Is This the Single Best Way to Write Powerful Themes?
Part 9 of The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel
The longer I study stories, the more convinced I am that the one single thing that sets apart the great stories from the meh ones is theme. What this means, of course, is that figuring out how to write powerful themes is possibly the most important job of any writer.
Theme is what a story is about. More than that, however, theme is why a story matters. Without a powerful theme that works in cohesion with the plot and the character development to resonate with readers in a relatable way, you will never create a story that lives beyond its two covers (if it actually gets far enough to have a cover, of course).
When, however, you find that sweet spot where theme grows so beautifully and organically at the crossroads of character and plot—the result is a story that instantly multiplies in depth, meaning, power, and cohesion. The biggest of stories without theme will always be a flop. But if you learn how to purposefully write powerful themes, you can take even the smallest, silliest, most escapist of all stories (like, say, a superhero comic book) and turn it into something great.
Why Do I Love Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Let Me Count the Ways
And that, of course, brings me to my favorite of all the Marvel movies to date—Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If Avengers was where the series kicked into high gear, Winter Soldier was where everything finally paid off in a film that is legitimately excellent in nearly every way you could ask for from a story in this genre.
Winter Soldier‘s prowess is due to several factors, including:
Rock-solid plotting and directing from the Russo brothers, including a taut suspense plot.
Spot-on placement of humor.
A well-developed antagonist, who didn’t even need a super-identity to be formidable.
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