The theme of my novel "The Locket" is simple and complex, all at the same time. There are layers to it, and I believe different readers discover and savor it in varying ways. That's wonderful to me, as the author... because I believe a dynamic theme is integral to a well-written work of literature.
Have you read "The Locket"? What would you identify as the theme? (Always feel free to email me btw, with any comments you may have!)
My interpretation is that the theme of this novel is the unraveling of Grief. The idea that Grief can be passed along, and passed down, is an important facet of this. -That it can be passed down silently, and insidiously, magnifies its force and the consequences it may have.
Sometimes, Grief is an underlying theme in our lives that we remain unaware of; sometimes it meets us head-on with the snarl of an angry monster. I believe that more often than not, it is in fact quietly lurking... maybe even in our ancestral memory; in our DNA...
The story of "The Locket" touches on this, but of course the book only covers the span of three generations. That was a choice I made, in keeping the novel to a particular length and providing the opportunity for us, as readers, to focus in keenly without the distractions of a broader storyline.
I don't mean to say that Grief is either a silent menace or a monstrous one. To the contrary, I believe Grief is a companion. One we usually do not beckon, but one we all must learn to acquaint ourselves with. Befriending Grief, I think, is ultimately a more fulfilling experience than to combat it. Making peace with Grief, though not easy, is for me the way to greater self-awareness, higher calm and often a re-emergence of Purposefulness and Love.
I am writing another novel with a theme similar to that of "The Locket." It is not the second book in a series, per se, but the two works are related at their core. This next novel takes a peek at the web of Shame. Again, insidious, and usually quite silent. I have come to know Shame intimately throughout my life. In fact I have a Shame Dragon who visits me from time to time. I used to try and smash through that feeling -with desperate swinging punches and try my damndest to threaten or con it away. But it always came back. Always. It took a while but eventually I found that my Shame Dragon needed to be witnessed and to be tenderly acknowledged. After sitting with him a long while I found that, after embracing and befriending him, only then could he be transformed into a new emotion. (and yes, my Shame Dragon does seem like a 'he.' Read into that what you will. But don't.)
And my new novel, thematically, is based on Shame. The way it has tentacle-like reach through our own lives and can wriggle its way from person to person... It can be contagious, like a disease. It can be passed down, like a gene. It can be ignored, and so grow bigger, like a cyst. And it can be whispered, like a sacred call, into the darkness. It can, if we so allow it, lead us Home.
______
These days, I don't find myself able to create much time to write. Hopefully I'll figure out how to manifest a shift with that soon. Very soon. And when this next novel is published, I'll certainly share its title and links. Be well, Kindred Spirits-
