How To Develop a Story Idea
This simple, 3-step formula works every time
“I have a story idea, but I can’t write it.” Oh, the frustration! You’ve got a concept floating bout in your mind, but you are not sure how to use it to develop a story idea on paper.
Don’t let yourself get pulled into the Abyss of Blank Pages or worse, the Writer’s Block Torture Chamber.
Instead, set aside your “I-must-be-creative” hat, put on your practical pants, and fight back. You can develop a story idea with a simple little formula: T-A-P.
As in Topic-Angle-Point.
Develop a story idea with a writing formula
A formula provides a handy outline for you to follow as you write. You use writing formulas for plenty of writing tasks: to structure a piece using a standard template (such as Bob Stone’s Copywriting Formula) … as a checklist to follow (such as A FOREST formula as a checklist for persuasive writing.) … or simply to get ideas (as in these 5 headlines formulas).
In the case of developing a story from a seed idea, T-A-P is a useful — and versatile –tool. Its nifty three steps guide your thinking process. You start with a broad topic, determine an angle, and then choose a main point.
