You Need More Than A Story Idea

We have probably all done this with our writing. We wake up in the middle of the night with a story idea. Maybe we're in the grocery or driving to work. Something just pops up in our head and we think, "Yes! This is going to be my next great novel (or first novel for some of you)!" Then, the first moment you get free time, you run to your computer, open up your word processing program and start typing! This idea is so good, you just feel that the story is going to write itself.

And then... one of two things happen. A) you just stop writing because it dies; or B) you do finish it and send it out to editors and agents and get nothing but rejections. So what happened. 

It all comes down to the fact that this was just an idea, a glimpse into just part of a book or story. In fact, most of the time, this idea probably isn't even worthy of a full novel, at least at the stage you are at now. But it can be.

To turn that story into a reality, it is time to be a plotter. It is time to return to the full concept of the writing process that we talked about in middle school and high school. You remember that lesson! PREWRITING, DRAFTING, PUBLISHING! The key to turning that idea into something that may have potential is that first step, PREWRITING.

Now remember, the word prewriting has a prefix - PRE. This means before you start writing. You need to take the time to think the whole story out. What type of story is this? What genre? What publisher do you see this story fitting with? What is the theme of the story? What is the tone of the story? You should also take the time to briefly outline the story. At least get a beginning, middle and end. Do you know what the conflict will be for the characters? How about that dark moment. 

No, you cannot make excuses and just say, it will show up when I get there. Besides, I am panster when it comes to my writing. If that story idea of yours has any hope of making i, you have to take this time. 

If not, just understand that you will likely end up wasting time on a project that had no hope, or getting that letter of rejection from those agents and editors you wanted to impress.