When a story idea catches your imagination, how do you nurture it into a fully-developed narrative? For many writers, especially those who are plotters, developing their ideas is the most important step before putting pen to paper. Others, known as pantsers, complete very few pre-writing tasks before beginning their drafts and often discover their stories as they write. This article provides tips and tricks for taking a raw story kernel from seed to draft with an eye toward developing your narrative to its highest potential.
Getting Started
Start by brainstorming or jotting down all the different ideas that come to mind for your story. This will help you identify the key facets of your story: characters, conflict, setting and dialogue.
Character Development
At the heart of every compelling story are characters, and developing them in depth is key to developing your plot. Consider the goals, motivations, and flaws of your protagonist and antagonist(s), as well as any supporting characters who play vital roles in the conflict.
Plot Development
Develop your plot by identifying the major milestones and turning points in your narrative, as well as the information flow that will carry you from page one to the final chapter. This is also the time to lay down foreshadowing—tiny clues like ‘this letter opener will be used to kill a villain later’ can make your reader tingle with anticipation.
Then, build up to your climax —that big ‘yes, but’ and ‘no, but’ moment that will bring all the internal and external struggles you’ve built up through your rising action to an inevitable head.