If you’ve ever been told to “strengthen your theme” but weren’t exactly sure what that meant—you’re not alone. Understanding story theme is hard. It’s is one of the most misunderstood elements of storytelling. It’s at best a wriggly jello topic that often is treated like a moral, confused with the plot, reduced to a buzzword in writing advice, or boiled down into a vague topic like “love” or “revenge.”
But theme is more than a backdrop. It’s the heartbeat of your story.
Let’s explore what theme is—and what it absolutely isn’t.
If you’ve ever been told to “strengthen your theme” but weren’t exactly sure what that meant—you’re in good company. Writers at every level have wrestled with this exact feedback, nodding politely while secretly wondering: What even is theme, and how do I strengthen something I’m not sure how to find.
So how do we find clarity in one of the most misunderstood elements of storytelling?
We can nod along that theme is more than decorative wallpaper on your narrative… that it’s the foundation holding the entire structure together. We can agree it’s not a message stapled to the ending but an emotional and philosophical heartbeat that pulses through our characters, conflict, and choices.
Theme is what gives our story resonance. It’s the reason some books stay with us long after we’ve closed the cover. It’s why certain films haunt us or inspire us or make us reevaluate what we believe.
Theme is what makes a story matter and in this post, I’ll work on trying to not only define but demystify this topic.
We’ll be going over:
- What theme actually is
- How it differs from topic and moral
- Why it’s crucial to story cohesion
- And practical ways to identify and strengthen your own themes
Because when you understand your theme, everything else starts to click—from plot to character arcs to the emotional truth you’re trying to share.
💡 So What Is Theme?
Theme is the invisible current that runs beneath the surface of your story, pulling characters and readers alike toward a deeper truth. It’s not the plot, not the message, and not the genre—it’s the emotional, philosophical, or moral core that gives your story meaning.
A Simple Definition: Theme is what your story says about life.
It’s your story’s way of exploring how people live, struggle, grow, and fail.
Not Just a “What Happens” — But more of a “What It Means.” It reveals why the story matters and what it’s really about beneath the surface-level action.
Example: The Hunger Games
🔸 Plot: A young girl volunteers to take her sister’s place in a deadly game.
🔸 Theme: Love sometimes demands sacrifice, and survival isn’t the same as living.
✨ Theme is Often a Truth in Tension
Most great themes live in tension—they ask hard questions and explore emotional or moral contradictions.
🔹 Can you love someone and still hurt them?
🔹 Is freedom worth the price of safety?
🔹 Can redemption undo the past?
These are not yes/no questions. They’re messy, nuanced, and often unresolved—and that’s what makes them powerful.
✨ Theme Is Not a Preachy Message
Theme isn’t something you hammer into your reader’s brain. It’s something you show through character action, conflict, and transformation.
Rather than saying, “Greed is bad,” a good story will:
- Show a character driven by greed
- Let them face consequences
- Make them or others reconsider what really matters
Theme is felt before it’s understood.
✨ Theme Grows Through Character and Conflict
You don’t find theme by writing a slogan—you find it by asking:
- What does my character believe at the start?
- How are they tested?
- What do they believe at the end?
Theme emerges through the emotional journey of the protagonist—through their fears, failures, and final choices.
Example: Moana
🔸 Plot: Restoring a magical heart.
🔸 Theme: The value of finding your identity apart from what others expect of you.
✨ Theme Is Universal—But Told Through the Specific
The best themes feel deeply personal and widely relatable.
- Self-worth and expectation in Encanto
- Truth and illusion in Life of Pi
- Found family and belonging in Guardians of the Galaxy
Though the characters and worlds vary wildly, the emotional through lines hit something human in all of us.
✨ In Summary:
Theme is:
- A universal idea explored through specific characters
- A moral or emotional truth revealed by struggle and change
- The answer to the question: Why does this story matter? Not what happens in the story.
When you tap into your story’s theme, you’re not just entertaining readers. You’re connecting with them.
