Every story begins with a concept. And as writers, we get new ideas for stories and concepts all the time. But not all concepts are created equal, so how do we decide which ones to develop into stories? Let’s take a look.
Story concept is the “what if” question at the base of your story that intrigues you and grabs your interest. This concept should be original in some way to make it different than all the other stories that have come before it. You want your concept to stand out. It should also create conflict to fuel your story’s plot. You need to make sure your story concept has enough to offer to ensure a good story that can be fully developed, meaning we don’t want a thin concept that we will struggle to write about. It should be enough to develop into a novel once it’s fully explored and offer more than just an exciting plot.
Once you have a story concept that interests you, you need to make sure it keeps generating ideas. You need to be able to write a full story from this concept. Does it raise enough questions? Where does the story lead? Make sure your concept goes somewhere worth exploring.
And make sure your concept develops a meaningful theme for your story. You want to engage your readers with the internal struggle of your characters as they explore the story’s theme. What does your story say beneath the surface? If your concept only offers external plot points and no deeper meaning, your story could fall flat.
These are all questions you should be exploring as you decide if your story concept is enough to develop into a full-fledged novel. Making sure there’s enough meat to your idea will save you a lot of heartache in the end, so it’s good to determine if your idea can be fleshed out before you begin writing. Though you do not have to plot to do this. Just explore where the story can possibly go and make sure it excites you enough to explore! What have you struggled with when it comes to story concepts? Share below and happy writing.
Julia