Book Beat Babes

Book Beat Babes

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Multi-published Romance Author, Celia Yeary, Says Get a Theme


It's my pleasure to welcome multi-published romance author, Celia Yeary, to Book Beat Babes,  Who Offers Vital Advice We Should All Remember. CHECK OUT HER GIVEAWAY, ALSO. Morgan Mandel
Celia Yeary, a native Texan, former science teacher, graduate of Texas Tech University and Texas State University, is mother of two, grandmother of three boys, and wife of a wonderful, supportive Texan.
She has published nine novels, seven novellas, short stories in anthologies, and articles for a Texas Magazine, Texas Co-op Power. She is a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT); a local writing group called The Write Girls; and co-owns a group blog titled Sweethearts of the West.
Celia and her husband enjoy traveling, and both are involved in their church, the community, and the university. Central Texas has been her home for forty years.


Do Your Books Have a Definite Theme? 

What makes a good book? There are myriad reasons, but the over-riding one is Trouble, spelled with a Capital T. Your characters must be in some kind of Trouble, a conflict that leads to... Trouble.

Trouble and conflict make us care enough about a story to keep turning the pages. Trouble and conflict always have something to do with one or more of the following Dramatic Themes:
Betrayal
Acceptance
Crusader
Healing (wounded hero or heroine)
Protector
Redemption (righting past wrongs)
Rescue
Second Chance
Transformation (change)
Obsession

There are many themes—these are only a few of the major ones to set up conflict.
We don't want to be hit over the head with Theme. A good author will write so that it emerges from the story. We don't need to be told.

Most book club discussions revolve around the discussions of Theme. This might be a good way for an author to self-review her book. "What is the underlying theme?"
In my book club this week, we had read To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic we chose to fulfill our commitment to read one classic out of the eight books we would read per year.
The members gave numerous ideas of theme for this famous novel, but the one that stood out was Morality and Judgment. Another one mentioned was Good vs. Evil.  

As an author, do you (a) invent a story, which has a predetermined theme, or (b) do you create and write, and in doing so, a theme emerges?
Do you ever think about the Theme?

~*~My newest release is TEXAS DREAMER, the fourth "Texas" novel. In this story, Lee King realizes he has hurt his family by running away at age fourteen, and during his adult years, decides to re-connect and ask forgiveness. The theme: Redemption and Second Chance.

~*~Note: I'd love to give away an ebook copy of TEXAS DREAMER to one person who comments. Please remember to leave an email address to be eligible. I'll gift the winner with a copy for your Kindle or your Nook.

More About Texas Dreamer
Lee King is a dreamer. When he realizes he was born under a lucky star, he went for the jackpot and won. But winning a big prize isn't the same as keeping it safe from interlopers and greedy fortune hunters--including women. When oilman Tex McDougal crosses his path, Lee believes he has found the perfect man to help him. His daughter, Emilie McDougal, while not a buxom beauty, impresses him with her intelligence, her courage, and her selflessness. Could he strike a financial bargain with her? One that would suit them both?
Emilie McDougal has no family except her father, and she has followed in his footsteps from age one. When Lee King enters their lives, she begins to dream--for the first time in her life. She only wants one thing from Lee, one tiny thing that would make her life complete.
Would he agree to her counter-bargain?

~*~Other books, other themes:
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS: Theme: for the hero, Ricardo, is Transformation.
TEXAS BLUE: Theme: for the hero, Buck, is Rescue and Protector.
TEXAS PROMISE: Theme: for the hero, Dalton, a wounded soul, is Healing and Transformation.
TEXAS TRUE: Theme: for the hero, Sam Deleon, is Redemption, righting past wrongs.

These themes, Transformation, Protector, Healing, and Redemption are recurring themes in my novels.

What about yours? Do you write with a recurring theme? Or does each novel revolve around a different one? Can you identify them in your novels?

Thank you for visiting.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas

Celia's website:

Celia's blog:
http://celiayeary.blogspot.com/    

Remember, if you wish to be entered in the drawing for a copy of Texas Dreamer, leave a comment which includes your email address. 