❌ What Theme Is Not
Writers often get tripped up on theme. It is a wriggling jello topic that we tend to confuse with other things. Theme gets used in a variety of things from morals to topics. Let’s clear up what theme is not, so you can recognize it more easily and use it with intention.
🔹 Theme is not the same as a topic
Topic (not theme): “My theme is war.”
Theme: “My theme is how war destroys the innocence of youth.”
A topic is a broad subject. It sets the arena of the story—love, betrayal, revenge, family—but it doesn’t tell us what your story is saying about that subject. Theme has a viewpoint. Topic doesn’t.
🔹 Theme is not the plot
Plot is what happens in your story. Theme is what it means.
You could give ten writers the same plot—say, a character stranded on an island—and each might explore a completely different theme: survival vs. self-worth, isolation vs. connection, man vs. nature, etc. (And as you notice in the examples here… these are more topics than theme. No wonder theme is difficult)
To boil it down:
Plot = sequence of events.
Theme = emotional/moral significance of those events.
🔹 Theme is not the message you hammer into your reader’s head
Theme isn’t a slogan or a soapbox. Such as “Always be kind” or “Greed is bad.”
But if you expand it, personalize it, you might get into theme such as: “In a world driven by ambition, kindness is its own quiet rebellion.”
Why no soapbox? Readers don’t want to be told what to think. They want to feel and discover the truth for themselves. Theme should emerge organically—shown through character action, tension, and consequence, not spelled out in dialogue or narration.
🔹 Theme is not a single word
A single word is a topic, not a theme. A real theme is a statement, question, or argument about that word.
When you say “my theme is love,” ask yourself: What am I saying about love? What does my story believe—or challenge—about it?
For example: “Love” is not a theme. It’s a topic but add some personalization such as “Love requires vulnerability” or “Unconditional love can be self-destructive,” you are getting into theme.”
🔹 Theme is not genre or aesthetic
Genre, like fantasy or dystopia, is the container. Theme is the content.
Basically, you can write a fantasy novel, a horror film, or a sci-fi short story—and each of those can explore wildly different themes. But don’t confuse how your story looks with what it’s trying to say.
For example your theme could be: “What happens when freedom is traded for the illusion of peace.”
🔹 Theme is not always one thing
Many stories have multiple thematic threads working in harmony (or in tension). That’s a good thing!
In The Hunger Games, for instance, the themes include:
- Survival vs. sacrifice
- Power and propaganda
- The loss of innocence
- Choosing personal humanity over political obedience
Are you seeing this? Yes topics. But it’s easy to shorthand theme when speaking about theme but you must get into what you are saying with these topics. Getting back to the point, even when you explore multiple themes, your story should have a core emotional idea—a center of gravity that pulls everything together.
📚 Theme vs. Topic vs. Moral
Writers often use the words theme, topic, and moral interchangeably. I mean describing what theme isn’t to make it succinct pulls topic into talking about theme; however, they are very different storytelling tools. Understanding how they work (and how they don’t) can help you write stories that are richer, more resonant, and more cohesive.
Let’s break each one down again:
🔹 Topic – What your story is about (on the surface)
The topic is the general subject matter your story touches on. It’s broad, neutral, and doesn’t tell the reader anything about your point of view. Topics are starting points—but not stories on their own. Think of them like labels or categories.
Examples of Topics:
- Love
- War
- Betrayal
- Family
- Death
- Friendship
- Freedom
They tell us the arena of conflict—but not what you’re saying about that conflict.
🔹 Theme – What your story says about the topic
Theme is the underlying idea, belief, or emotional truth that your story explores. It’s the lens through which your characters, conflicts, and choices gain meaning. Its not just a subject. It’s a stance or a question about that subject.
Examples of Themes:
- Love demands vulnerability
- Power corrupts even the best intentions
- Family can both wound and heal us
- Freedom is worth the risk of chaos
- True friendship sees the soul, not the surface
A theme can be stated as a message or posed as a question—but it always drives what the story is really about beneath the surface.
