How to Develop a Story: 9 Steps to an Amazing Draft

So you want to be a storyteller, eh? Well, whether you’re an aspiring novelist or a seasoned writer, mastering the basic elements of storytelling is key to capturing your audience’s attention and imagination. In this guide, I’ll show you my favorite method for coming up with ideas and spinning them into a workable story.

You ready? Let’s go.

1. Brainstorm for potential ideas

Inspiration often strikes in unexpected ways. But we can’t just sit back and wait for ideas to pop into our heads: you have to actively seek them to spark your creativity. You can draw from personal experiences, news stories, or even dreams. 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was inspired by a conversation about galvanism (the act of re-animating dead muscle with electricity) and a vivid nightmare. J.K. Rowling outlined much of Harry Potter while on a train, letting her ideas flow freely before organizing them. (One can speculate that’s where the idea for the Hogwarts Express came from.) 

I like to get my ideas from observing the banal everyday activities of strangers — then trying to puzzle out what brought them to this point. This method, I find, not only helps you arrive at an interesting scenario but also with a central character. If you’re interested, I made a video about this process that you might find useful. 

Tip: Keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas that come from daily life or moments of curiosity. Observe people in their everyday lives and ask yourself, ‘Why are they doing that?’

2. Engage in some character development 

Character is at the heart of everything in a story. Without dynamic and relatable characters, you won’t have a story that people will want to read. (Mind you, ‘relatable’ doesn’t have to mean ‘likable.’) Now, there are a few key elements that I believe are crucial in a protagonist:

• They must have strengths and flaws.
• These strengths and flaws should be central to the story.
• The character must change in some way. 

Think of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, who is witty, vulnerable, and stubborn. Mr. Darcy is attracted to her wit and intrigued by her vulnerability. However, her stubbornness (i.e., prejudice!) proves to be a major obstacle in the story — and it’s only when Lizzy realizes her own flaws and changes that she finally gets what she wants. 

Tip: Create character bios to try to understand their personalities and backstories. And don’t be afraid to return to change these bios as your story develops. 

3. Choose a suitable point of view

The viewpoint you choose shapes your readers’ connection to the story. Close first-person narration, like in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, offers the reader a sense of intimacy with the character — while third-person omniscient can present a broader view of the story that spans space and time. 

The narrator of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is Death himself, a choice that provides an unusual and haunting perspective on the events of Nazi Germany. It’s a curious combination that marries first-person narration with omniscience — two aspects Zusak carefully balances to give readers a unique and emotionally engaging experience. 

Of course, selecting the right point of view can be daunting. You might feel limited by the constraints of a single perspective or struggle to maintain consistency when switching between multiple viewpoints. Just remember, once you’ve chosen a POV, it can be very hard to change it in the edit. 

Tip: Experiment with different POVs in short scenes to find the one that best suits your story’s needs. Consider how each perspective affects the tone and reader experience and, most importantly, figure out which one you actually enjoy writing the most.

4. Map out your world (metaphorically) 

A vivid setting immerses readers in your world — your goal is to transport them to a time and a place in which they’ll want to spend time. While your setting doesn’t have to be 100% true to life (one could argue that the Victorian London of Dickens’ novels is as ‘realistic’ as Tolkien’s Middle-earth), there has to be a consistency and internal logic to the way your world works. 

In addition, I think it’s important to think about how your characters fit into this world. For example, in Wuthering Heights, the wild and windy Yorkshire Moors are a reflection of Heathcliff, one of the main characters. The windswept isolation and ruggedness serve as an external representation of Heathcliff’s intense emotions. When Cathy enters this world as an outsider, she is overwhelmed by the setting, just as she is by Heathcliff. 

Tip: Create a dossier of your story’s locations. You can search for images or use ChatGPT to create reference ‘photos.’

5. Give your plot a structure 

A well-structured plot keeps readers engaged and entertained by ensuring that the story is always progressing. Many writers have a finely attuned sense of plot structure simply because they’ve been reading and writing stories for years.

When you’re starting off, don’t be afraid to try out structures like the three-act structure, the Hero’s Journey, or the Save the Cat beat sheet to guide your narrative. You might think that these frameworks are only for certain types of stories — fantasy novels, thrillers — but they can be applied to almost any narrative. 

