In a post on Writers in the Storm, Sandy Vaile offers tips on making sure your story is worth telling. “As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper,” Vaile says. “If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.”
While there’s no magic formula, Vaile suggests five exercises that can help you determine if your idea is a spark or a story. “Getting clear on a few key elements will give you an anchor to tether every part of the plot and transform it into a cohesive narrative,” she writes. Those considerations include:
- Knowing what sort of book you are writing and what readers expect.
- Whether the concept is intriguing enough to capture reader’s imaginations.
- If the key elements will generate enough intriguing events to support a book.
- Having a protagonist who will drive the plot to a satisfying conclusion.
- Understanding why you want to write this story, so you can maintain motivation throughout.
Ideas aren’t plots and your great scenes may not come together to make a great story, Vaile writes. You need to stretch that idea into a story concept and a journey for your protagonist. If you can’t, this might not be the right time for your tale. But how do you know?
- Define the Story’s Purpose. Why do you want to write this particular story? What themes do you want to explore? What message do you want to communicate?
- Create a Compelling Protagonist. Your central character has to be strong enough to drive the story. If you find that events happen to or around your character, that’s a sign you need to give your story idea more thought.
- Create a Compelling Character Arc. In most fiction, your protagonist will change over the course of the novel, due to the events of the plot. If you don’t have a strong vision of that change, or if the change is small, keep working. Ask what’s missing from your hero’s life or what wounds and misconceptions they’re carrying. What are their fears and goals?
- Clarify the Central Concept. Like an elevator pitch, your central concept will condense your novel down to one or two sentences. If you don’t have a clear idea of what your story is about, you may have a collection of interesting scenes that don’t form a cohesive whole.
- Write a Compelling Summary. Can you take that elevator pitch and turn it into a few paragraphs? You don’t need a full outline here, but if you can convey the overall plot of your novel and your character’s change arc, that’s a good sign your idea is fulsome enough to write.
- Gauge Your Interest. Once you’ve completed those exercises, are you still excited about the project? Is your curiosity aroused? Do you want to spend time with these characters? If so, get writing! If not, that’s ok too. Set the idea aside for now and come back to it.
