Have you ever finished reading a book or watching a movie and thought, “I want to create something that shares deep messages like that?”

Or something happens in your life, and you’re suddenly thinking, I want to write a story that talks about this?

Most of the best stories of all time are memorable because of the deep themes they share, the messages that leave us pondering and changed.

And when you want to write a story like that, whether it’s for a novel, manga, or film, it’s easy to get stuck at the first step, where you can’t figure out the best way to incorporate these deep themes or messages into your fiction story.

You might not want your story to be overly focused on the deep themes, so it doesn’t seem boring, preachy, or distract from your main plot.

Or you might want your story to actually focus on this deep message, but need it communicated in an engaging, interesting way.

I have two simple and clear methods to share with you for how you can effectively share deep themes in a story. Let’s get into it.

1. Use metaphors/allegories.

Sidenote, I really dislike the sound of the word allegory, but I need its meaning to help you understand this method.

Using metaphors or allegory is an indirect way to creatively present deep themes in your story.

And by indirect, I mean that it allows you to write your big story idea while implying or hiding the deep messages within.

This method is great for making your work more memorable because after viewing it, the audience will likely have thoughts and conversations around the meaning of different parts of your story.

Examples of stories that used this method are the recent popular movies Sinners, Never Let Go, and Fallout.

In each of these films, you don’t realize deep themes are being shared until the end. The idea for the story gets told, and the underlying message is passed across at the same time.

You should use this method if you have an idea for a story, but would also like to share some deep messages that make your story impactful and memorable.

Example:

you have an idea for a story about a man who goes on an adventure in the desert. But you also want to be intentional about writing a story that does more than entertain.

So a few deep themes you would like to find a way to share include overcoming depression, discrimination, and whatever you want. You have your story and your themes on separate palms.

This method helps you merge both. It’s the true definition of incorporating a deep message in your story.

Now is a good time to point out that creating or writing a story with an underlying message isn’t a must-do.

But whether you intentionally do it or not, your story will carry some sort of message.

As human beings, we usually seek the deeper meaning or message in things. So even after watching John Wick, someone would still turn off the TV and think to themselves about the lesson of love for a dog or loyalty to friends.

And like I mentioned earlier, stories with intentionally incorporated underlying messages tend to be remembered and loved.

2. Build your story on the deep theme.

This is the second method for sharing deep themes in your story, and it’s a more direct one. It’s simply focusing your story on the theme.

It works like this — you want to write a story that talks about oppression or war, for you, the message comes first.

It’s what you want your fiction story to be about. But you can’t just write that because then you’ll end up creating something boring or preachy or both. What you need to do is take that message and go creative.

Some examples we’ve seen include Children of Blood and Bone novels, Poppy War trilogy novels, Don’t Look Up movie, Pursuit of Happiness movie, Inside Out 2.

The idea is to share your deep message interestingly by adding fantastical/fictional elements, great characters, and a storyline.

Sharing deep themes in a story is something that anime and manga storytelling have long mastered. It’s one of the reasons I loved anime growing up. And it’s good to see recent movies and books getting better at doing it, too.

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I hope you enjoyed reading this and you found it insightful. Share your thoughts below.