Where Do You Find Your Ideas, and How Do You Develop Them Into A Fiction Book: Part 3 – Developing Your Idea

Today were going to dive deep into the nitty-gritty of developing an idea, or two, possibly from your Ideas Bank (see last weeks post), or from generalised brainstorming or some other way of getting ideas you like to use.

How to expand a promising idea into a plot outline

Expanding a promising idea into a plot outline involves breaking down the main elements of your story and fleshing them out in more detail. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you create a comprehensive plot outline:

1. Identify the core concept or idea for your novel, and write it down as a single sentence. This will serve as the foundation for your outline.
2. Develop your protagonist by creating a one-sentence description of who they are and what their goal is within the story.
3. Determine the setting(s) for your story in a single sentence, describing where most or all of the action takes place.
4. Break down your main idea into five segments, each with its own one-sentence summary that builds upon the previous segment and leads to the next. This will help you create a clear structure for your plot.
5. Consider any subplots or secondary story-lines that can enhance your primary narrative. Write down one sentence describing these elements and how they relate to the main plot.
6. Develop each of the five segments further by expanding them into paragraphs, providing more detail about key events, character interactions, and emotional arcs. This will help you create a richer story with depth and complexity.
7. Integrate your characters into the outline, ensuring that their motivations, actions, and development are consistent throughout the plot. Consider how each character contributes to the overall narrative and what role they play in driving the story forward.
8. Review and revise your outline as needed, making sure it follows a logical progression and maintains pacing throughout. You may find that some elements need to be rearranged or combined for clarity and cohesiveness.
9. Continuously refine your outline by working in circles, meaning you can go back and forth between steps, expanding upon certain segments while still keeping the overall structure of your story in mind. This iterative process will help ensure that your plot remains focused and engaging from beginning to end.
10. Once you have a solid draft of your plot outline, review it again with an eye for any gaps or inconsistencies. Make sure all elements are connected and contribute to the overall narrative arc of your story.

Remember, outlines can be flexible and adaptable tools that evolve as your ideas develop. Don’t feel constrained by a single approach; experiment with different methods until you find one that works best for you and your creative process.

How to use research trips and real places for fiction ideas

Using real places and research trips is one of the easiest ways to “cheat” your way into richer story ideas. Instead of inventing everything from scratch, you let the world hand you details, moods, and questions.

1. Visit the place in person, if possible: If you’re writing a story set in a specific location or drawing inspiration from an existing setting, try to visit that place yourself. This will allow you to experience the atmosphere firsthand and gather details that can help bring your fictional world to life.
2. Observe details: Pay close attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the location. These sensory experiences will help you create a vivid setting in your story. Take notes or photographs if it helps you remember specific details later on.
3. Interact with locals: If possible, talk to people who live or work in the area. They can provide valuable insights into local customs, history, and folklore that might inspire elements of your story.
4. Consider different perspectives: As you explore a location, try imagining how various characters from your story would experience it. This could lead to new ideas for plot points or character development.
5. Use research trips as inspiration rather than strict guidelines: While visiting real places can be helpful in developing your fiction, don’t feel like you need to stick strictly to the facts. Your story should ultimately serve your creative vision, so use the information you gather as a starting point and let your imagination take over.
6. Combine elements from multiple locations or create entirely new settings: If you find that a particular place doesn’t fit perfectly with your story idea, don’t be afraid to mix and match details from different real-world locations or even invent an entirely new setting altogether. This can help you create a unique world for your characters to inhabit.
7. Document your trip: Take notes, photographs, and recordings during your research trips so that you have a reference to draw on later when writing your story. These materials can also be useful if you need to revisit the location in future projects or want to share your experiences with readers.

Techniques to test if your idea can sustain a novel length piece of writing

1. High-concept test: Ask yourself if your idea is unique, implies a clear conflict, hints at the protagonist’s role in the story, and gives you an idea of how your story starts. If it fulfils all four criteria, then your idea has potential to sustain novel length.
2. Brainstorming exercises: Use Now Novel’s idea finder or turn finding ideas into a game by setting a time limit or trying different perspectives through letters and journal entries from characters’ points of view. This can help you explore the depth and versatility of your initial concept.
3. Test with short stories: Write short stories based on your novel idea to see if it can be expanded and developed into a full-length work. If your short story feels incomplete or leaves room for further exploration, then there’s potential for a longer narrative.
4. Outline expansion: Create an outline of your story and continuously refine it by working in circles, ensuring that all elements are connected and contribute to the overall narrative arc. This process will help you determine if your idea can sustain the length of a novel while maintaining focus and engagement throughout.
5. Research similar works: Look for existing novels with similar themes or concepts to see how they have been developed over hundreds of pages. Analyse their structure, character development, and plot progression to gain insights into whether your own idea has enough material to support a full-length novel.

