme
The 2013 version of The Quest starts Week 7 today. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by because you can Go On Your Own Quest by following 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!
Plus you can join The Black Board, the Official Online Writing Community of the Black List and Go Into The Story, another free resource to help keep you inspired and on target at you Go On Your Own Quest from FADE IN to FADE OUT on the first draft of your original screenplay.
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, covering subjects including what is theme, the concept of using theme to expand and focus your understanding of a story, talismans, motifs and moments.
For those of you who plan to Go On Your Own Quest, we began this week long conversation about Theme with this question: How would you define ‘theme’? You can see that discussion here. Tuesday’s question: Do you start with theme or with plot, then see how themes emerge? Discussion here. Wednesday’s question: Why is it important for a writer to work with themes in a screenplay? Discussion here. Yesterday’s question: Theme = Meaning. Thoughts? Discussion here.
Today’s question:
* What are some ways in which a writer can convey themes?
If you plan to participate in the Go On Your Own Quest challenge, you have 2 weeks before we move into the Prep part of the process. Time this week to ask yourself: What is theme and how can I make it work for me in terms of my writing?
If you’d like to access the same Core content as the writers participating in The Quest, I will be teaching Core VII: Theme starting Monday, November 4. More information on that 1-week online class here.
Why wait? You can have immediate access to the content of all eight Core classes by signing up for The Core Package. This enables you to go through all of the Core lectures (48 total, each written by me), tips, techniques and optional writing exercises on a self-paced basis as well as take any of the 1-week classes as I offer them. Plus The Core Package offers a nearly 50% savings compared to if you took each Core class separately. For more information on this unique offer, go here. And now is a great time because this week is when we begin the entire cycle of 1-week Core classes, starting with Core I: Plot.
Meanwhile I encourage you to head to comments to discuss today’s questions. And for a related discussion on The Black Board, check out these topics:
For more information on Go On Your Own Quest, go here.
Onward!