Finding the Heart of Your Story: A Tip from Donald Maass

by Martina Boone

A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

~ George Orwell

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll probably have noticed that I frequently recommend literary agent Donald Maass’ books among the best resources for a wide variety of techniques. That’s why when I came across a teleseminar workshop opportunity with him, I jumped on it. And he didn’t disappoint. Of course he shed new light on the subject of microtension, which is a whole other topic in itself, but he also came up with the best tip I have ever heard on theme. I sat down and thought about it, and here it is–embellished a bit, of course, because I’m a drama queen and Donald Maass isn’t.

Are you ready? Are you sitting down all cozy with your cup of tea and your WIP?

Good.

Now think of one scene in your WIP, just one. The one scene that you would keep if someone locked you in a room with a shredder and withheld food and water and the new season of Vampire Diaries until you shredded every other scene in the only existing copy of your manuscript.

Have you got it? Excellent.

Next, consider what you adore about that scene. Why does it speak to you? What emotion, phrase, or idea do you take away or want your reader to take away?

Chances are, THAT’S the emotional heart of your book, the glimpse of life truth your story is really all about.

Theme is a nebulous thing. It’s much easier to define plot, the cause and effect that connects events into a pattern. As writers, it’s our job to show plot in a way that the reader sees and understands. But theme in fiction, the meaning behind that pattern, is different for every reader.

By its nature, theme can’t be obvious. At its best, it’s open for interpretation, thought, and discussion, an echo left to resonate long after the book itself is read. We can’t present theme directly. Sometimes we have trouble grasping it ourselves. We know what our characters want and the obstacles that may keep them from achieving their goals. We know they must struggle with conflict on every page, from their antagonists and within themselves. We know their life histories, their thoughts, their emotions in every scene. But do we know what they take away once the last word is written? What they will do when the story action is over? What philosophy or life view will carry them through whatever will come next?

Discovering that truth, that echo, is the part of writing that I love best. Once I know it, I can start layering in the richness and complexity that makes me fall back in love with my book after all the months of wanting to hurl the computer across the room. The minute I grasp that, I can go back and follow the trail of symbols and clues my subconscious left scattered in the manuscript like breadcrumbs, and see where I need to add something, or delete something, or sharpen something. It all comes down to knowing the heart of my story.

And that, just as Donald Maass said, is in that one scene that I would never, ever cut.

What about you? Can you think of a scene like that in your WIP? Past WIPs? How do you develop theme? And is it your favorite part of the story?

Let me know your thoughts! I’ve got a copy of Jennifer Brown’s BITTER END for a random winner.

Happy plotting,

Martina

P.S. — Want more on theme? Here are some good resources:

Articles
Deepening Your Novel with Symbolism, Imagery, and Figurative Language
Know Your Selling Point
Does Your Novel Have a Theme (Had to edit the title, but the post is worth reading!)
Fiction that Wows: Theme vs. Plot
Strengthening a Thematic Motif Through Repetition
Thematic Significance
How Do I Plot the Thematic Significance of a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?
Character Emotion and Thematic Significance
If You Can’t Describe Your Story, There Probably Isn’t a Story

Books
Theme and Strategy: How to Build a Strong, Narrative Structure to Help Your Fiction Stand Tall, Run Fast, Hit Hard, and Soar to Success (Elements of Fiction Writing)
Writing the Breakout Novel
The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers

Want to know about future teleseminars? Check Bruce Hale’s site.

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Sep 20, 2011

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Martina Boone | Theme

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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