Brighten Even The Foggiest Story Idea
Story ideas don’t always come easily, but sometimes we have the faintest glimmer of something we might want to write. Those glimmers can add up to an entire list of foggy ideas we’ve jotted down to revisit and develop later. How do we decide which new idea to run with? And what are the next steps after making that decision?
How am I going to write this story idea? I haven’t the foggiest …
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS THE WRONG Story IDEA
Not necessarily. You can execute the heck out of a spark that seemed dull at first. It’s also possible to beat a beautiful premise to a bloody, uninspiring pulp. Obviously some ideas are better than others.
What elements can make your idea soar?
Passion
Write about things that set you afire – Issues, Communities, Movements, Locations, Time Periods …
Knowledge
Lean into what you know. In the alternative, explore something you’ve always been curious about and have the desire to put in the work it will take to conduct serious research.
Marketability
This isn’t nearly as fun as passion, but it always helps to know what is being published in your prospective genre. Read popular and successful comparative titles. And, yes, I do realize I’m starting to sound like a broken record.
DO THE IDEA BOUNCE
It’s not the next wedding reception line dance craze, but it can be just as fun.
Instead of sending draft pages to your critique partner or writing group, pitch your ideas to them before you ever start writing. Wait, what? You don’t have critique partners? Read this.
And don’t leave it with just the logline. Give them the details of your entire plot, start to finish. Introduce your characters to them. Describe your setting. Ask their opinions on the plot points or twists you’re undecided on, or hiccups you’re having trouble maneuvering through.
Chances are, your partner or group will throw questions at you. Let them inform you as to what you may still need to develop or weaknesses in your planned execution. They will probably make suggestions you hadn’t thought of. Having the help of writing friends can be valuable even in the earliest stages of the process.
THE VERY IDEA
Idea? Check! Detailed plot notes? Check!
Now it’s time to outline. Check out this amazing novel outline template.
I recently saw a social media post that claimed pantsers don’t outline because they want to be surprised by the ending. Ha!
I’m a recovering pantser. The truth is that even when I was flying high by the seat of them, I always had to do an outline in the end.
A reverse outline is how I used to do things. I never wanted to be tied down to anything, and outlines felt so final to me. I preferred to let my imagination flow, and to have my first drafts move fluidly along with it. But needing to still follow through with outlining after a first draft, just to make sure what I had on paper was a solid story and that my execution was proficient, felt like double workload to me. I now choose to outline first, which saves time by helping me establish a base.
I’ve also come to the realization that outlines (like drafts) aren’t set in stone. They are merely the building blocks on which our stories stand. Stories are more like Lego structures - we can constantly break down pieces, here and there, and rebuild as we see fit. Nothing’s set in stone until it’s published.
Now, to inspire you to go and to do, I leave you with two quotes:
“Ideas Don’t Work Unless You Do.”
– Anonymous
“To make great ideas a reality, we must act, experiment, fail, adapt, and learn on a daily basis.”
– Jocelyn Glei
Let’s talk about your ideas! Join a community of writers who are growing together at Good Story Learning for only $9/month.
