How to prove your theme in your story

Your theme has to be something you can prove in your story - It does not have to be a universal truth. This means that your theme does not have to be something that happens in real life all the time (providing our logic can accept it, in order for us to believe it).
Whatever story you choose to write, be it a contemporary or a story, which requires elements of fantasy such as in horror, science fiction etc… the events of that story has to appear logical.
What is not logical and consequently not believable is…
A character that has no knowledge of computers and overnight becomes a computer whiz
A car that goes over a cliff bursts into flames and the character manages to escape unscratched
Etc
These are not believable because they cannot and do not happen in real life and our logic does not accept them.
Your theme will be believed when you prove it (providing of course you can.) Let us see how you can do that.
We will start with a theme…
“Hard work leads to success.’
Our story is about a character whose goal is to reach a managerial position within the company that he works. For the reader to see how the character will reach his goal I will show him…
• Working hard
• Working long hours
• Using his initiative
• Being responsible
And all those qualities, in the end, will secure him the promotion he has been aiming for.
So my theme here will be proved that ‘Hard work leads to success’ because my character succeeds in the end.
>From the examples I have given so far, you may have noticed that my stories end on a happy note. Yours do not have to. The ending will depend on the story you are writing and how you, the writer, prefers to end it.
I could have done the reverse with this theme. I could have said,
“Hard work doesn’t lead to success.”
My story will be the same but in the end, I will have the character missing out on the promotion. Both themes will be proved because I have proved them in my story.
Any theme can work in a story providing you can prove it.
Have you proved your theme?

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