Is your story idea good?
When people find out I'm a writer, sometimes they want to share their story ideas with me. They want to know if their idea sounds "good." Often that means – is my story worth money? Sometimes, they want to know if I'll write it for them. Mostly they just want to know if it's a story worth telling
Writing takes time and energy. It's a commitment. Before starting any journey, it's good to ask whether the venture will be worth the effort.
How can I tell?
How do you figure out whether your idea is worth an investment of time and energy?
I always start with a Mission Statement.
Like I wrote about in the post linked BELOW, a Mission Statement is basically a statement of intent meant to help clarify your idea and motivate you to see it through.
Laura Cayouette
While you're still in the idea phase, a Mission Statement is the perfect place to answer questions like:
- Why does this project matter?
- Who am I writing for?
- What do I hope to achieve?
And to finish this sentence:
- This story needs to be told because...
Perfect your pitch
A terrific way to get feedback while something is still in the idea phase is to pitch your idea every chance you get. Try telling people your idea in one or two sentences – and paying attention to their reactions. Do they seem excited? Entertained? Intrigued? Curious? Bored? Impatient?
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Whatever their reactions may be, they are teaching you about your idea and your ability to express it. They are letting you know in real time if your concept is easily grasped or if people get lost in just two sentences. They're helping you figure out what the people you have access to are enjoying, and what's potentially popular on a larger scale.
If you pitch your idea as many times as possible, you might get some reactions that don't feel good – but that can help you redirect your pitch or rethink your original idea. It can be good to get story-related feedback early so you can shape your character's journey before writing a word of it.
Sometimes people will tell you an idea they have in response to your pitch – something to make it "better." Even if their ideas are not useful, listen for what your story may be missing. I might not know how to fix a pothole, but I can point at it. Our ideas on making your pitch better might not work for you – but pay attention to where people point.
The Enough Draft
I test every idea out with index cards before writing a word of the first draft. If you're a paid subscriber, you already have Writing Unblocked. Maybe you've even gone through the process of creating a living, adaptable draft of your project.
Whether you create an Enough Draft, an outline, or a table of contents – organizing your thoughts is critical to understanding your idea. (see BELOW)
Laura Cayouette
What about character-driven stories?
I would argue that it's even more important to be able to clearly articulate your ideas when the story is mainly watching the characters be themselves.
No matter how great your characters are, they are living out a story. I used to argue that my characters ARE the story. I wrote interesting people making interesting observations during interesting moments of their lives. The stories were mostly about what happened to my characters and how they reacted to those happenings.
Now, I see those journeys as my characters being presented with choices and dealing with their options. The stories become about their perceptions, what paths they choose, and why.
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What if I'm not sure it's a good idea?
If you've written a Mission Statement, pitched your story, and worked out an Enough Draft (or at least an outline), you should already have an idea whether or not your idea will sustain your interest long enough to get the job done.
If testing your idea seems like a lot of work – wait until you try to turn those ideas into a book, a movie, or some other time-consuming project. Before asking if an audience wants to read your work, ask if you want to write it.
If your idea isn't getting the feedback you hoped for, if it's too hard to explain – then your idea needs adjusting. If it makes you tired just thinking about working on it, then it's probably not a strong enough idea to draw you (and your readers) to the finish line.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
What happens if I go through the process of developing my story ideas and pitching them for feedback, and I'm still not sure whether or not my idea is good? Between the Mission Statement and the Enough Draft, I usually write down everything I know about my story. I can keep tweaking and reworking, or I can put it away and see if the story calls me back.
I first wrote The Source (my 9th book – in progress) as a screenplay in 2005. In 2008, I tried to turn it into a novel. In 2009, I packed it for my move from Los Angeles to New Orleans. All my notes, index cards, and research books remained boxed until 2023, when I pulled out the cards and began creating the Enough Draft. By 2024, I was writing this story that hasn't let me go for over 20 years.
Sometimes I ditch an idea, but I end up using it for parts later. I have a file labeled IDEAS and another labeled DIALOGUE BITS for orphaned thoughts and lines. Whether it's a character, a moment, or whatever – your ideas don't have to die just because they didn't fit a particular project.
Whether your story idea is good or needs more development, remember that writing is the fun part. It's the part where anything's possible and you really only have to please yourself. So enjoy it!
Ask me!
I invite you to send me your questions. I’ll be selecting some of these questions for future newsletter topics.
Thanks for reading! I hope this inspired you to dare to live your calling.
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