When you start developing your story, you need to build a framework that will allow you to turn the seed into a full draft. During this stage, you may find gaps in logic — where what happens first doesn’t seem to connect to what comes later – or characters that don’t quite ring true. But if you work at it, you can learn to balance macro edits (like plot structure and character arcs) with micro edits (like grammar and style).
Identify the “hot spots” in your idea — where there is potential for conflict or emotion. These can be inherent, as in a life or death situation, or they can be created — for example, a detail in an image that could lead to an unexpected discovery or reveal. Once you have the hot spots, you can then create an outline that will guide your drafting process.
Consider the inner obstacle your protagonist will face — the internal sequence of trials that will shape them into their final, defining character moment. This can be the climax of the external plot or it can be the moment that brings together all the ‘yes, but’ and ‘no, and’ moments in their progression towards it.
During this stage, you’ll also want to establish the setting for your story — its location, time period, and any other unique aspects that contribute to its world. This helps establish consistency and realism, which are both crucial to your storytelling.