Where Do Core Themes in Fiction Come From?

I’ve found that for me at least core themes are emergent. It’s probably safe to assume they were down there yearning to break free. Or at least that is how it felt. The story may begin with an idea or a question but it is hardly a linear process.

How It Began

In global terms I have always been fascinated by mythology. Part of that fascination is because as a psychologist I studied the human mind. And things were definitely not simple or linear no matter how much we want to believe to the contrary. The works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell contributed to my fascination.

And then for some reason I focused on mermaids! They show up very many places in literature and fantasy and I had to wonder why. Of course no definitive answer presented itself. Except that mermen were not at all common and so it had to be something to do with women. And a woman’s mystery presented itself as one explanation.

So a story began to evolve and then an outline. It wasn’t all a simple eruption. But it was also apparent that it could be enriched by the weaving of truth, fiction and fantasy.

An Important Center
The mermaids led me to contemplate an essential current event which is the growing movement to empower women. In the story it is illustrated that their power has clear benefits. Not only were they stewards but they also had the capacity to fight the forces which so often destroyed potential in humanity.

Implicit is the indication that we lose so much if we subjugate women. If these women were robbed of power and potential they could not aid in the development of our potential as a species and also preserve our future from being corrupted because of grasping for power and profit. Enter the Overlords.

Vision for Our Future
We can’t view our future without underscoring the need for stewardship in all its forms. As our population grows our relationship with the planet which supports us may grow increasingly tenuous and dangerous.

And then comes what might be unexpected. At key points in human history we seem to have taken turns with sudden unexpected consequences of change and growth. And forever as an intuitive personality type I have to ask the question, “what if”. And in that what if is the possibility, given the acceleration of cultural change and our technical capacity, can’t there be a point at which there is a transformation.

What do you see ahead?
Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power by Roger B. Burt

Roger B. Burt’s Amazon home page

Creating Characters and Plots by Roger B. Burt

Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health by Roger B. Burt