• Supa Story
  • Posts
  • Supa Story #7: Unlocking the Heart of Your Story 💡

Supa Story #7: Unlocking the Heart of Your Story 💡

Characters, each with a specific function, adds to the story’s richness and intensity.

Hey Storyteller

Welcome back! After weeks of sharpening your tools on Characters, it’s time to delve into the very soul of your story — THEME.

Your story isn’t just about what happens; it’s about why it matters. The theme is the emotional and intellectual glue that holds everything together. When done well, it creates a deeper connection between your audience and your story, ensuring it stays with them long after they’ve turned the last page or watched the final scene.

This week, we’ll explore Thematic Depth: Writing Stories That Matter.

What is Theme?

The theme is the underlying message or meaning of your story. It’s the “why” behind everything your characters do and the “what” that you want your audience to walk away with. But let’s clear this up:

A theme is not the same as the moral of a story.

Themes are broad and complex; morals are straightforward. For example, “love conquers all” is a moral. A theme might be: the sacrifices one makes for love and the consequences of those choices.

How to Weave Theme Into Your Story


  1. Let Your Characters Drive It: Your theme should arise naturally from your characters’ choices. For example, in Black Panther, T’Challa’s internal struggle about Wakanda’s isolation mirrors the story’s larger theme of responsibility to the world versus loyalty to tradition.

  2. Root It in Conflict: Great themes are often explored through conflict. In The Lion King, the clash between Scar and Simba is about more than power; it’s an exploration of legacy, responsibility, and the search for identity.

  3. Show, Don’t Tell: Themes shouldn’t be spelled out in dialogue or narration. Instead, they’re subtly revealed through your characters’ actions and the story’s progression. Think about how Les MisĂ©rables portrays redemption, love, and justice through Jean Valjean’s journey, without ever directly stating these themes.

  4. Make It Personal: The most impactful themes are those that resonate with you as the writer. What do you care deeply about? Your passion will shine through and connect with your audience.

🎬 Take-Home Exercise


  1. Identify a story you love (movie, book, or play). What’s its core theme? How is it expressed through the plot, characters, and conflict?

  2. Review your current story:

  • What do you want your audience to feel or think after engaging with it?

  • How does your protagonist’s journey reflect this?

  • Is your theme clear but not heavy-handed?

By working through these steps, you’ll start to uncover the thematic depth of your story, transforming it into one that truly resonates.

Next Week: We’ll dive deeper into how to use subplots to reinforce your theme and add richness to your story.

Yours-in-Storytelling,
Ololade Okedare,
For Emerge Story Company.

P.S. If this helped you, you can also share with your writing friends and encourage them to subscribe here to get more of this goodness — don’t enjoy this alone 😉