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Jul 9, 2015 · But if you believe a little plotting and planning may help you draft your next novel with confidence and clarity, have no fear. Today, we're walking through eleven simple steps you can take over the coming weeks to develop your story idea with purpose and power!
- Static
Having established the elements at the heart of a static...
- Negative
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote an...
- An Introduction to World-Building
Two Ways to Develop Your Story’s Fictional World. For some...
- Appearance
Though every character will have a general appearance that...
- Backstory
Ever since I’d read that dime novel about Annie Oakley, I...
- Personality
How can you develop complex personalities for your...
- Voice
Naturally, our character’s voices should do the same. How...
- What Is The Difference Between Editing & Revising
Reconsidering the structure of your own story as you begin...
- Static
- Pick A Planning Method That Works For You
- Zero in on Your Protagonist
- Create A Challenge
- Find A Setting That Suits The Story
- Decide on An Ending
- Consider Your Novel’S Style and Structure
- Know When to Start Writing
Before we jump into the details of your story, let's discuss the planning approaches available to you. As mentioned before, there isn't a tried-and-true way to plan a novel — the process is specific to both the author and the story that's being told. Some authors type up bullet-point lists, some draw mind maps, some even sketch their characters. He...
Now we get to the meat of the planning. Every single story follows at least one protagonist — so if you want a foolproof start to your plan, kick things off with your main character(s). But don’t just think about their names and what they’ll look like, as fun as that might be! Instead, to ensure that your novel is anchored in believable human behav...
If your character’s biggest goal is one side of the storytelling coin, then the central conflict is the other — you need to have both in a novel. Only when there’s something to impede the protagonist in their quest can there be the rising stakes that readers so desire and enjoy. This obstacle (or series of obstacles) can be a physical antagonist, a...
As you’d expect, the setting of a story varies wildly depending on your genre. Say you’re writing historical fiction about soldiers on the Western Front during World War II (think Atonement) — the setting is part and parcel with the story concept. But even if your setting isn’t quite so intertwined with your novel’s plot, you should still put a goo...
If you’ve written any kind of story before, you’ll know that it’s usually easy to beginone, but finishing it can feel like a Herculean feat. Sometimes you lose direction of where the story’s going, sometimes you stumble into a creative cul-de-sac — both are incredibly frustrating. The good news is, you can let the story's ending inspire what happen...
Now let’s take a break from the story-based aspects of planning a novel and look at some technicalities. When it comes to style and structure, you may feel inclined to just go with the flow and see what happens. But to help you maintain consistency and avoid tedious revisions, here are a few elements to think about as you plan a novel.
Some people prefer to have a detailed outline to guide their writing, while others want to discover the story as they write. The decision of when to stop planning and startwriting relies entirely on how you work best as an author. However, before moving on, you should make sure you have at least developed: ✅ A narrative arc with a beginning, midpoi...
- Tom Bromley
- Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm. Brainstorming is something all writers should be doing. Whether you’re writing a short story or planning a novel, brainstorming is essential for exploring ideas, allowing them to morph into the bare bones of a proper story.
- Research for further inspiration. Once you’ve done some extensive brainstorming, it’s a good idea to move onto some old-fashioned research. Time to hit the internet/library/real world and go exploring!
- Refine and clarify your central idea. Throughout the brainstorming and research process, you’ll likely find your idea becoming naturally clearer and more refined in your mind.
- Focus on character goals and conflict. When turning an idea into a story, it always pays to focus on two failsafe areas: characters and conflict. These two aspects are at the heart of each and every successful story, so the earlier you tap into them, the better.
- Start With the Six Elements of Fiction. The blank page can be overwhelming. As you consider the infinite possibilities of language, it’s easy to get so lost in the details that you lose sight of a clear idea.
- Start With a Story You Want to Read. Toni Morrison said it best: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
- Modify a Story Idea That Already Exists. No, you can’t publish your version of The Great Gatsby where every character and detail is the same, except it’s set in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
- Start With a Creative Writing Prompt. Chances are, you’ve been told to use writing prompts, but not how to use writing prompts. The best way to write from a prompt is to freewrite from the story idea, then edit from there.
Jan 10, 2024 · Today, we’ll discuss how to explore a fresh idea and develop a firm foundation of the essential elements every story requires so that you can create a rock-solid premise statement for your novel. And if you are already drafting or in revision, heads up.
Mar 26, 2013 · How do great authors develop stunning narratives, break from tradition and advance the form of their fiction? They take whatever basic ideas they've got, then move them away from the typical. No matter your starting point—a love story, buddy tale, mystery, quest—you can do like the great innovators do: Bend it. Amp it. Drive it. Strip it.
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How to develop your story from first ideas: Ask expansive, hypothetical questions; Do character development exercises; Use the news to develop story ideas; Do your fifteen minutes a day; Be a journalist about the Five Ws; Ask your characters about their GMCs; Write a two-line, page and paragraph summary; Let’s explore story development futher:
