Story development is the vital process of transforming inspiration into structure. It’s the art of taking a block of marble and turning it into your David. Developing your story lays the foundation for a plot that keeps readers invested, characters that feel real, and a theme that resonates with audiences on an emotional level.
Characters are at the heart of every story, and developing them is one of the best ways to ensure that your narrative has true arc and meaning. Spend time identifying your protagonist’s goals, dreams, fears, and backstory. Conduct mock “interviews” to uncover their inner conflicts, and use this knowledge to map out their internal arc. This will help you identify the key obstacles they must overcome, as well as their progression toward an eventual Truth.
Often, these obstacles are external and dramatic—think action scenes, betrayals, or big victories and defeats—but they can also be more quiet, internal, relationship-oriented elements. These contrasts will add depth to your story and complicate your protagonist’s journey, ultimately building to a major turning point in Act II.
Using tools like whiteboards, sticky notes, and software such as Fictionary, you should map out your scene timeline and narrative flow to identify any gaps or redundancies. This will help you visualize your story, minimizing the need for drastic rewrites down the line. It’s also a good idea to develop your story world at this stage, so you can identify its geography, cultures, religions, and other important facets.