Concept vs. Story
When I first started out, I would often keep a list of
awesome story ideas that I planned to write in the future. These included super
cool things like alien crash landings, vampire office dramas and yetis on skis.
In retrospect I realize that these were all concepts, not stories. Yetis on
skis are cool, but they’re not enough to build a story. What do the yetis want
more than anything in the world? What obstacle is stopping them from getting
it? What emotional catharsis will they experience in the end? Those are the
ingredients that make up a good story. The yetis and middle management vampires
are just window dressing.
Plotting With Emotion in Mind
Nowadays, when I’m planning a new story, I start with the
moment of emotional catharsis and work back from there. Everything I write will
be building to this one pivotal moment, so it's a logical jumping off
point.
I begin by asking myself how I want the reader to feel at
the end of the story. Will they come away with the deep sadness that
accompanies losing a loved one, mixed with a sense of peace and renewed
understanding that sometimes Death comes to us as a friend? Or will it be
something completely different? Starting with this emotion in mind can help focus
and intensify your plot, so you emphasize only the points that build naturally
to this feeling.
My Advice
Pick a list of your favorite books and write down the
emotional takeaway. It might be a feeling, a new understanding or a moment of
catharsis resulting from overcoming an obstacle. Whatever it is, write them all
out and use them as inspiration the next time you’re compiling future story
ideas.
A Little About Me
I am the author of Skeleton Tree, a middle grade novel coming out with Scholastic Press in September 2017. I'm a fan of whimsy, British mysteries and reading books to my dog (she's partial to Roald Dahl, in case you were wondering). I'm super excited to write for Middle Grade Minded and to share the love of middle grade literature with the world.
5 comments:
I love the idea of really thinking through the emotional takeaway of the stories we love. :) Thanks, Kim!
Putting yourself in the readers' shoes is an excellent suggestion. So often writers are only concerned with how they want the story to go. Great suggestions.
Great advice Kim! :-)
Fantastic advice! I used to write down concepts that I thought were story ideas, and I'm now just beginning to realize the difference. Thank you!
I do that, too, Kim. In fact, I now always write the last scene at the beginning of every fist draft, keeps me on track!
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