From Idea to Story: Part One

From Idea to Story: Introduction From Idea to Story: Part Two

From Idea to Story: Part One

The idea

Every story starts here. Without that initial idea there is no story. That said, it could be argued that a bad idea is worse than no idea at all. With a bad idea you can spend weeks, maybe even years, trying to understand why your story isn’t coming together, or how to progress with it. This is why the work you do now, testing your idea and expanding it, is so important.

When you’re new to writing, you may be afraid to let go of the idea. You know, that one you’ve been hugging to yourself for, oh, ages now. What if you never get another one? At least when you have some notion of what the story may be about you have something to tell your friends when they ask how it’s going. “It’s about the effects of nuclear waste on drinking water,” sounds so much better than, “I’m still looking for the idea.” That doesn’t mean you should rush into writing the minute the thought crosses your mind. It means you should say as little as possible to your friends. Once you’ve poured the story out in conversation you may find you have nothing left when it comes to writing.

Where do ideas come from?

The glib answer is everywhere. But just because it’s glib doesn’t mean it’s untrue. Ideas for stories are all around, you just need to get into the habit of noticing them and, just as important, writing them down because, no, you won’t remember.

Buy yourself a notebook, something that you can easily slip into a pocket or a handbag and — here’s the important thing — use it! Write down anecdotes you hear in passing; news items that catch your eye, bits about people who have an interesting tale to tell. Sometimes one thing will strike your forcefully and you’ll know that’s your story. Other times you may need to entwine two or three items together to make the tale.

If you’ve been trying for, let’s say a month, and nothing has tugged at your brain, perhaps you are distracted by other things: bills, a sick child, work obligations. Life, in other words. Perhaps you’re actually living your story. Keep a journal and document your daily trials. Who knows where they may lead.

Watch out for things that inspire you. For me, it’s creative excellence. A wonderful singer, a spellbinding painting, a breathtaking book. For you, it could be a particular composer, the smell of freshly cut grass, or your child’s laughter. Try to expose yourself to whatever it is and write down whatever comes into your head.

Start writing down your dreams. Every writer I know depends on their subconscious to present ideas and solve problems. Sometimes an anecdote you heard during the day comes back in your dreams and you suddenly see its potential.

Get used to asking ‘what if’ questions. These can open your imagination like little else. What if a young woman was impregnated by Satan without her knowledge? (Rosemary’s Baby) What if an innocent hobbit was entrusted with the most powerful object in the world? (The Lord of the Rings) What if a little old lady was a genius crime solver? (the Miss Marple stories)

One thing all the above stories have in common is they address what happens when the lives of ordinary people intersect with the extraordinary. Or the question may be more like, “What would it like to try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world (The Road), Or as a prisoner in the Russian gulag (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch,)

No matter what idea comes to you, do not discount it because it’s not immediately exciting. Write it down, and at the end of the week or month when you review all your ideas, you may suddenly see potential in one you had dismissed.

The Goldilocks Approach: How to test the idea

Once you have an idea you like, you should live with it for a while. Invite it in for a cup of tea. Have a chat with it and see if it’s a puny little thing who needs some muscle, or if it’s already a beefy beauty. By that I mean keep it in your thoughts. Daydream about it. Try to visualise various scenes in the story as it will play out. If you find that the idea just cannot expand beyond the initial concept, it suggests that this is not the idea for you.

Keep it in your notebook and add various other thoughts and ideas as they come to you. with any other bits of tales that sound like they could be included in your story.

Here are the questions you should ask about the story:

Will it sustain your interest for the months (years?) it will take you to write it?Will it interest readers?Has it been done before? If you don’t know, find out!If so, can you bring a different approach to the story?Does it excite you?

In addition to knowing the answers to these questions, you should keep in mind that many ideas come with pitfalls. That’s not to say they are insurmountable (Can one surmount a pitfall?), but they may present some challenges. Best to know what those challenges are before you commit. Here are the most notorious:

The real-life event. The story of how your grandparents met. Or your dad’s implausible tale about how he brought his boss down a peg or two. One of the things editors most hate to hear (along with, “I’m a bit behind deadline”) is “But it really happened!” Fiction tries to emulate real life but don’t confuse them. Something that really happened might need a lot of modifications to make it work as a story.

