How to Test the Strength of Your Shiny New Story Idea
Photo by Antonio Uquiche on Unsplash
You know the feeling. The seed of a story idea springs to life in your mind, and a wild sort of creative energy courses through you — a creative high that has you itching to dive headfirst into this exciting new project, to nurture the seed of your idea into a full-grown story.
Shiny new story ideas can come in all shapes and sizes: an outline of a character, the flash of a scintillating scene, a setting or theme you’d to explore. Maybe you’ve even thought up a fun way to twist an old trope or to blend two existing stories you love.
Whatever their nature, shiny new story ideas are doubtless tempting to pursue. The only issue?
Some story ideas simply aren’t worth developing.
This isn’t to say that some types of stories are more worthy of exploration than others.
Rather, some story ideas, though exciting at first glance, simply don’t possess the narrative potential necessary to become a full-length book. Why? Because an idea isn’t a story in and of itself; it’s a concept, a vague impression of a narrative or story element that you simply might not be able to spin into a compelling full-length story.
Nevertheless, many writers make the mistake of plunging headfirst into new projects, drafting thousands of words into dead-end plot lines or spending countless hours crafting various story elements before realizing their concepts don’t possess the potential for a well-developed plot.
Writer, don’t waste valuable creative time working yourself into an obstacle you can’t overcome.
By first taking the time to test the potential of a new concept, you can develop and draft your story in the confidence that you won’t waste a single moment driving down a creative dead end. So, how do you know if your shiny new idea has powerful narrative potential?
Exploring the Foundations of Strong Storytelling
To know whether your idea has narrative potential, you must first have a strong knowledge of the craft. Let’s start with the basics: A story is an account of events, real or fictional, that’s intended to entertain, inspire, or instruct. The latter half of this definition is essential.
If I told you that I went to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk before returning home to drink the milk, then I would have given you an account of events. But there’s also a pretty good chance you’d have fallen asleep halfway through this account. I mean, what was the point?
And that lack of a point is my point.
Without purpose — whether that purpose is to entertain, inspire, or instruct — an account of events lacks the interest needed to captivate an audience. To truly engage readers, a story must contain three foundational elements:
Goal (i.e. what the protagonist wants)
Motivation (i.e. why the protagonist wants it)
Conflict (i.e. what hinders the protagonist from getting it)
These three pillars are called a story’s GMC. In plot-driven stories, the protagonist has an external goal, and the story’s core conflict hinges upon the actions of an antagonist or antagonistic force. For example, Katniss wants to win the Hunger Games (G) so she can continue to protect and provide for her family (M), but first she must outlive (and likely kill) her fellow competitors to survive (C).
In character-driven stories, the protagonist’s goal may be internal or external, but the core conflict hinges upon the fact that what the protagonist wants for themselves isn’t what they need to lead a better, happier life. Often, the protagonist’s lie serves as the story’s primary source of conflict.
For example, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth would prefer not to spend time with the wealthy Mr. Darcy (G) because she believes him to be proud and pompous (M), but her prejudice blinds her to Darcy’s true nature as a kind and compassionate man she could love (C).
Developing a GMC for your shiny new story idea will help you establish its narrative potential. But to truly dive headfirst into a project with confidence and clarity, I recommend using your new GMC to craft a powerful premise for your story.
How a Premise Can Superpower Your Story Idea
A premise is a statement that distills the heart of a story into just one or two sentences that note the following essential story elements:
The story’s set-up (i.e. the catalyst that sparks the story’s adventure)
The protagonist’s essential relationships (when applicable)
The protagonist’s motivation (when possible)
A premise is not an outline or a summary. It doesn’t need to note the story’s resolution, identify any characters by name, or even detail any of the major events in the protagonist’s journey. It simply needs to strike at the heart of the story, to identify the essence of its narrative arc.
Even writers who don’t prefer to pre-write can benefit from developing this simple storytelling tool before drafting. After all, there’s no use exploring an idea on the page that simply doesn’t have the potential to become a full-blown story. Save yourself the struggle, and craft a premise to provide you with assurance as you draft.
What exactly does a premise look like? Here’s an easy example:
“After assuming a dead knight’s identity to compete in a tourney for food money {set-up}, an ambitious squire {protagonist} conspires with his dubious but desperate traveling companions {essential relationships} to become a wealthy international tourney champion {goal or desire}.
But when a ruthless fellow competitor {antagonist} begins to suspect the man’s lack of nobility, the squire must decide whether he’s willing to risk his freedom to change his lot in life {core conflict}.”
If you’re a fan of this cult classic film, then you’ll recognize this example as the premise of A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger, one my favorite movies. If you’re writing a character-driven story, consider this example from Talia Hibbert’s bestselling romance, Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
“After surviving a near-death experience {motivation}, a chronically ill woman {protagonist} decides to stop hiding from life by creating a to-do list of scary but exciting experiences {goal or desire}. First up? Move out of the comfort of her family’s wealthy estate and into her own apartment {set-up}.
But when romance sparks between the timid computer geek and her new gruff but handsome apartment super {essential relationship}, the woman must decide whether she’s truly brave enough {source of resistance} to take a chance on love {core conflict}.”
Want to avoid countless hours spent developing or drafting a story that just won’t work? Crafting a GMC and powerful premise for your exciting story idea is a surefire way to delve into a new project with confidence and clarity.