What questions test if an idea can sustain a novel?

To test if an idea can sustain a novel, you should ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is my idea unique? A strong and novel-worthy idea stands out from other stories in its genre or theme. It offers something fresh and different that will capture readers’ interest.
2. Does it imply a clear conflict? A compelling story needs conflict to drive the plot forward and keep readers engaged. If your idea has an inherent conflict, it is more likely to sustain a novel-length narrative.
3. Does it hint at my protagonist’s role in the story? Your main character should have a significant part to play in resolving the central conflict of your story. Their role should be clear from the outset and evolve as the plot progresses, ensuring that they remain an essential element throughout the novel.
4. Does it give me an idea of how my story starts? A strong opening sets the tone for the rest of the narrative and helps establish the stakes early on. If your idea provides a clear starting point, you are more likely to be able to develop a full-length work around it.

By answering these questions, you can determine if your idea is high-concept and has enough material to support a complete novel.

Which questions test if characters can grow across a novel?

1. How will the protagonist defeat the villain?
2. How will the hero and heroine overcome the barriers to their relationship?
3. Is there long-range character growth in your story, such as how the protagonist overcomes obstacles or learns valuable lessons?
4. Do you explore dynamic characters who feel real and undergo significant change throughout the novel?
5. Are your characters forced together by some crucible so they can sharpen each other and become better?

5 (more) common mistakes to avoid

1. Waiting for a “big lightning bolt” idea instead of starting small: You sit there thinking, “I need *the* perfect, original concept that’ll blow everyone away.” Meanwhile, hours pass and nothing happens.
   Fix it: Good stories rarely start epic. Grab something tiny – a grumpy barman in your favourite pub, a forgotten key chain, a weird dream – and ask, “What if this mattered a lot to someone?” Small seeds grow into plots when you add desire + obstacle. No bolt required.
2. Judging every spark as “not good enough” right away: That half-baked thought pops up, and boom – your inner critic kills it: “Too cliche,” “Too boring,” “Someone’s done this.” Poof, idea gone.
   Fix it: Treat ideas like rough sketches, not final art. Write it down anyway, no editing. Later, twist it (change the era, swap roles, crank the stakes). Your voice makes it fresh, not the seed itself.
3. Chasing “totally unique” concepts that don’t exist: You Google your idea, see a million similar ones, and scrap it. Spoiler: With 7 billion people, everything echoes something.
   Fix it: Stop originality hunting. Mash real life + “what if”: a local news story + magic, or your worst fear + sci-fi. Execution – your details, characters, angle – is what stands out. Borrow boldly, then make it yours.
4. Not capturing ideas the second they flicker: A cool premise hits you in the shower or whilst waiting for a bus… and by desk time, it’s vanished. No notes? No mercy.
   Fix it: Always have a net ready – a phone app, voice memo, scribble pad. Jot the raw spark + one “why it hooks me” note. Build an “idea bank” you can raid later. Your future you will be very grateful.
5. Over-planning the full plot before testing the core idea: You force a vague notion into a 3-act outline, get stuck, and abandon ship because “it doesn’t work.”
   Fix it: Test first. Spend 10 minutes on a quick premise: Who wants what? What’s blocking them? Write one messy scene. If it excites you, expand. If not, throw it away or put it back into your idea bank, for now at least. Ideas need playtime, not a blueprint on day one.

5 (more) key takeaways

1. Start small: a “good idea” is just someone who wants something and can’t get it easily. You don’t need a whole trilogy in your head. If you can name a character, their desire, and what’s in the way, you already have a solid seed.
2. Catch sparks, don’t wait for lightning: Treat odd moments, overheard lines, and strange headlines as story seeds. Jot them down immediately in a notebook or notes app so your future self has a pile of raw material to play with.
3. Ask “What if… ?” until something clicks: Take an ordinary situation and keep nudging it sideways: What if this went wrong? What if the obvious explanation is wrong? What if there’s a secret behind this? That simple question turns everyday life into story fuel.
4. Build from what you genuinely care about: Ideas stick when they’re tied to emotions, questions, or themes that matter to you – fear, guilt, injustice, second chances. Start from a feeling or question you can’t shake, then invent a situation that forces a character to confront it.
5. Treat ideas as clay, not glass: Don’t reject a spark because it “sounds cliche” or “has already been done.” Twist it – change the setting, swap roles, raise the stakes – until it feels like yours. Your voice, details, and characters are what make an idea good on the page.

And as the cartoons always say at the end …. That’s all folks!