by SusanBailey

Created on: December 11, 2007

Tips for Testing a Writing Story Idea

So you have a story idea. What do you do with it now? You write it down in a notebook, put the notebook in a drawer and try to forget about it for a few days. If the idea is a good one, then it won't let you forget about it. It will keep niggling at you and you'll find yourself writing bits of it in your mind.

If this happens then write notes of all the things that are passing through your mind. Write down characters, their traits and the brief plot structure. Continue to write down whatever comes to mind over the next few days.

At the end of three or four days get together your original idea in your notebook together with all the notes you have written and take a good hard look at them.

Do you still think your original idea is a good one? Do the notes you've made inspire you to write more? If you still feel excited by this idea then you should probably go ahead and start writing it.

Have your notes drifted away from the original idea you had? If they have don't worry, just carry on and see where it takes you. We should never have a hard and fast path our story is going to follow. Every writer finds that their characters will deviate from the path and follow their own route, that's how we know our characters have come alive and we have to be prepared to give them some freedom.

Before you begin though, ask yourself the following questions:

1 Does my story have a good beginning? This is a crucial part of your story. Your story must draw your reader into it right from the first paragraph or even the first sentence. They have to want to read on.

2 Could I start it at a better place to excite the reader more? Try to start it with a bit of intrigue so the reader needs to know what happens next.

3 Is it a good plot? Your story idea must have a good plot. There must be some trial or tribulation that your protagonist has to overcome. The plot should keep the reader interested enough to want to know if she/he will succeed.

4 Does the plot have some little twists and turns in it to make it unpredictable? Never be too predictable in your story. There must be surprises for the reader.

5. Is your story going to have a good ending? The conclusion of your story must satisfy the reader. He/she must feel that something has been achieved and it has been worthwhile reading the story.

5 Do I have too many characters? Too many can sometimes confuse the reader and crowd a short story although you can include more characters in a novel. Don't have any unnecessary characters though. Make sure all your characters have a job to do in your story.

6 Is it right for the market I have chosen? You should always research markets before writing your story. Read and note down the needs of different editors and try to write your story to fit one of those markets.

Once you have asked yourself all these questions and are satisfied with your answers then your idea is a good one and you are ready to write your story.

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