The Trellis Method’s Story Themes Development Workbook
It’s often a story’s theme that resonates with readers long after finishing a novel, but there’s not a single method, so you must explore the path that’s right for your story.
Satisfy Your Readers’ Expectations!
You’ll learn why the external, internal, and philosophical themes matter to readers. The download includes the 11 page workbook explaining themes, amplifies how themes resonate with readers, and the worksheet prompts for the genre-related external theme, character’s internal theme (i.e., the lesson learned and emotions craved by the audience), and the philosophical theme showing how the world really works.
For example:
- Guide: There is no single right way to include themes in your story, and that’s why this workbook serves as guide based on principles, not rules.
- External Theme: The external theme gives meaning to the overarching narrative relating to what your book is about.
- Internal Theme: The internal theme gives insight into the protagonist’s life, amplifying conflicts, experiences, discoveries, secrets, and emotions, including the change required for the lead character to solve the story’s central problem.
- Philosophical Theme: The philosophical theme taps into the audience’s collective knowledge of a universal truth, and typically provides the lead character with the motivation to learn the internal theme’s life lesson.
- Choices: Some stories focus on one theme, while others include all three.
What Writers Are Saying
Themes Matter
“Themes are one of the first things that comes up for me, Grant. It’s the inspiration for a story and out of it comes character and plot. 🙂 I like your pluralizing of themes here. And I’ve finally gotten to the point that I’m applying the Trellis method! It’s been a fascinating and helpful experience… For me, the theme may lurk in the background at the start of the story, but it definitely takes greater shape and gains clarity as the story develops. That was true in my current WIP where the deeper theme emerged well into the write – like at the 80% mark! It makes moving into a second draft exciting.”
— Diana
Focus
“That was enlightening about multiple themes. When first I attempted that, I well and truly failed. Should have read this!”
— Jacqui
Multiple Paths
“I think it’s easiest to start with the philosophical theme because that’s the kind of thing that arises from my own opinions in life. Building a story around that helps to develop the character and his/her internal theme plus the plot’s external theme.”
— Priscilla
Free Overview
Click Step 5: Identify Themes to download an overview of the themes development process.
Author’s Bio
Grant P. Ferguson developed his reading superpower as an under-tall kid in grade school. After balancing on tiptoes to pluck a science fiction novel from the library’s top shelf, it was love at first reading. Like a nerd turned super hero, books transformed his ordinary life into an extraordinary genre mashup of thriller, romance, and faith. He studied writing, and like a mad (but not evil) scientist, turned his research into the Trellis Method. From their ‘Fortress of Solitude’ in Central Texas, Grant and wife share their love of writing.