When a writer has a story idea, developing it is the process of taking that seedling and nurturing it into a full-blown narrative with powerful themes, immersive settings, and gripping characters. This article discusses the steps of developing a story from start to finish—taking that initial kernel of inspiration and turning it into something that can be pitched to producers or studio execs.
1. Develop Your Premise
Identify the key components of your story, beginning with the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s). Tear down their goals, motivations, flaws, and other important attributes that will create the central conflict and keep readers engaged.
2. Create Your Plot
A plot is a sequence of events that cause a story’s global change. This includes developing the setting, creating obstacles and challenges for your character, and escalating the conflict until it reaches its peak at the climax. Developing your plot early on will help you avoid wasting time and energy on unnecessary or boring scenes, and it’ll also save you rewriting later on.
3. Defining Your Literary Themes
A theme is an underlying idea or message that a story explores. It’s not just for English class and can be anything from a social issue to a personal struggle. Developing your story’s themes in the development stage will help you establish an emotional resonance with your audience and guide your drafting. Themes typically emerge from your character arcs and plot. They may be positive or negative, and they might reinforce your protagonist’s character strengths or challenge their weaknesses.