By Teena Myers
A plot is a sequence of events that tells a story. A theme tells us why the events happened. Without the “why,” I have a story about nothing. Can a story about nothing succeed? One could point to the Seinfeld television sitcom to prove that plot and theme are not essential to create a successful story.
The sitcom became known as “a show about nothing” because it appeared to lack both elements. It offered no growth or reconciliation to its characters. The producers deliberately avoided the sentimental. An episode was typically driven by humor interspersed with superficial conflicts between characters. Many episodes revolved around the characters’ involvement in the lives of others, with disastrous results. On the set, the notion that the characters should not develop or improve throughout the series was expressed as the “no hugging, no learning” rule.
Seinfeld broke the conventions of mainstream television and succeeded. The show ran for nine years. While the sitcom had a reputation as a show about nothing, Seinfeld had a theme. He pitched the idea to NBC as a show about how comedians get their material. He never considered it a show about nothing.
If you write about nothing, you have nothing. Some writers start with a theme. Others find the theme as they write. I wrote close to 100 stories about local Christians. I started their stories without a theme. Without fail, during the process of writing, a theme became clear. Once the theme came to light, it guided how I wrote and edited the story.
A theme is essential. If you are writing and don’t have a theme yet. Don’t worry. A theme will come to you. If it doesn’t keep writing until you have one. Without a deeper meaning than a formula plot, you have a forgettable story that will leave the reader empty.
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