A Thematic Word Table for Plots and Characters
by
, August 11th, 2024 at 22:23 (6134 Views)
If you want to pick a thematic word for your story or character and play with it, here's a short list. Start by choosing the one that catches your attention. Or search the one that's in your mind in the web. Or just use Freeform Association as I demonstrated at the bottom. And if you check the links (Passion = 1) in order, they tell a classic story in 5 steps. Connect the dots = FFA.
But if you want to insert the themes YOU want to see in YOUR game, you can conjure some sparks from any theme. You can even use themes in Solo Play in a Therapeutic way to Understand Your Problems with Wisdom Through Fictional Conflict method.
USAGE: Note that this list alone without your input won't get you too far. I'll try to add links to the words for inspiration but you'll still need a bit of research. Subscribe to this entry to know when I add more links to comments, it's a pain in the word count. The little work on your part should be to read the definition of these themes to understand their progression or to mix and match them in a complement or a versus to effectively use them in your story.
ACTION STORY CHARACTER DEEP Assassination Amnesty Aging 5 Stages of Grief (4) Attack / Hunt Apprentice Amnesia Cycle of Life Blackmail Betrayal Beauty & Ugliness Destiny Cargo Clearing the Hex Bravery & Cowardry Dilemmas Competition Discovery Common Sense Duality & Balance Conspiracy Injustice Destruction Fate vs. Free Will Cover Up Investigation Disappointment Hitting the Rock Bottom (5) Defense Journey Dreams & Reality Order vs. Chaos Escape Kingmaker Fear & Courage Origin of Cosmos / Life Espionage Messenger Free Will Pursuit of Meaning Heist Mutiny / Rebellion Freedom Searching for The Answer Infiltration Mystery Happiness Suffering Interrogation Negotiation Healing / Creating The Truth Kamikaze Redemption Human Nature Tradition vs. Change Problem Solvers Revenge Jealousy Turning Failures into Gold Protection Romance Knowledge Paradoxes Pursuit / Chase Scarcity & Abundance Oppression Reconnaissance Siege Optimism Rescue Surveillance (No contact) Passion (1) Sabotage The Quest (Holy Grail) Power Struggle Smuggling The Test Self-awareness Survival Tragedy Self-discipline Time / Countdown Tyranny Simplicity & Complexity Treasure Hunt Unity Temptations War & Peace Vices & Virtues Tolerance Trust Vanity Wasting Love (2) / Life (3) What Can Change the Nature of a Man?
FFA: Even if you just want ACTION (Attack Theme) you can spice it up by adding (Power Struggle) to the mix. Your PC might have a bad streak of crit fails. (Optimism) under the final battle of (Order vs. Chaos) is hard to maintain. (Fear) of losing burdens even the most battle-hardened warriors. Why not your PC finally bring the (War) to the enemy through (Infiltration) by an elite force after some (Reconnaissance)? If all (Hope) is lost, maybe your last chance is a (Kamikaze) mission in the name of (Freedoooom!) Because what's make a warrior is not his sword, it is the choices he make with his (Free Will).
"Strong and (Brave)
Warriors to the grave.
They chose to (Protect)
(Beauty) that affects,
All aspects of our lives."
(First 2 lines are from Spirit Horse of the Cherokee).
# What's Next: Thematic Muses for Everyone.