Thematic Resonance: How to Write a Story That Sticks

Whenever you sit down to write anything, you need to have a central theme that audiences can connect with. Otherwise, your story will not mean anything to them.

Your story may explore many different themes because a strong storyline or character arc often opens up multiple conversations, but they should all lead back to the main thematic statement of your piece. In a podcast episode with the OBA story team, we talked about the animated film The Iron Giant and how its multiple metaphors and themes were connected seamlessly to the characters, ultimately building to a climax that struck us all emotionally. To reference the full discussion with OBA’s team of writer/editors and story coaches, check it out on YouTube or Spotify.

So how do you write emotional themes into your story naturally in a way that sticks with your audience? How do you make sure the themes shine effortlessly through your exposition without making your readers or audience feel like you’re emotionally hitting them over the head with a shovel?

In this mini guide, we show you how in 3 steps!