Whether you’re writing a fictional tale or reporting on real-life events, developing story is the process of taking an idea and turning it into a compelling narrative. It takes inspiration and perspiration to get from that eureka moment of having a great idea to a complete draft ready for pitching.
The characters in your story are what make it unique and engaging. They need to have clear goals and motivations, which will help you develop a conflict that will drive the story forward. The setting establishes the time and place where the story unfolds. Whether it’s a bustling city or medieval castle, the setting sets the tone and helps readers visualize the world.
An inciting incident is the event that disrupts your protagonist’s ordinary life and launches them on their journey. This can be a dangerous encounter, a career change, or even something as simple as a family overcoming a natural disaster. The antagonist is the force that opposes your protagonist, and their perspective and motivations are crucial to the story’s development. The conflict between them needs to feel as though it’s a fight for survival, or the story won’t have any tension.
Keeping your reader’s attention requires you to put your protagonist in terrible trouble from the beginning of the story. This can be a physical danger like a murder or a life-or-death situation, but it could also be emotional, like a heroine torn between two lovers. Use Joseph Campbell’s monomyth or Blake Snyder’s beats to create a strong structure for your narrative, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different storytelling techniques.