Ideas can emerge from anywhere and often do at unexpected times. Whether it’s a book you just came across, an article you chanced upon, an incident that happened to you or your friend, or by simply watching another movie – the initial inspiration can hardly be predicted or engineered. The more you consume and the more you pay attention, the more likely you are to generate more ideas.
Getting an idea is a matter of inspiration. Cracking an idea is a matter of perspiration. Story development is the journey of taking an idea, brainstorming on the direction it can be expanded into, turning it into a compelling story with fleshed out characters, and presenting it in the form of an outline or a screenplay for pitching. In essence, it is the process of making a thought come alive as a tangible pitchable document.
Some writers may not get a half-decent idea for months on end while others may get it instantly or routinely. In both cases, the development process can take months if not years to arrive at a compelling story.
It is in this stage where many writers experience what is referred to as “writer’s block”. There isn’t a shortcut or hack to prevent it but there are exercises you can apply to get you out of it. Once you understand that development is a disciplined process as opposed to it being just a stroke of luck of momentary creative genius, you can apply it to your own story with ease.
Key Points in Story Development
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to developing a story idea. Regardless, it is useful to know different approaches and techniques that can come in handy should you get stuck.
Title
Choose a working title for your story. This can be a placeholder that reflects the essence of your narrative. You may not always have one at the idea stage but a placeholder will help you contextualize it. Eg. “Goodfellas” or “Untitled Gangster Drama”.
Genre
Identify the genre or genres that best describe your story. This could include drama, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, or a combination of genres.
Being clear about the genre will help you make effective creative choices based on the tone you want to go for.
Setting
Detail the environment and time period in which your story unfolds. Consider the geographical location, historical context, and any fantastical elements that contribute to the setting. This is also referred to as the “world” of the story and is especially important for writing TV shows. Establish the rules governing the story world, whether they are magical, technological, or societal and maintain consistency to create a believable environment.
Main Characters
Protagonist
Provide a comprehensive profile of your main character, the one whose journey forms the core of the narrative. Include details such as their name, age, background, personality traits, goals, and any significant flaws or strengths. Their goal is what will typically set the story into motion.
Antagonist
Define the character or force opposing the protagonist. Delve into their motivations, background, and the nature of the conflict they present to the protagonist. A useful heuristic is to give your antagonist an opposing worldview which will help intensify the conflict.
Key Supporting Characters
List and briefly describe the key supporting characters who play vital roles in the story. These characters can include allies, mentors, friends, or family members. Highlight their relationships with the protagonist and antagonist.
Plot
Act 1
Introduction: Establish the ordinary world of the protagonist. Introduce the main characters and the initial conflict.
Inciting Incident: Present the event or catalyst that disrupts the protagonist’s ordinary life. Set the stage for the central conflict and give the protagonist a goal.
Act 2
Rising Action: Develop obstacles and challenges for the protagonist. Introduce subplots, deepen character relationships, and escalate the conflict.
Midpoint: Introduce a significant turning point that shifts the direction of the story. Raise the stakes and intensify the conflict.
Crisis: Present a major setback or crisis that challenges the protagonist’s resolve. Propel the story toward the climax.
Act 3
Climax: Reach the peak of tension where the central conflict comes to a head. Determine the fate of the characters and the resolution of the story.
Falling Action: Address the aftermath of the climax. Resolve subplots and provide closure for supporting characters.
Resolution: Conclude the story by tying up loose ends. Show the long-term impact of the protagonist’s journey.
Themes and Motifs
Identify the overarching themes and motifs you want to explore in your story and consider the underlyingmoral, philosophical, or societal themes and ideas that will resonate with your audience. Often, writers discover the theme in the process of developing the story and sometimes even after the first draft of the screenplay. If you know what you want to communicate through the story, the core theme can be incorporated. In the screenplay, look for opportunities to plant recurring motifs or symbols to reinforce themes and use symbolism to add depth and layers to the narrative.
Once you have your main character, conflict, antagonist and a broad idea of the theme, you can attempt to define your story by writing down a logline. This is not only useful for pitching purposes but also to understand what the story is about and what might be its guardrails when expanding the plot.
Dialogue Samples (Optional)
Provide examples of dialogue that capture the voice and personality of the protagonist. Consider their speech patterns, tone, and the emotions conveyed through their words.
Craft dialogue samples that reveal the unique voice of the antagonist. Explore their motivations, convictions, and the rhetoric they use to oppose the protagonist.
Doing this can give you a feel of the characters and make your scenes come alive when you write the screenplay.
Outlining Frameworks and Techniques
To get assistance with structuring your plot, you can make use of some of the popular narrative frameworks that many writers, especially beginners, find useful in expanding upon the plot.
Explore Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, a universal storytelling structure that traces the hero’s transformative journey.
Break down your story into acts with distinct narrative purposes to maintain a cohesive and engaging plot.
Utilize Blake Snyder’s beats to ensure key story elements are strategically placed for maximum impact.
Embrace Rick & Morty’s creator, Dan Harmon’s insights into character-driven narratives and the profound impact of choices on plot development.
Experiment with storytelling techniques like flashbacks or nonlinear structures to add complexity and depth to your narrative.
Scrite’s Structure feature will allow you to use all the above templates to outline your story. Alternatively, you can create your custom template if you’d like.
The development process is often collaborative, especially if it’s not an idea you’re independently developing on spec. For studio projects, you will typically have the creative executive, producer, and sometimes even the director be involved in shaping the story along with you. But if you’re writing it completely on spec, it’s useful to have a community of other writers you can bounce your ideas off and get constructive feedback on. You can also join some popular Reddit communities like r/screenwriting or join Scrite’s Discord server.
The initial spark of getting the idea can feel like a eureka moment; it is but only a starting point. To get to the finish line of having a complete story or screenplay, development is a process every writer must practise and master.