Idea Development

We all get brilliant ideas, story concepts so stunning that we leap from the shower in a spray of water and--risking electrocution--immediately begin entering the story into the computer.

Alas, an idea is not always a story. Unfortunately, most writers discover this about halfway through the story when they suddenly run out of gas. "Where do I go now?" Worse, you may write a complete story and discover once you are done that it is a meaningless gimmick, hardly worth your reader's time.

You can avoid wasting your brilliant ideas by asking yourself some questions before running off with them. True, I espouse elsewhere on this site the need to write in a white hot passion, striking the page without a thought to the consequences. I'm certainly not suggesting that the journey from idea to story be a death march across a landscape of plot skeletons and symbolism. By asking yourself critical questions as you go along, however, you stand a better chance of writing a better story.

Once your skills are further developed, you make begin to devise story ideas already taking into account the questions in this exercise. The deeper these questions seep into your subconscious, the better.

So, to treat an idea right, ask yourself the questions below.

This is the only page at the Writing Gym from which you cannot send the contents via e-mail. Once you enter your information on this page, I suggest you print it for your reference. This protects us both from the possibility of your idea being intercepted in any way.

Getting Started

What is the central concept of your story idea?

What specific person or type of person would be most affected by that concept? Who could this happen to?

What is the question posed at the beginning of your story and answered by the end?

What is the story about?

What is the central emotion of the story?

Character

Who is the story about? Who has the most to gain or lose?

Why is this character doing what he or she is doing?

What person, force, or idea opposes your main character?

What is the character's journey? How does he or she grow from the beginning of the story to the end?

Story Choices

Where does the story take place?

When does the story take place?

What viewpoint is best for the story? Who has the most interesting perspective?

Which perspective works best for the story? Where can we set the narrative camera to best see the action?

How should the story begin? What sets the proper tone for the story?

Done?

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