October Review Challenge, #5 - Frequently used theme

October Review Challenge, #5 - "What theme shows up frequently in your work?"

By theme, I mean the ideas one deals with frequently in one's writing, the ideas that you like to ponder and explore. I am a very theme-focused writer— I couldn't even write a silly comedy without trying to say something with it —so naturally I have quite a few that I'm particularly interested in that show up frequently.

So I have plenty to choose from. Gender roles. Sexual objectification. The power of charisma. Learning to recognize and dismantle one's privilege. Claiming and reclaiming agency. The terrifying ordeal of being known. The pain and power of hope. Ego versus selflessness in attempting to do great things. I asked people once on Facebook what they thought my most persistent ones were, and these were among those that showed up in the responses.

But when I made this list I picked one at random to talk about, so I think today I'm going to discuss a very persistent one, fear of aging. While most writers tend to themes because they find them interesting, this is one is REAL personal for me, since it's basically my own biggest fear. I'm afraid of losing my looks, losing my physical capabilities. And I'm afraid of being forgotten about and dismissed, in our culture where unattractive and fragile old women are routinely pushed aside. I've always felt like a lot of people don't notice my inner qualities until they notice my outer ones, many of which fade with age, so it's something that haunts my thoughts.

As my most significant project, Mrs. Hawking naturally has a lot of examples of my style. But the lead character of Mrs. Hawking is profoundly afraid of aging in her own way. She's not concerned with her appearance like I am, but her work by which she determines her whole identity is dependent on her physical capability. She's forty years old when we meet her in 1880, and her society already considers her an old woman even though she's not. But by the time she gets injured in part III: Base Instruments, she's reminded of how her work will grind her down physically, and it will only get harder as she gets older. The idea terrifies her, because if she gets to the point where she can't be a society avenger, she doesn't know who'll she'll be. The second trilogy of Mrs. Hawking the issue really kicks in, and from here on out she's going to be forced to confront that her superhero life is finite. I believe you always should make your hero go through the thing that is hardest for them, and this is what Mrs. Hawking will have to deal with if she is truly to grow.



It's also an issue in my new comedy project, Dream Machine. The lead character Leah is a fairly extreme and ridiculous parody of myself, so naturally I've taken my little issue with aging and blown it out of proportion with her as well. Although weirdly with her, I've had her already decide she's a crone and is just focused on staying looking hot. I plan to have this frequently occur with her. But episode 3 in its entirety is about another character, the Robert Downey, Jr.-inspired second lead Ryan, dealing with the fact that he's aging. For him it's about figuring out how to change with the world around him, because, as the first rule of narrative states, the only alternative to change is death. That is frequently the challenge posed to a character afraid of aging— are they going to figure out how to change to survive and thrive as they're no longer armored with their youth as they once were?

Not all my themes are quite so personal as this one. But because it speaks to my own feelings, I think I have some thoughts about it that come from somewhere real.