The technical issue. These ideas tend to appeal to those who work in scientific or electronics fields. They get invigorated by the possibilities of some new gadget, or a new discovery. I understand that; I’m a bit of a science nerd myself. Did I say nerd? I meant maven. Obviously. But the point remains. A story has to be about human beings. Very few people will read a novel in order to learn more about a specific type of technology; they want to see how it affects human beings. The Tom Clancy novels are not soft on those sort of details. The man knows his stuff. But the reason his books sell so well is because of the human conflicts at the heart of the gadgetry.

The huge historical event. There are, of course, any number of stories about huge and complex events such as wars or the Reformation or the Industrial Revolution. Yes, those stories can work, but only if the people in them are captivating. Try to imagine Gone with the Wind without Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. If your idea can be expressed like this: “It’s about the societal changes during the Russian Revolution,” you’d better have a good idea of what those changes are and who, specifically, they impact.

The idea that’s been done to death. Someone once asked me if I would think about writing a novel about Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. I said no and changed the subject. Later, though, I did a very quick Google search and found there were five novels on that topic that had been released in the previous few years. I’m not saying you can’t make something new out of it, but it’s a hard sell. It reminds me of the editor who said, “Dog bites man is not a story. But man bites dog — now you’ve got something!” So maybe your story needs to be about a man called Dracula looking for a vampire called Sherlock Holmes.

If you want to write, you have to read. Know what’s been done already so you can avoid rehashing old work. Sometimes, too, reading can suggest a new story to you. There have been novels written inspired by Rebecca and Jane Eyre. PD James wrote a sequel of sorts to Pride and Prejudice called Death Comes to Pemberley. Or, perhaps, you might turn a villain into a hero or vice verse.

“You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.”
–Annie Proulx

The tiny tale. Some ideas are wonderful, but they wouldn’t work as novels. I would say that none of the best short stories out there would work in any other format, or at least not without considerable modifications. An outstanding short story can have an impact that few novels match. A story of just a few pages can be read in half-an-hour which adds to its potency. A novel can take days or even weeks to finish.

If you can spare a few minutes, check out The Verger by W. Somerset Maugham. It’s a mere six pages long and an easy read. Maugham was famous for chatting to people and getting to know their stories. He then wove some version of their tales into fascinating works of fiction. I’ve always wondered about the man (or woman) who inspired The Verger. I won’t spoil it for you, but I promise you will appreciate it. My point, though, is that while this is an excellent short story, it would lose all its magic if Maugham had written it as a novel.

My point is don’t discard an idea just because it is slight. Try to turn it into a short story. if nothing else, you will get some practice in writing. If other ideas come to you during the writing, perhaps it may work as a novel after all.

The Idea in Action

No matter what type of story you decide to write, the first and most important rule is this: Fiction is about people. What they want, what they’re afraid of, how they handle disappointment. With a great character(s) you can write anything you like.

With that in mind, once you have an idea and you think it’s sound, you might be eager to start writing, but slow down! The idea needs time to get into your subconscious, and to develop. Start by conducting some basic research. Make sure your facts are correct — you really don’t want to get 30,000 words in and then discover that the poison in the water only impacts rats, for instance.

Start to keep notes about the story. Write a little about the characters, who they are and what their contribution to the story is. Spend time with your protagonist. What does he want? What will he give for it? What’s in his way? Who are his allies and his enemies? Visualise the story and make notes about any scenes that you think are particularly important. This will save you lots of frustrated hours later.

Finally, until you get an idea of your own, you can practice with this one: You meet a famous person that you’ve always admired, but discover they are an awful person. How would you approach this story? Would it be from the point of view of the fan, of the author, or of someone who observes the scene? Would this make a short story or the start of a novel? Think about it and write an opening scene.

See you next week with part 2.

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Published on January 16, 2024 22:31

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