21 comments:

  1. Welcome to Book Beat Babes, Celia. Great advice about theme. It makes a story come together nicely.

    Morgan Mandel

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  2. Welcome here!!! Can't wait to hear more from you!
    Anna Carbone, Colorado
    ciaonnam9@gmail.com

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  3. Thanks for your participation ~ enjoyed your essay!
    wandakashuba@hotmail.com

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  4. Congratulations on Texas Dreamer, Celia. I am sure it will be another success.

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  5. Hi, Morgan..thanks for inviting me here. Most writing instruction books will touch on this topic somewhere in their advice chapters. I think it's important. Mainly, it keeps me on track with my main character--either a man or a woman. Funny, though, I almost always set the theme geared toward the hero. It just seems the man always needs a little straightening up!

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    1. That's funny, Celia, but I believe you're correct!

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  6. Anna--what a great welcome. And thank you so much--I hope to become acquainted with a few new people.

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  7. Thanks for having me, Wanda..I appreciate the chance to post an article on BBB. And I love that title.

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  8. Hi, Mona! Thanks for finding me way over here.

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  9. Hi Celia, I'll admit I don't think much about theme. Even during Lit classes my thought was that different people would pick out different themes in the same book. For my own, loss and recovery is always in there, not planned, just because they turn out that way. I'm sure readers would pick other things that stand out to them, though.

    Just so you know, I now have the Music Man song going through my head: "with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool.." ;-)

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    1. LK--I don't often consciously think of it, either, but it does appear to me somewhere in the writing of the novel. I knew what Lee King's problem was from the beginning, so it was easy to name the theme for his story--Redemption and Second Chance. But is usually the male who has something to work on in his life. In All My Hopes and Dreams, both Ricardo and Cynthia had a personal problem they had to work on. Thanks for visiting and your thoughtful comment.

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  10. I"m going to discuss theme at our writer group next week! This is exactly what we need! Wannville (at) Gmail dot com

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    1. Moon Pie--I love that! I'd love to be there, but I imagine you live somewhere far away. But what a lovely coincidence that our minds ran in the same track and came up with this topic. Thanks!

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  11. I never thought I was a thematic writer, but I tend to write about redemption whether I know it or not! Great post, Celia. I've read your Texas Dreamer (and recommend it), so don't include me in the drawing!

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    1. MAGGIE--You've gone the second mile lately for me. You know I appreciate it more than I can say.
      Redemption is the main Theme of so many books, especially romance. I suppose that's because so many humans are flawed and have done things they shouldn't and seek redemption--sometimes not even knowing that's what they're doing.. You know--what the heart knows is right. Thanks!

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  12. Celia, welcome to BBB. I never really thought about a theme before. Congratulations on Texas Dreamer.
    mjustes@earthlink.net

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    1. Margot--Many don't think about Theme, but I wonder if pressed, if every author could say the theme without much thinking. It's really something illusive--we don't name it in a blurb or any such thing--but subconsciously, or consciously, we know the theme--the reason for the story. Thanks!

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  13. So glad you could be with us at BBB. I tend to let my characters struggle and the theme emerges from there! You are spot on with what makes a book a page turner ... trouble, trouble, trouble!

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    1. Deb--thanks for having me this week. Morgan is good friend for a long time. She's so professional!
      I need to remind myself at times, too, when a WIP is stalled--stir up some Trouble with a capital T.

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  14. I just left a comment and now am being ask to comment again. So this may appear twice. This blog gave me cause to examine something I don't think about often. And I'd have to say my overall theme may be Second Chance. But making a difficult choice seems to be what most of my H&H face so that is Conflict which is not a theme.
    You've read most of my books so tell me what you think.

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  15. Hi, Linda--there are many, many more categories of Theme, but these are the most common. I took a minute and scanned your books on Amazon, and found that yes, you most often write about Second Chances: Full Circle; That Special Summer: This Time Forever; To Those Who Wait.
    Resurrection? I came up with Crusader.
    Your shorter stories are more difficult for me to categorize, but I'm sure some stories have such depth that we might need to apply more than one.
    LIke you, most don't think about the Theme of their book. And I think most of us have a natural tendency to write one or time specific themes.
    My most common seems to be Redemption. Odd, isn't it? Why do we write what we do? Can't answer that. Thanks for wrangling the comment box and getting your reply to take.

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