How to Turn Your Ideas Into a Story People Will Read

When people I meet in person learn that I’m a writer, most of them say, “I also want to be a fiction writer, but I don’t know where to start,” or “I have these ideas for a story but I can’t put them down on paper.” I understand their struggle because I’ve been there before. I started with only having jumbled ideas inside my head and like them, I didn’t know how to turn those ideas into a story people will read. But through workshops, online courses, and a lot of practice, I learned how to write fiction.

In this article, I will guide you through the process of finally starting that fiction story. But first, we need to be clear about what fiction writing is.

Fiction writing is the process of developing tales that are not based on actual persons or events. It frequently has components like characters, plot, setting, and theme. There are numerous genres in which it can be written, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, and more.

Writing fiction stories can be a fun and rewarding endeavor, but it can also be challenging when you don’t know where to start. Here are the steps to help you begin your writing journey:

1. Allot Time for Writing

Before anything else, you need determination. You must convince your brain that you want to write. To do this, you need to set aside time for it. Dedicating time to writing is important because it allows you to focus on the creative process, without the distractions that can happen when you try to write in between other activities.

It doesn’t have to be hours long. Just thirty minutes to one hour is enough to make a huge difference. You don’t even have to start the actual writing of chapters. Instead, letting yourself focus on mulling over your ideas, jotting down notes, and exercising your creative juices will eventually help you start the actual writing.

If you still struggle getting started, you might want to read this list of effective ways to beat writing procrastination.

2. Use Mind Map to Organize Story Ideas

A story usually begins with jumbled ideas that can be confusing for a newbie writer. To be able to turn those ideas into a solid story concept, you can use a mind map to organize your thoughts. A mind map is a visual tool where you start with a central idea or topic. From the central idea, add branches that represent related ideas or subtopics. You can assign keywords or phrases for each branch. From there you can add details and connect related ideas, creating a web-like structure.

By finding the relationships between different ideas, you will be able to form a central concept for your story and it will be easier for you to lay down your plot later on. This mind map will also serve as your beacon of light throughout your writing process.

3. Figure Out Your Story Genre and Theme

Most new writers usually skip this part of the writing process but taking the time to figure out the genre and theme of your story early on is crucial since it influences the direction and structure of the plot as well as your word choices, tone, and writing style.

Knowing the genre of your story will aid you in understanding the conventions and expectations associated with that genre, including the typical character types, plot devices, and themes. This will assist you in writing a story that is both recognizable to readers and distinctive and original.

A theme is also important because it will give your story depth. It is the main message you want to impart to your readers. Understanding your theme will enable you to write a more coherent, meaningful story that connects with your readers.

Understanding the genre and theme of your story can help you make more deliberate decisions about the plot, characters, and setting of your story. It will make your story more engaging and appealing to readers.

4. Create and Develop Your Characters

In fiction writing, characters are one of the driving forces that will make people read your story. Create characters that are not only interesting and relatable to readers, but also fit the genre, theme, and plot of your work. You can start by giving them names and listing down their general characteristics, their relationships with the other characters, as well as their role in your story.

From there you must flesh out each of your characters more. Describe their physical appearance and their quirks. What makes them stand out? Take your time creating a backstory for each of them. Where did they come from? What happened in their past to make them the way they are? What are their motivations and goals? You should also develop their personalities so they can become more interesting and memorable to the readers. Giving them flaws will also make your characters more relatable.

You should know that in the actual writing process, most of this information will not make it to your story. You can’t tell your readers everything you know about your characters but you can show them glimpses of it. This will make your characters feel alive.

5. Establish the Setting of Your Story

Establishing a setting is important in fiction writing because it helps shape the tone and atmosphere of your story. The setting should fit your chosen genre and theme. If you are writing a story set in the real world, you must do your research. Gather information about where your story is set. What does it look like? What is the history, culture, and lifestyle in that place? How do the people living there talk, dress, and interact with others? You need to know these things so your characters can navigate the setting well as you write your story.

If you are writing a fantasy story, you need to be as specific as possible in your world-building. Give your fantasy world a history. Write a myth, a legend, or an important event that shaped this world. Create a map so you and your readers can visualize it. Make it feel real through vivid descriptions so the readers can imagine it.

