Theme, plot and action - so what’s the difference?

“I want to write a story about the inhumanity of men toward women.”

“O-okay. If that’s your thing. But what’s your plot?”

“That’s my plot.”

This was a conversation Richard and I had with a student in one of our writing circles. And I think it’s a common misconception – that a theme somehow constitutes a plot.

Another is that, when you’ve actually got the plot, you’re set to go.

Okay, let’s deal with the first issue. Many people start a book with the idea of some lofty ideal they would like to express to the world. And sometimes not so lofty. Sometimes they want to say something about the parlous state of us all.

I’m not arguing for the total absence of theme. Every book ever written ends up grappling with some aspect of our lives. It will tell us something about the way we live and love. It will present us with a slice of life, as perceived by the writer.

No matter what story you tell, whether it’s romantic fiction or more “literary”writing, a theme will appear whether you like it or not. Dealing with the motivations of your characters, discovering how they’ll react in certain circumstances, is going to end up developing into some kind of message.

But, particularly to first time writers, I would urge: Don’t start with the theme. Or if you already have, put it behind you and forget about it, while you work out the plot.

If you concentrate too hard on theme, you strain your narrative and force your characters to follow a path intended to fit your theme. I believe this can drain them of their humanity and make them into cardboard cutouts.

Okay, so you put your theme behind you and decide on your plot: Woman makes great scientific discovery. While making it, she falls in love with her boss. Boss, who is married, steals her discovery and makes big name for himself. He fires woman. Woman murders boss and gets away with it.

But are you ready to start? Many people think this is enough to embark on a novel-length book. It is a start, but it’s not enough to start writing. There’s a difference between plot and “action”.

What actually happens along the way. “Action” involves the things that happen, that move the story to its resolution. Every scene in your story has a job to do – it builds character and it takes the story forward. Very often these things happen at the same time. If your story is character-based, as most romance writing is, then the story moves forward merely by building character and relationships.

So before you begin, you need to begin working out the building blocks of that plot. How does she start falling in love with her boss? Where do they meet? When does she first tell him about her great discovery …

Every novel is made up of small events and meetings, each one of which moves you inexorably toward its climax.