Feel stuck? Ask yourself what your novel's theme is

Your story doesn't need to be pushing a particular message.

But, says C.S. Lakin, it should be about something that you can sum up in a sentence or two.

For example, her novel Conundrum is, at its core, about whether pursuing the truth, at any cost, is worth it.

Conundrum doesn't have to provide an answer to that question, but knowing that this is a core issue helped Lakin write it.

Lakin discusses the value of identifying your story's theme for yourself and the reader at her Live Write Thrive blog.

Related posts 

• The advantages (and challenges) of starting a novel with a theme 

• 4 ways to underscore (without overemphasizing) a story's theme