Whether your setting is the real world or a fantasy world, make sure to stay consistent with the details throughout the story.

6. Build Your Story Plot

Now that you have your genre, theme, characters, and setting, it is time to build the plot for your story. You can do this by going back to your mind map. Using all the ideas you listed down, outline your story plot. List down the sequence of events that make up your story, including the beginning, middle, and end. It doesn’t have to be detailed at first, just the general idea of the scenes you want to write.

It is also important to pay more attention to the conflict of your story. It can be internal or external or both. Conflict creates tension and drives the plot of the story forward. It also allows the characters to grow and develop by forcing them to face their fears or confront an antagonist.

Aside from the conflict, it is also essential to plan the climax of your story. The climax is the point of greatest tension in the story and the turning point for the characters. Map out the rising actions leading to the climax and the falling action after it.

Lastly, create a resolution. Most of the time, writers don’t know how the story will end in the early stage of their writing. While this is okay, since the ending will eventually come to you as you write, I prefer to know the ending of the story before I start writing. Why? Because knowing how the story will end will serve as a guiding hand pulling your story forward. If you know the ending, it will be easier to create scenes and incidents that will lead you there.

7. Write an Attention-grabbing Opening

Now that you have an outline of your plot, it is time to do the actual writing. How you start your story is one of the most crucial parts of writing. It is also one of the most difficult parts. It is important to have a strong opening because the first few sentences of your story are the deciding factor of whether the readers will continue reading your work or not.

Your opening should be attention-grabbing and intriguing enough to hook your readers. You can start with an action-packed scene or a vivid description or even a one-liner, depending on the genre and the atmosphere of your story. You can create a sense of mystery or a sense of urgency so the readers will feel that they have to read more.

While the opening hook is important, it is not a good idea to dwell on this part of your story too long, or else you will not make any progress in your writing. You don’t have to perfect the opening on your first draft. You can always go back to it when a better idea comes to you.

8. Show Don’t Tell

Showing instead of telling is the golden rule in fiction writing. Show don’t tell is a writing technique in which the scenes and characters are conveyed through actions, thoughts, words, and sensory details rather than cold, factual explanations. You can achieve this by using descriptive language and dialogue to show the readers what is happening in the story.

For example, instead of telling the readers that the weather is hot, make them feel it by describing the sweat dripping down the character’s forehead, the dryness in his throat, and his need for a glass of water. This way, readers will feel like they are part of the story. It will provide a more immersed reading experience for them.

9. Give Yourself a Deadline

Setting a deadline will give you a sense of commitment and urgency to finish your story. It can provide you with motivation which can increase your focus and productivity. It can also help to avoid procrastination and ensure that your story is completed on time. Moreover, having a deadline can help to establish a sense of accountability, which can increase the probability that you will complete the task at hand.

Pro tip: if you are going to make a deadline, let someone know about it. Having someone else aware of your deadline will give you an additional sense of responsibility. It is also a good motivation to promise yourself a reward if you finish writing your story on the deadline you set.

10. Revise and Edit

So you finished writing your first draft? Congratulations! You are done with the hardest part of the writing process. You can pat yourself on the back and give yourself that reward. However, that’s not the end of your writing journey. You still have to revise and edit your work. It is not recommended to do this right away. Let your story rest for a few days so that when it is time for editing and revising, you will see it with fresh eyes. You will be able to objectively decide what scenes to cut out or what characters don’t contribute to the story. Don’t be afraid to get rid of parts that are unnecessary to your work.

11. Seek Feedback

The last part of the writing process is to share your story with others. No matter how you edit and revise your work as objectively as possible, it is still your own work, your baby. It is impossible to get rid of all your biases. Seek the help of close friends or family members that you can trust. Be open to feedback. Listen to their suggestions and opinions and think about how you can incorporate that feedback to make your story better.

In conclusion, writing a story is an arduous undertaking. But if you follow the steps above, you can create a beautiful story that can capture the interest of readers. Take your time with each step. Stay disciplined but don’t be too hard on yourself. Enjoy the process of writing. It might be a long and difficult journey but after you are done writing, you will see how all of your efforts are worth it. You’ve created something and you should be proud of yourself.