Brandi Badgett, Fictionary’s star Editor and Instructor guides you through the most important aspects of storycraft to help you write your best book.
Today’s topic is all about theme: what is theme and why it matters, how to figure out what the theme of your book is, and how to craft it into every part of your story without being preachy.
I’m excited to share this series with you. Packed with lots of useful information and actionable tips, it’s perfect for both aspiring authors and seasoned writers!
About Brandi Badgett:
I am a wife and mother of five beautiful children. My husband is a rocket scientist, so we live in Alabama, just outside of Rocket City. I’m a lifelong bibliophile and learner which means my home is covered in books.
I am a senior at BYU-Idaho, working on a degree in Family and Marriage Studies. The things I have learned in classes and reading studies have influenced my life greatly, and I hope to share the knowledge with others.
I’ve played with writing since I was young, but when it came to a novel—I always got stuck until I landed upon Fictionary. Between the knowledge of story I learned there and the kindness of the community, I stayed for years and became a Certified StoryCoach Editor and Instructor.
I also write fiction under my pen name Leigh Romero.
Chapters & Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Series Intro
01:08 Why Theme Matters
02:32 Theme vs Moral Lessons
04:29 Topics and Universal Themes
08:52 Thematic Statements Explained
12:13 Theme as Story Engine
13:04 Major and Minor Themes
15:43 Finding Theme in Revision
18:04 Weaving Theme Into Craft
22:23 Originality and Universal Ideas
24:50 Theme and Reader Connection
31:11 Tips to Identify Theme Mid Draft
33:54 Wrap Up and Next Episode
Links:
Fictionary
Love in Development (Amazon ebook - comes out Aug 12, 2026, preorder available)
Love in Development Goodreads page
ARC Review of Love In Development by E A Carter
Author Leigh Romero
Leigh asked me if I might like to read the first book in her new YA Gamer Romance series and within two days of receiving it, I’d devoured it. Despite many other demands on my time, I simply had to know what was coming next for the introverted Molly who’s had her life turned upside down and has to start her life all over again in a new town.
Having experienced first-hand what happened to her mother, Molly has sworn off love. She just wants to focus on getting through senior year of high school and earn enough money selling her loot wins and from her earnings at DragonByte to get into college.
But life doesn’t work the way she wants it to. Despite wanting to keep a low profile in her new school, she quickly finds herself absorbed into a quirky circle of friends, and finds herself noticing the one guy who keeps himself distanced from all romantic attention. Of course, he’s the most popular guy and Molly hates that she seems as shallow as her deadbeat dad.
Molly is sure she can handle her attraction, especially after what she saw her dad do to her mom (and her). Instead, she focuses on her game and on her wins which unlocks a following of fans and the attention of the top player of the game. Is he a friend, is he a foe? Is he even a he? Molly just wants to be left alone, but her friends and her gamer group have other plans.
As a girl gamer who’s played World of Warcraft since Vanilla (aka the very first game before its bazillion expansions) I had a feeling this book was going to be a fun read… and holy smokes did it ever deliver the boss loot!
Just like Stranger Things swept us up into the world of the early 80s, Leigh’s small town world is fully fleshed out and draws the reader in from the first page. What I loved about this book is how immersive it is. You feel like you are Molly and moving in her world (which I love since this mimics the feeling of playing an avatar in a game).
Leigh’s descriptions are lightly done yet allow the reader to experience the story with all the senses. Even a week later, I can still smell the pizza cooking in Dragonbyte’s kitchen, hear the gamers cheering at the big screen, and see the sticky soda rings beside the keyboards.
Leigh has written a book for those of us who love to game and crafted a delicious clean romance into it that offers a very satisfying ending. I will be reading this book again. It’s pure escapism. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. 5/5 stars.
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