How to Develop Memorable Story Ideas for Fiction
Coming up with story ideas isn’t the hard part. What’s difficult is deciphering which idea to stick with for an entire novel. Writing a book will likely take years and hundreds of hours—don’t waste time on a bad idea. As writers, we have a multitude of stories floating around inside of our minds, but does that mean they can sustain an entire book? Here’s the hard truth: not every concept you have is good. In this article, we’re going to show you how to develop memorable story ideas for fiction. You’ll learn whether the idea you’ve come up with is worth writing, or if it doesn’t have the foundation to carry an entire story. So, if you need help developing the right idea for your novel, grab a cup of coffee and a notebook. Let’s dive in!
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Topics of Discussion:
What Makes a Good Story Idea?
How Do You Know If Your Story Idea Is Good?
How to Develop a Story Idea Into a Novel
Get Feedback on Your Story Idea
What makes a good story idea?
Most story ideas will likely pop into your head from a piece of music, a memory, an impression, or other. But how do you know that you should follow that one idea thousands of words later? Start with a brain dump.
Always write your ideas down, even if you don’t end up using them. After you’ve written down your initial impressions, let it sit. If that idea lingers in your mind and soul—it’s a story to follow. However, if it doesn’t come back to you then it’s not strong enough. Leave it for now and move on.
Tip: Keep a notebook dedicated for creative writing.
Storing a list of ideas into a notebook is a great tool when you have writer’s block because one day you may be ready to write that story. However, today, you aren’t ready for it. This could be for a handful of reasons such as: it’s underdeveloped, you lack the passion to write it, or it simply isn’t good.
If the story concept does stick around and you can’t seem to stop thinking about it, that’s a memorable idea worthy of sharing. There’s a reason why it’s lingering. That story idea has left such an impression on you that it needs to be written.
Here’s the truth about being a writer:
The story chooses you, not the other way around.
If the concept is strong enough, it will have one or multiple parts of these three elements that make up a story.
Elements that make up a memorable story idea:
Theme
Character dynamics
Plot
How Do You Know If Your Story Idea Is Good?
I’m going to be frank: writing memorable stories is hard. Storytelling takes a lot of creative energy, plotting, and rewriting. Therefore, discover if your idea is good before diving in. How do you find out if your story idea is good? Test it.
What’s fascinating about being a writer is that your craft is constantly evolving. Your stories will too. The best way to find out if your story idea is worth writing is to outline.
Plotting out your story idea is crucial for testing its longevity. Can it sustain an entire book? This also applies to other types of stories such as: short fiction, novellas, trilogy’s, and screenplays. Outlining allows you to flesh out your concept, to truly find out if that shiny idea is worth writing. If you get stuck during the outlining process, you can make adjustments and truly discover how to tell your story. Outlining also helps you catch some common mistakes such as: two-dimensional ideas, cliché scenes, or if something simply isn’t working. This saves you a tremendous amount of time in the writing room.
To find out if you have a memorable story idea so you don’t have to waste time on a bad idea, ask yourself these questions before you outline:
Q: What about this idea sticks with me?
Q: Why do I feel compelled to share this story?
As I’ve mentioned, a story idea must be compelling to you first and foremost as the writer. You need to feel passionate about the story you’re sharing with the world, otherwise why are you writing it?
I don’t know about you, but I want to write books that leave impressions—within one’s soul and with others’—that’s the very power of storytelling.
How to Develop a Story Idea into a Novel.
When it comes to developing new story ideas, you must take the time to plot out the concept. If you’re a beginner writer, don’t skip this step. It’s time to outline. Many writers—especially new writers, don’t want to plot their novel because it’s a lot of work. The idea of pantsing is appealing, but it will take you twice as long to write your book. I get it—I was that writer once, too. But after many unfinished manuscripts, something had to change. Outlining is a crucial writing tool that will help you learn how to tell a story.
Now for the writers who disagree—and there are some authors who may not need to plot a novel, but the majority of us writers do. If you’re still stuck on draft one of book one, you're the majority. Don’t feel ashamed by this; learning how to tell a story is a learned skill.
The second thing to do is expand the three elements we discussed above at the outset of your outline.
Developing a story idea through an intriguing plot:
If you initially had a great plot idea, that’s sadly not enough to write an entire novel. Eventually the thrill of a cool concept will fizzle out because you (and your reader) need a reason to care about the story. You are the first reader and you need to care about what you write. Readers care about characters. They care about the emotional journey of change you’re creating.
What to do: flesh out the theme first. Then create characters and dynamics that weave together.
Developing a story idea through character dynamics:
You can also build stories around character dynamics. I’m working on a new story idea that is built around two opposing character dynamics. Jane Austen did it with Pride and Prejudice. The impression I received about my characters is also imbued in the story’s theme, which revealed itself through their relationships. What I need to outline is the plot of the story, therefore it will become three-dimensional and full.
I’ve shared this before, but the theme and characters are most integral to every story. However, every story also needs plot because we need to see a character go on a journey of change.
Developing a story idea through a theme:
If you start with a theme, you need to build out your characters and plot so that it’s unique to your book. Themes are universal but your job as the writer is to make a universal feeling individualized through the characters and plot you create.
When I wrote my first short story, I was given a visual impression—a character. However, the story didn’t start to compel me to write it until I dug into its theme.
Story ideas that last are those that have a clear theme. Don’t overcomplicate the development of your book’s theme. But without knowing it, your shiny idea will die out. Why? Because you haven’t given yourself a reason to care.
These three elements must seamlessly weave together. They compliment one another because they connect. Once you’ve discovered how to connect your theme, characters, and plot, that’s when your story idea works. The best way to solve this dilemma is to outline your story.
If you aren’t much of an outliner, I implore you to try it. If you hate it, you can go back to your ways, but undeniably doing so will help you hone your story.
You can snag our free printable; a 60-page novel planning workbook for fiction writers.
Get feedback on Your Story Idea
Getting feedback on your ideas before you write the book is crucial. This can be hard for some writers because it’s intimidating to share your ideas with others—for the fear of being rejected. However, it will only improve your writing.
When you get feedback on your story idea, your peer will reveal its holes. Since you’re sharing the idea, you’re also repeating the idea aloud to yourself—its no longer stuck in your head. Oftentimes, you will see the holes just by sharing it with others.
Through this feedback process, people will naturally ask questions. The more questions they ask—and you ask, the deeper your story will grow. This is good! You want to weed out any bad ideas. Don’t worry—they won’t all be bad.
We writers have a lot of ideas; we are natural observers, often living within our minds. They can’t all be gems.
Share your story ideas with friends or loved ones. If you have a writing group, ask a trusted peer. If you seek professional help, you can hire a book coach to help you develop your novel.
Still unconvinced? Read this article next and find out the five benefits to outlining a novel.
Happy Writing!
