How Themes Emerge

Published September 29, 2026

by Debra Hunt

What is the source of our story themes? When I sat down to write Unlikely Hero, my goals were pretty simple: write a complete story and finally call myself a novelist. Like all of us, I wanted to craft a compelling plot with engaging characters. I knew my story would follow Jesse’s journey back from the brink of devastating loss with a companion animal by her side. What I didn’t know, but discovered along the way, was that the process would give me the freedom to infuse my characters with bits and pieces of experiences, beliefs, and values I’ve collected. These themes reflect what I pay attention to and value. The freedom to populate our stories with our personal truth — that’s what draws us to the writing life. 

Legend

Since the cover of my book prominently features a dog, it comes as no surprise Unlikely Hero is a story about a dog named Legend who does some thematic heavy lifting around the animal-human bond. As everyone who has had the privilege of sharing space with a companion animal knows, their very presence reminds us that life goes on, even in the darkest of times. Animals live in the moment and offer a practical focus until a new sense of normalcy takes hold.

Ethel Had Other Plans

On the other hand, Ethel — a strong elderly character — emerged as a surprise. She was meant to be a minor character with one job: the role of nosey neighbor. But with the writing (and rewriting), she refused to stay in the shadows. I didn’t believe in the cliché about characters taking control of the narrative (I’d file that one alongside the mythical runners’ high). But Ethel quietly nudged me to give her more attention, space, and agency. She was a person with an industrious nature, strong opinions, and a vigorous disposition. Society made her invisible. She used that invisibility as her superpower. 

Where the Themes Came From

Whether deliberate or unbidden, both themes came from life experience. I have lived with many dogs, found comfort in the sound of their breathing in the still of the night, tried to impose my will on them (a laughable notion), and reveled in their enthusiasm for my return home each day. When it comes to companion animals, I reside squarely in the DOG camp (a loyalty I’ve never once questioned). 

I cannot deny I am a writer of a certain age who still automatically double taps the space bar after every sentence. I am quite sure the elderly Ethel emerged in the pages of my story as a therapeutic tool to help me resolve some of my own conflicting feelings about aging. As a child, I cowered from elderly people. As a young adult, I joined a military culture that excluded age and infirmity outright. As I approached retirement and started wondering who I’d be once the job title was gone, I began to notice the many subtle ways older people get overlooked. In an era when generations seem to increasingly self-segregate, Ethel reminds readers of the wisdom gained through living a long life and the value of intergenerational friendship.

What the Reader Feels

Readers connect with themes on a subconscious level first. Might this also be true of writers? Some themes are obvious, as with the dog, Legend, representing the animal-human bond. Others bubble from a deeper, more nebulous place, as did Ethel’s role as an elderly person with agency. Neither theme was forced — they earned their place, because they forge the connection between writer and reader in the first place.

Have you ever had the experience of someone telling you about an impression you made with your writing, and thought — that’s not what I intended, but I’m happy for you? Sometimes the message we mean to convey isn’t the message received. That’s a strange and wonderful thing about sharing our work with a reader: the meaning stops being entirely ours.

Handing It Over

Whether we’re sketching out a story or reviewing a draft, the writing process itself holds the key — some themes bob along the surface, others move as undercurrents beneath it. I might not see them. This is why I always look forward to the moment — once I have done all I can do to bring my characters to life — when I release the manuscript to the thoughtful review of beta readers. What I once dreaded, I now embrace. Others might choose to seek feedback from a critique group. Regardless of the method, trusted readers can help us find what resonates and why. Are there threads they noticed that deserve to be amplified — even with an extra scene, a bit of subtext, or a line of dialogue? 

I handed my beta readers a sparse three-act story arc populated with a single protagonist, her antagonist, and a cadre of allies who, in the original plot, did little to distinguish themselves (I thought the comment was unnecessarily sarcastic, but one reader called a minor character “an emotional stress ball” for the protagonist). 

Beta readers don’t read the story in our heads — they read what we put on the page. So when my readers said a character seemed interesting but underdeveloped and lacked a reason for being, I was compelled to dig back in. Only then did I notice the elderly character, Ethel, off in the corner, minding her and everyone else’s business. I realized her relationship with Jesse was a central plot catalyst. And, more importantly, bringing her to the forefront of the story reinforced the notion of lifelong relevance — the central theme I am working to incorporate into my own mindset about aging.

I thought I’d mapped out my story. I hadn’t mapped out its themes. Theme, it turns out, isn’t only something you decide in advance. You plan some of it. Some of it unfolds in the writing. And some of it only becomes visible once a reader reacts to the draft — an unspoken exchange that might be the most satisfying part of writing after all.

Debra Hunt writes contemporary women's fiction exploring resilience and second
chances. A U.S. Air Force veteran and retired social worker, she lives in Colorado
Springs with her husband, Mark. She volunteers as an animal advocate, a critique
partner for incarcerated writers, and a speaker for late-blooming novelists. Learn more
at debrahunt.com or follow @debra.hunt0613 on Instagram.