From the spark of an idea to a fully-fledged screenplay or pitch, developing story is a process every writer goes through. It’s the journey from taking inspiration from a concept to fleshing out characters, establishing an inciting incident, and mapping out progressive complications that lead up to the climax. This is often the most challenging part of writing because it’s where writers experience the most “writer’s block.”
Whether you’re crafting a family drama that delves into grief and loss or a thriller set in a unique setting like an Arctic research station, your story must have a strong foundation. That’s where developing story comes in, allowing you to create a structured narrative that captures audience attention and sustains engagement from beginning to end.
The underlying message or central idea of a story that resonates with audiences, reflecting universal human experiences and moral lessons. Integrating a theme into the development of a story allows writers to align character arcs and plot developments, resulting in a more cohesive and impactful script.
A fictional world that sets the stage for a story’s conflict, characterizations, and resolution. Developing your setting from the outset will save you time and effort later on as you write your drafts because it helps you to avoid creating walls of description that bog down the narrative. You’ll also be able to determine whether your story fits better into medieval Europe, America’s 1960s, or the future, for example. You can then choose a working title for your project that reflects its context.