Theme : It's Not A Dirty Word.

When I first started writing, I didn't think about theme. I'm a plotter not a pantser. I could wade deep into a story before I realized there was an undertow of emotions wrapped around the characters, a central emotional element tugging them toward some intangible inner crisis.

It was not unusual for me to plot a whole book. Write the dang thing and still not quite grasp the theme.

I think I had a mental block. Theme implied those God-awful term papers in highschool that made my brain hurt and my eyes glaze over.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I opened an old file from a backup disk and started reading a story I loved but that had been rejected by a publishing house. There was a vague comment about the theme not being appropriate at this time. I'd submitted it the first week of September 2001. I received it back a mere six weeks later. A record breaking turn-around and rejection on a requested partial!

And of course, I realized the timing just stunk. Who could've guessed?

It was about a D.C. reporter who'd nearly been killed by a terrorist bomb in the capital. (Yeah. Spooky.) This life-changing moment put my hero's entire life in perspective in an instant. While recuperating, he decides to leave D.C. and return to his wife and two daughters he'd left behind to pursue his high-profile career. But before he can make good on his intentions, he receives a letter from his youngest daughter informing him she's getting a new daddy.

I realized within the first few pages that the theme of the novel was redemption. And through taking a thorough look at all the other books I'd written over the years, I realized that I went back to the same themes over and over.

Redemption. Second chances.

In the worlds I'd created, all my heroes and/or heroines were royal screw ups (in one form or another-either deliberately or because they allowed themselves to become blinded by something in their true nature). But when faced with right motivation and opportunity to redeem themselves, they did. Not only was I writing this theme over and over, I was also reading it. My keeper shelf was full of redemption stories. Even my DVD collection was weighted with underdogs trying to right a wrong they'd created for themselves.

Once I established this, I realized I was drawn to flawed characters, the more fatally flawed the better! Flaws give characters a rooting interest and make them interesting on multiple levels.

Some part of me recognized there were things in my own life I wanted a second-chance to get right--a do-over. It'll never happen because I live in reality. But there's a part of me that can still remember the sick pit in my stomach over missed opportunities, misguided loyalty or an impulsive overly critical remark.

So, if you're looking for the theme in your current wip, try looking in the mirror. And take an honest look.

What do you care about? What do you wish? What do you want more than anything? What is your least favorite/most favorite characteristic in others? In yourself? What are you most proud of? Most ashamed? Which emotion do you find hardest to deal with? In yourself? In others? (Ideally, write down 20 questions and answer them as quickly as possible. No editing! --yes, it may seem bleak or harsh when you go over it later. That's okay.)

Every answer is a universal theme; universal because they're shared by all of us at one time or another. Keep a list of the top five that draw you. Chances are, you'll find you use variations of the same theme or themes over and over. This isn't a bad thing. I think I've actually grown as a writer and as a person by analyzing not only my characters but why I'm drawn to these themes.

Finally, if you allow yourself a chance to connect with the themes in your real life, you'll have a far better handle on the themes that circulate in your work. And perhaps, like me, will find that theme is not a dirty word.

Sparkle on!