How do I get my Short Story concept into a STORY ?
How do I get my Short Story concept into a STORY ?
Short stories are a narrative following one or two characters through one or two disasters. This journey is the story. This is different then a story concept. A concept is a cool idea. A concept is the what if. A concept example is: ‘what if a wizard became a priest?’ A plot example is that expanded to 5+ sentences with depth and density. In order to get a story with strong characters, character growth, inciting plot, and engaging conflicts you must brainstorm. The way I brainstorm is filling out the below form:
Concept: The idea. The spark. The what if.
Point of View: A one line statement that describes the MC / narrator .
Goal: What’s the MC’s objective? What are they seeking?
Conflict: What’s keeping the MC from achieving their goal?
Resolution: How does the MC solve this conflict? How does the MC change throughout the story?
Character: What really makes the MC tick? This is where you explore all necessary vicinities of your MC.
Plot: Okay, now you have all the ingredients to the story! You just need to actualize it. For a short story I suggest writing a paragraph that starts with the conflict and ends with the resolution.
- After I Create My Paragraph I Reword It
- So It Fits Five One or Two Sentence
- Bulletin Points
- Each bulletin point is a scene
- This list should be revised to perfection ! This is your outline.
And that’s how I brainstorm a short story out of a concept!
Related articles
- Seven Tips for writing a Short Story (ruchivasudeva.wordpress.com)
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- How To Write Short Stories – Part Four – Plotting Your Short Story (sophiechekruga.wordpress.com)