I bet you’ve got at least one cool story idea rattling around in your head right now.
You already know the basics, like who your main character is and the situation they’re in. You probably know where and when your story will be set, and have an idea about who the other characters are. You might even know where the story starts and ends. Good stuff.
But while it sits in your head that story isn’t real. And it can happily sit there forever, brewing.
I know that reluctance to start can be a big deal because I know that the road ahead is rarely easy. So much easier to leave that story as a lovely possibility.
But I also know there’s only one way to bring a story to life and that’s to start writing it. Yes, there will be planning and structuring in your future but in the first instance, how about encouraging that little story seed to sprout and get on the page?
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It really doesn’t matter how or where you start to grow your story as long as you start. Now you might be a writer who has no problem starting a new project (finishing is my bete noir) but if you are please read on...
One of my favourite ways to turn a story idea into a story project is by exploring the main character. So I’m going to share a great exercise that will do just that. (It’ll take you about half an hour but you may find yourself writing for longer.)
Try it, you’ll like it...
Exercise: Get Your Character Walking & Talking By Dropping Them Into Another Story.
Step 1: Identify your main character. (No, seriously, this is the first step.)
Step 2: Grab your local newspaper and randomly pick out a story.
Step 3: Insert your main character into that story either as an observer or participant and start writing about how they COULD fit into it and what they MIGHT do.
NB: This is an exercise in imagination so don't be afraid to grab something completely unrelated to your story idea.
Here’s an example - my basic story idea:
A 12-year-old girl sets out on a dangerous mission to find her older brother – she is vulnerable to the hostile world she lives in but he is her only living family member and her survival depends on finding him.
(Now this story could be set anywhere from 1940’s war-torn France to New Zealand in the 1870s or a planet on the other side of the universe. But for my purposes it is set in a modern-day city.)
And here’s my random newspaper clipping:
There are numerous ways I could insert my main character into this story…
She could be the child from 68 years ago.
The library moment could be a memory of the girl's older self - telling the story.
She could be in the library when the woman returns the book.
She could attract the old woman’s attention and be taken home.
She could rob the old woman while the woman talks with Librarians.
She could steal from the librarian while he/she is distracted by the old woman.
She could use the distraction to find herself a place to sleep.
She could see the old woman fall as she leaves the library and helps her.
Due to embarrassment, the older woman could pay the girl to return the book for her.
The possibilities are endless. (I’m sure you can think of dozens more…)
But let’s say I want to explore the final possibility on my list – “due to embarrassment, the older woman could pay the girl to return the book for her.”
Maybe I could start simply, writing that scene by having my main character hanging around outside a library. Why is she there? What’s going on? What is she up to? What is she trying to achieve?
Then I can have my older woman approach my main character with that offer – what does my main character do? There is a long list of things she could do.
But let’s go with – she agrees to return the book (motivated by money or goodness or fear? Be good to explore what’s motivating her - right?)
Then what happens? By answering THAT question - off we go. My story seed has started to germinate. Suddenly I have a scene that could lead to an interesting sequence of events.
By running with this story strand I’m going to find out a lot about my main character. I might even discover a new character. And if I’m really lucky I might discover a fantastic moment or plot point that I want to use in my story – and then all I have to decide is where that moment happens in my story.
And following that my challenge is to start writing what happens in the lead up to that moment and what happens afterward. Suddenly I have a character that is walking and talking. My idea has suddenly started to snowball and has turned into part of a story - even if it's just notes.
It might be imperfect - but hey it's up and running.
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