Writing to a Theme by Allison Symes
Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Do you always write to a theme or do you see where your characters take you (and see what the theme is from that)? I’ve done both but these days I prefer knowing what my theme is in advance (even when I set it). What characters could serve/demonstrate this theme well? I don’t plan out everything. I want to give my imagination what I call manoeuvre room but I need something to get me started. This is where having a set theme is handy. For my short stories and flash fiction, I often write to a theme set by someone else for competitions, themes set by a magazine editor, and so on. I like the challenge here. Having a theme to write to also gives me a framework and I find that structure helpful. I try to keep a stock of stories (standard length short and flash) so when I have an open theme competition, I know I’ve got something I can look at, polish, and submit. The trouble with openness is there are times it can be...