Writing Tips for
Story Structure & Storytelling
by Melanie Anne Phillips
Creator StoryWeaver,
Co-Creator Dramatica
Both Sides of the
Thematic Argument
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Every powerful theme pits a "Message Issue"
against a "Counterpoint", such as "Greed vs.
Generosity", or "Holding On To Hope" vs. "Abandoning
Hope".
The Message Issue and Counterpoint define the thematic argument of your
story. They play both sides of the moral dilemma. The most important key
to a successful thematic argument is never, ever play the message issue
and counterpoint together at the same time.
Why? Because the thematic argument is an emotional one, not one of
reason. You are trying to sway your reader/audience to adopt your moral
view as an author. This will not happen if you keep showing one side of
the argument as "good" and the other side as "bad"
in direct comparison. Such a thematic argument would seem one-sided, and
treat the issues as being black-and-white, rather than gray-scale.
In real life, moral decisions are seldom cut-and-dried. Although we may
hold views that are clearly defined, in practice it all comes down to
the context of the specific situation. For example, it may be wrong to
steal in general. But, it might be proper to steal from the enemy during
a war, or from a large market when you baby is starving. In the end, all
moral views become a little blurry around the edges when push comes to
shove.
Statements of absolutes do not a thematic argument make. Rather, your
most powerful message will deal with the lesser of two evils, the
greater of two goods, or the degree of goodness or badness of each side
of the argument. In fact, there are often situations where both sides of
the moral argument are equally good, equally bad, or that both sides are
either good nor bad in the particular situation being explored in the
story.
The way to create this more powerful, more believable, and more
persuasive thematic argument is as follows:
1. Determine in advance whether each side is good, bad, or neutral.
Do this by assigning an arbitrary "value" to both the Message
Issue and the Counterpoint. For example, we might choose a scale with +5
being absolutely good, -5 being absolutely bad, and zero being neutral.
If our thematic argument is Greed vs. Generosity, then Greed (our
Message Issue) might be a -3, and Generosity (our Counterpoint) might be
a -2. This would mean that both Greed and Generosity are both bad (being
in the negative) but that Generosity is a little less bad than Greed
since Generosity is only a -2 and Greed is a -3.
2. Show the good and bad aspects of both the Message Issue and the
Counterpoint.
Make sure the examples of each side of the thematic argument that you
have already developed don't portray either side as being all good or
all bad. In fact, even if one side of the argument turns out to be bad
in the end, it might be shown as good initially. But over the course of
the story, that first impression is changed by seeing that side in other
contexts.
3. Have the good and bad aspects "average out" to the thematic
conclusion you want.
By putting each side of the thematic argument on a roller coaster of
good and bad aspects, it blurs the issues, just as in real life. But the
reader/audience will "average out" all of their exposures to
each side of the argument and draw their own conclusions at the end of
the story.
In this way, the argument will move out of the realm of intellectual
consideration and become a viewpoint arrived by feel. And, since you
have not only shown both sides, but the good and the bad of each side,
your message will be easier to swallow. And finally, since you never
directly compared the two sides, the reader/audience will not feel that
your message has been shoved down its throat.
Copyright Melanie Anne Phillips
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