Developing story is the process of taking inspiration from your imagination and turning it into a fully fleshed-out screenplay or pitch. It is the first step in taking your story from concept to reality, and it’s a skill that every writer should strive to perfect. Whether you’re writing, directing or producing, a good understanding of how to develop story will help you take your vision from a few scattered thoughts to a well-written, crafted narrative that engages audiences and delivers on the promise of your idea.
Character Development
When you’re developing a story, the most important thing to focus on is your characters. They are the heart of your narrative, and they’re the ones with whom readers will empathize. They must be believable, complex, and relatable. To achieve that, you need to build your characters through a series of recurring challenges, called story obstacles or challenge arcs, that will force them to grow and evolve in certain ways and make difficult choices.
Setting Development
At this stage, you’ll also want to establish the setting in which your story takes place. This includes details like time, location, and historical context, as well as any fictional elements that contribute to the world of your story, such as religions, mythologies, or magic systems.