🔹Moral – The lesson your story teaches
A moral is a direct, often simplified instruction or takeaway from the story. Morals are more common in fables, parables, and children’s tales. Modern stories may imply them as well—though more subtly—but many writers tend to shy away from that so as not to be preachy.
A good way to think about it is theme is a question while a moral is an answer.
Examples of Morals:
- Always be honest.
- Don’t judge others by appearances.
- Kindness is more powerful than strength.
- Don’t take what isn’t yours.
Morals tell the reader what to believe or do. Themes, on the other hand, invite reflection and discovery.
Compare All Three Using One Story Idea
Let’s say your story involves a knight betrayed by their best friend during a war. Where is a breakdown you could use:
| Element | Example |
| Topic | Betrayal, War, Loyalty |
| Theme | Betrayal by those we love wounds deeper than battle. |
| Moral | Never trust anyone during war. |
🎭 Deeper-dive Why You Should Use Themes—Not Morals
While both themes and morals attempt to give a story meaning, they work in fundamentally different ways. Here’s why.
1. Themes invite discovery; morals dictate behavior
A theme asks a question or explores an idea. It trusts the audience to feel, think, and reflect. A moral, on the other hand, hands down a commandment—“This is the lesson. Learn it.” Or in other words, themes allow room for nuance. Morals shut the door on complexity.
🔸 Theme: “Love can both heal and destroy.”
🔸 Moral: “Always forgive others.”
2. Themes explore tension and contradiction
Great storytelling is not black and white. Characters make mistakes because who loves perfect characters? They face impossible choices, and they grow in unexpected directions. Theme lives in the gray space where justice clashes with loyalty, where hope fights despair, where truth comes at a cost. By using theme, you give your audience a mirror, not a lecture.
🔥 Theme shows: “Power reveals who we really are.”
🚫 Moral says: “Don’t be greedy.”
3. What changes by the end of the story?
The resolution of your story—especially how your main character changes—often reveals your theme.
Ask:
- What did they believe at the beginning?
- What do they believe now?
- What changed that belief?
Example: The Hunger Games
Katniss starts focused on survival but ends with a new understanding of sacrifice and rebellion. The theme? Survival is not enough when freedom is at stake.
4. What question does your story wrestle with?
Many stories don’t give an answer—they pose a question and explore it from multiple sides. These make the most compelling themes.
Examples?
🎭 Can love survive betrayal?
🧭 What makes a hero?
⚖️ Is justice ever truly fair?
⛓ Can freedom exist without chaos?
5. What idea keeps showing up in different forms?
Theme often emerges through recurring patterns: motifs, symbols, conversations, or events that echo the same value or conflict.
Example: Encanto
Every family member ties their worth to a magical gift—but Mirabel, who has no gift, becomes the heart of the story. The theme? You are not your usefulness—you are enough as you are.
6. What worldview does your antagonist challenge?
Sometimes the opponent’s beliefs bring the theme into sharp view because the antagonist doesn’t just oppose the hero. They represent a different truth, another angle to the story question that readers will weigh and eventually answer for themselves.
Example: Black Panther
Killmonger’s ideology forces T’Challa to reevaluate Wakanda’s isolationism. The theme? How do we wield power and privilege responsibly?
Pro Tip: Try writing a “thematic sentence”
After exploring your story, try to condense your theme into one sentence:
“This story shows that ________.”
Fill it with a value judgment or emotional truth—not just a topic.
✅ This story shows that grief can become a bridge between people instead of a wall.
✅ This story shows that loyalty to the wrong cause can destroy what you love most.
If your plot, character arc, and climax all reflect that idea? You’re on solid thematic ground.
🎬 Why Theme Matters
Theme isn’t just a literary flourish—it’s the emotional compass of your story. When done well, theme gives your work meaning, cohesion, and power. It’s the invisible thread that ties everything together—from plot to character arcs to the final scene that lingers in your reader’s heart.
