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In article <92310.095916KVJLC@ASUACAD.BITNET>
     KVJLC@ASUACAD.BITNET (Jon L. Campbell) writes:

>   My problem with this, is that writing a story with a theme implies
>that every story has a moral to be told.  Or should have a moral, but
>I have problems with this concept because I believe that the essence of
>truth is chaotic.

   "The essence of truth is chaotic," sounds like a Theme to me, Jon.
You've gotten the concept of theme and moral confused.  'Moral' is an
attempt to get across to a reader a guideline for his or her life; most
of my stories contain some kind of theme, some kind of moral.  Even in
my erotica, my favorite theme is "With great power comes great
responsibility."

>I can't believe that people still write from the perspective of the
>theme in their stories.  I can't imagine why anyone would try to
>influence the reader with their idea of what is moral and what isn't.

    Well, fortunately for the world at large, many of us aren't
nihilists.  I believe in the difference between right and wrong; I
believe in free will and personal, moral responsibility, and even if
illustrating that isn't the essential theme of the story I'm writing, I
at least attempt to keep it as a secondary theme by illuminating
characters who follow that set of beleifs.

   And, especially as a gay/lesbian writer, I'm out to write stories
that straight people will read and absorb from the incidentally gay
characters the message "Hey, these are people, too."  I use different
alien species to tackle relationship themes such as interracial
marriages and infertility.

>What do you think?  Does anyone out there still use a theme in their stories?

   Lots of us.

   Sounds to me like your favorite theme is "Shit happens; love is just
one kind of shit."  Not a very pretty theme, I guess, but if it floats
your boat...

   Elf !!! (nihilists need not apply.)
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