As an out-there example, we could look at something like The Babysitters Club (as low-stakes a narrative as one could hope for) and map the plot onto a three-act structure:

• Kristy is the smallest girl in her year (Exposition).
• She gets the idea to start a babysitting service (Inciting Incident).
• She recruits her friends, and they start getting work (Rising Action).
• They must balance sibling rivalries, schoolwork, and personal secrets (Midpoint).
• We learn that Stacey — the new girl — is secretly battling diabetes (Plot Point 2).
• They all open up to each other, become better friends, and the Babysitters Club is up and running (Climax and Denouement). 

So, if you’re unsure where your story should be going at any given moment, why not refer to a popular framework and see if it inspires you? 

Tip: Create a plot outline or timeline to visualize key events and turning points. 

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6. Figure out what conflict lies at its center

One could argue that conflict is a story’s engine, driving its tension and stakes. In every good story, your character should find themselves dealing with internal and external conflict — two fights that should ideally complement one another.

As an example, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry faces significant external challenges: the increasing threat posed by Voldemort, the Ministry of Magic’s refusal to acknowledge You-Know-Who’s return, and Dolores Umbridge, a new professor with oppressive rules. Simultaneously, Harry is grappling with feelings of isolation, frustration, self-doubt and anger as he copes with the traumatic events of the previous book (Goblet of Fire). 

The interplay between these conflicts makes Harry’s journey compelling. His internal growth — learning to put more faith in others and himself — helps him to face these external threats. This balance between internal and external challenges gives the story emotional depth and keeps readers engaged. 

Tip: Develop conflicts that pose a challenge to your protagonist’s beliefs or goals. Consider how these challenges shape their growth and drive the story’s resolution.

7. Explore some interesting themes

When talking about ‘theme,’ I try to focus on the intent of the story. It’s usually a message or idea that the author is trying to convey. Theme is what makes a narrative resonate — it’s the thing that can transform a plot about rabbits into a story that gets readers to think about the impermanence of life. 

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is more than just a plot about a lawyer and his curious daughter. It explores themes of justice, empathy, and moral growth, all of which remain relevant decades after its publication. 

Balancing the narrative’s entertainment value with meaningful thematic exploration can be tricky. Indeed, writers often struggle with integrating themes subtly without being didactic. If it feels like you’re forcing a theme or overtly moralizing, this can alienate readers. 

Tip: Focus on showing, not telling, your theme. Use your characters and how they deal with conflict to illustrate your message rather than stating it outright.

8. Write evocative dialogue 

I find this is the part that most writers really enjoy: it’s a chance for us to get into the heads of our characters and live in their shoes — or is it in their mouths? Just remember that when you’re writing dialogue, the main purpose should be to reveal character and propel the plot. 

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the rapport between George and Lennie is simple, yet deeply revealing of their relationship and individual personalities. Lennie’s repetitive and childlike speech contrasts with George’s practical tone: a yin and yang, highlighting their bond and dependence on each other. 

At the start, you may struggle with making characters’ voices distinct or balancing dialogue with exposition. Dialogue that feels stilted or overly expository can disrupt the flow of the narrative. But don’t worry: that’s what the editing is for. 

Tip: Read anything by Ernest Hemingway and you’ll quickly see how sparse, purposeful dialogue can reveal character and evoke emotion.

9. Revise and edit mercilessly

Think of your first draft as collecting raw material. The real craft of developing your story comes afterward, as you edit that draft into a polished narrative. Look for inconsistencies, tighten prose, and refine character arcs. 

You’ll often hear the maxim “kill your darlings,” which alludes to the fact that an author’s favorite parts of their work are often also the most self-indulgent — and should be the first to face the chopping block. Letting go of scenes or characters that don’t serve the story can be emotionally taxing, but it must be done. (If you struggle to do this yourself, consider hiring an editor who can evaluate your work more objectively.) 

Balancing macro edits (like plot structure) with micro edits (like grammar and style) can feel overwhelming. It isn’t easy, but eventually, you’ll start to see the forest for the trees as you trim away the fat and leave only a lean, muscular manuscript that’s ready to face the world. 

Tip: Take breaks between writing and editing to gain a fresh perspective. Share your work with beta readers or critique partners who can provide constructive feedback. And, as mentioned, consider working with a professional editor who can bring their knowledge of the industry to bear on your manuscript.

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By mastering these elements, developing captivating stories will soon become second nature to you. Keep experimenting, learning, and revising — the journey of storytelling is as rewarding as the destination.