1. Theme Adds Emotional Depth
Characters are more than just plot tools. Their decisions, struggles, and transformations resonate because of the emotional truths behind them. When your story taps into a powerful theme, readers feel seen, moved, and connected because it’s no longer just a plot—it’s an experience.
Example: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Its absurd multiverse chaos is grounded by a core theme: The small, tender moments are what give life meaning.
2. Theme Ties Your Story Together
A strong theme acts like the spine to your story and will hold all your story elements in alignment. It helps with cohesiveness so your story doesn’t read like a series of events.
- Subplots stop feeling random—they mirror or contrast the main theme.
- Symbolism and dialogue feel intentional rather than decorative.
- Scenes can be trimmed, reshaped, or deepened by asking: Does this support the theme? And that makes the revision stage easier. Depending on your process, it may make your plotting easier as well.
Example: Finding Nemo
Every part of the story ties back to the theme of trust and letting go from Marlin’s overprotectiveness to Dory’s faith.
3. Theme Guides Creative Decisions
Writers often ask: What should happen next? But, when you know your theme, you have a guiding question: What would test this belief or value in a meaningful way? And that will help you with writing with intention and revising with purpose.
That means you get:
- Stronger character conflicts
- Sharper turning points
- More focused revisions
Example: Frozen
Disney reshaped the story’s structure to focus on the theme of love in all its forms and that shift transformed Elsa’s arc by focusing more on the sisterly connection. It’s what helped give the film its emotional punch.
4. Theme Lingers Long After the Story Ends
Readers may forget plot points—but they remember how your story made them feel. Theme is what often sticks with them… haunt them, inspire, and maybe even heal.
Example: Life of Pi
This story leaves readers pondering: What is truth? What is faith? Because it’s not just about a boy and a tiger. It’s about survival, storytelling, and the human need for meaning. And also leaves you wondering what story version is true.
5. Theme Makes Your Story Matter
In a world overflowing with content, theme gives your story soul. It makes readers care.
- It sets your work apart.
- It reveals what you believe.
- It turns entertainment into connection.
✍️ Final Thoughts
While plot keeps us turning pages, and characters capture our hearts, it’s theme that stays with us long after the final chapter closes. It’s what elevates a story from entertaining to unforgettable. It’s not about teaching a lesson or hammering home a message. It’s about inviting readers into a conversation such as life, belief, identity, pain, love, purpose, and everything in between.
The best themes don’t preach. They provoke reflection. They challenge assumptions. They reveal what matters most.
And here’s the beautiful thing: you don’t have to have your theme figured out before you write. Sometimes, the act of writing is how you discover what your story really wants to say. Other times, your characters surprise you and teach you something truer than what you originally planned.
So whether you’re a discovery writer or an outliner, a fantasy author or a memoirist, ask yourself:
- What truth is hiding in your character’s struggle?
- What do you find yourself circling again and again in your storytelling?
- What idea, question, or belief are you wrestling with beneath the scenes and dialogue?
Those are your clues. That’s your theme rising to the surface.
This blog is based on a presentation I recently gave on Apex-Writers. To learn how to join the conversation; attend all the lectures, courses, and presentation; and more, visit apex-writers.com
TF (Tammy) Burke is a YA fantasy author, journalist, and community builder passionate about weaving worlds where magic, resilience, and wonder collide. She’s the author of the Heart of the Worlds series, including the bestselling Faeries Don’t Lie and Faeries Don’t Forgive, with Faeries Don’t Hide releasing in late 2025.
A former newspaper journalist with over 400 published articles, Tammy blends a love of storytelling, folklore, and medieval history into her work. From local meetups to international zoom calls, she energizes audiences with dynamic author presentations.
She is also an admin, active host and content creator with the Apex-Writers group, an international writing community founded by New York Times bestselling author David Farland, and has served as president and conference chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG).
