(More) Mastering Story Concept Development

I carry a lot around in my head. Anecdotes, images, facts, quotes, tiny clips of people walking and gesticulating, odors, traumas, weird juxtapositions, and much more. Because of this, my research habits are different from most. I never searched for a quote for any of the many speeches I wrote. I’ve rarely stopped writing get grab number or consult a map or find an old photograph. Sometimes I consult a thesaurus, but not often. And, for my second novel, I read a pile of books before I wrote the first sentence.

So it may be surprising to find out that every draft I call finished has been deeply researched. This isn’t just because I don’t want to get anything wrong (especially with nonfiction, where I tend to look for multiple reliable sources). It’s because, once I have something working on paper, research is a delight, creating new possibilities and freshening the revision process.

I research later because the story that pours out of me is more authentic if I’m not squeezing in details that haven’t had time to age and find connections in my brain. I have more questions after a first draft. It’s more fun for me. And I don’t mind having to start all over because I got something “wrong.”

Most people research first, but I think I get the same benefits by holding back. Accuracy and connections. The delight of finding something surprising or intriguing. Reasons to dig deeper, exposing unexpected insights.

Most writers are curious, so research is a delight for them. So much so, that the main complaint from them is that research becomes too distracting. I’ve always felt a little sorry for those who, like Michener, needed to have a staff of researchers to keep the bestsellers coming.  

Master of Story Concept Development 4 - Approach research in ways that clarify and deepen ideas, the characters, and the story world.

Practice: From your story concept, generate a list of full-sentence questions (at least 10). Collect the answers. Try to find at least two answers that don’t fit (because of disagreements among scholars or ways they challenge the prevailing culture or perspective). Then take something suggested by the concept that you “know” and find something new and surprising. (This is especially valuable if you write contemporary mimetic fiction like romances because it means pushing past assumptions.)

I remember pitcher Jim Abbott not because he was the best of his generation (his career record was 87-108), but because he played in the Majors for ten years despite having only one hand. David and Goliath would not work if David had been a big, trained soldier, the best the Israelites had to offer. Usually, the protagonist needs to be the underdog (relative to the story problem). And the further down they are, the better. Many stories fail because the main character has too much power. Specifically, power that can be accessed to solve the problem. I remember a play a friend wrote were a poor person needed money. But he was also the favorite of a rich uncle… so the answer was never far away.

Unlikely heroes create a lot of their stories because their weakness must be overcome. The biggest challenges they face are clear and create questions and expectations. This can expose concepts that lack complexity. If the question for Abbott is “how did he manage to bat?” the answer was he didn’t have to. (He played in the American League, where pitchers rarely bat.) More challenging was, how could he field a hit ball? The answer was he had a glove tucked under his right arm, and he was quick to retrieve it. The most delightful question was how he handled bunts, which left balls close, but not very, to him. The answer, in how he surged forward and shot the ball over to first base was a reason to watch fools try to beat him that way.

David, of course, had a secret weapon, God on his side, and deadly aim. Poor Goliath, like the Death Star in Star Wars, had one vulnerable spot.

Protagonists are invaluable to developing story concepts and even suggesting specific scenes. The other characters in a story (beginning with the antagonist) can flesh the story out further. Their failures may show what won’t work (both in terms of action and in human terms, e.g., values and temperament). If beauty is part of the story, including allies with more and less beauty can illuminate that part. Consider wealth, education, empathy, charm, and whatever might create a range of options relative to the story question and use supporting characters and the antagonist to show what might happen or to deepen the complexity.

Master of Story Concept Development 5 - Select a cast of characters that cover the waterfront of concept possibilities in ways that have potential for conflict, surprise, and insight.

Practice: Start with the protagonist and create potential ones with attributes that reflect the main challenge. Explore enough of them to get surprised. Then consider a character who is opposite in at least one way. This may be the antagonist. Then consider what this developing concept implies and consider a range of characters best for what must happen in the story and what might happen in the story. Make them as different as possible. Consider which one might be toughest to see die… or betray the protagonist.

Okay. This is getting longer than expected. I’ll finish the list of Concept Development Essentials next week.