Recurring Themes as a Writer

[Jason T. Davis]

I find that in whatever series I develop/write, there are always a few recurring themes and tones throughout the premise, plot, and/or characters. Not that everything I write is exactly alike, but I can always identify certain themes and motifs, such as life and death, as well as time and perhaps even family.

Have you noticed any trends when developing projects? If so, what are they and why do you think they are so prevalant in your writing?

[Amin]

As far as characters go, the two character types I always seem to include are "the strong mother" and a developed kid character that gets to take part in the action. The first is just something I feel for on some level, so it comes off naturally when I write someone like that... which is weird, considering I've never been or ever will be a woman or a mother.
And the other... well, I don't know really. It's just cool, I guess? I think it came from me being annoyed with the "cardboard kids" so often seen in shows and movies, there for the sole purpose of acting as a... well, a cardboard for the adult characters to bounce off of when needed.

I also like to "orphan" my characters, so to say. Either have them start off as The Solo or have them lose it halfway through and have to figure out how to make it all on their own.

And as a last edit, looking this over, I think my main theme would have to be "family", but in the more intimate way. Mother and son, father and daughter (yeah, I love opposites). Doesn't even have to be two people of the same blood, but two people are the key.

[MJ]

Most of my writing (probably everything I write really) tends to depict strong relationships between characters- be that friendships, romantic relationships... even the relationship between the hero and the villain XD

I think a lot of my work also has a kind of... dark psychology as an undertone. Edge of Vision is a prime example of that (maybe not in the earlier episodes but late in the season it becomes more evident). Little Red has that dark undertone too.

Not sure why those themes recur but they make for good inspiration!

[Jamison]

I just noticed a recurring theme I use in almost all of my scripts. The "dead friend" trope. Most evident in Trinity and Hellbound. (Valentina and Jeremy, respectively) I always tend to use the death of a friend, relative or someone close to the protagonist, as a driving force to move a plot forward. I'm even doing it for one of my latest projects. I may even be doing it again for one of my other projects. Not saying which one though

[Brady Brown]

I tend to center most of my shows around a duo/trio. The Super Teens: Janice, Clark, Sara; Audition: Alex, Alisha; Reality: Adam, Lily. I honestly have no idea why I do this, but I don't think I've ever come up with an idea that has a single protagonist driving the plot forward.

[Carey]

Looking through all the projects that never became something, a recurring theme is protagonists who aren't morally upright. They don't mind doing less than noble things to get ahead, they're not firmly against killing.

"Brothers in arms" is another theme I've seen in a lot of my undeveloped works. Friends and soldiers living, fighting and dying together. War, for all its horrors, brings people closer together than any other event does. It's one of the few good things to come out of war.

Speaking of, "war" is another theme that slips into my work. Whether its out in the open on battlefields, or an invisible silent war between two individuals, 90% of my works incorporate it. And most of them deal with the effects and after effects of war and combat.